A masterpiece of Italian Renaissance art can be found at peaceful Chaalis on the very doorstep of Paris, within an unimposing chapel concealing atmospheric frescoes by Primaticcio.
Nestled in Ermenonville Forest just north of Paris, the tranquil ruins of the Abbaye de Chaalis seem like an unlikely place to discover an Italian Renaissance masterpiece. But here, within an intact chapel in the grounds, lie frescoes that form the greatest body of religious-themed work by Francesco Primaticcio, a painter who spent most of his career in France and whose most famous legacy can be found at the Palace of Fontainebleau.
Commissioned by Ippolito d’Este, a son of Lucrezia Borgia who was appointed Abbot of Chaalis by his friend King François, the delicate frescoes, which are atmospherically softened by the light from the chapel's high windows, depict the Annunciation and the Church Fathers.
The chapel also bears the coats of arms of the abbots on its pillars, as well as the tomb of Nélie Jac-quemart-André, a painter and art collector who inherited this estate and for whom the on-site Musée Jacquemart-André art museum is named.
A Break from Routine
The Abbaye de Chaalis is a wonderful place to get a breath of fresh air while discovering new things, with a rose garden perfect for romantic strolls. Remarkably, all of this is just a few minutes’ away from large hotels and gourmet restaurants, among them the Château de Montvillargenne in Gouvieux – a stately castle built in 1900 by the Rothschild family, with a spa, an indoor pool and a sumptuous restaurant. For something more intimate, quirky Les Rêveries dans la Théière in Ermenonville has cosy B&B rooms and a charming tea-room specialising in inventive quiches.
Abbaye de Chaalis
F-60300 Fontaine-Chaalis
Tel: +33 (0)3 44 54 04 02
