The Palace of Rambouillet
The château de Rambouillet started out as a simple manor house. A knight, Jehan Bernier, bought it
from Girard Tournebu on May 6, 1368. As Provost of Paris, Jehan Bernier was around that time named "Sovereign informant on the Rivers and Forests of the Kingdom" by Charles V, which was
why he decided to move to Rambouillet. The château's progress towards its status as a Presidential residence began in 1870. At that date, the château was rented to the Duc de la
Trémoille, its tenant until 1883. President Jules Grévy had the use of apartments in the château to receive his guests. Neither Sadi Carnot nor Jean-Paul-Pierre Casimir-Perrier stayed
at the château.
On February 23, 1896, Rambouillet was visited by President Félix Faure, with a view to spending
the Summer months there each year. Rambouillet thus became the Summer residence of the Presidents of the Republic. Emile Loubet, Armand Fallières and Raymond Poincaré held hunting
parties there for numerous foreign dignitaries, princes and Heads of State. Alexandre Millerand, Paul Doumer, and Albert Lebrun maintained the tradition. René Coty often spent weekends
at the château. Under the Fifth Republic, General de Gaulle held many parties and receptions at the château de Rambouillet.
In November 1975, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing assembled the Heads of State and Government of the
six leading industrialized nations: Gerald Ford, Harold Wilson, Aldo Moro, Takeo Miki and Helmut Schmidt, for the first meeting of the G7. The State undertook the renovation of the French
garden, at the south-eastern side of the château, at the initiative of François Mitterrand. Certain bilateral summits are still held at the château.
Visit
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View and ancient plan of the Château
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The Grand Lounge
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The Dining Room
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The Marble Room
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The Count of Toulouse bathroom
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The Emperor's bathing room
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The Chapel
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The Sea Shell Thatched Cottage
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The Queen's dairy
Album
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Opening of the Kosovo peace
conference on 6 February 1999 (Dining room of the Château)
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Mr. Nelson
Mandela President of the Republic of South Africa's visit on 13 July 1996 (Château park)
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State visit of Mr. and Mrs. Boris
Yeltsin on 20 October 1995 (Château park)
