Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye

In the swanky Parisian suburb of Saint-Germain-en-Laye sits a chateau which is now the National Museum of Archeology. It started life as an ancient fortress built in 1122 by Louis VI le Gros. The square tower at the entrance is the only original piece that remains.

Over the centuries the castle suffered changes through war and fire and rebuilds. The complex turned into more of a chateau with the arrival of Francois I. After living in it for a bit with his wife Claude he rebuilt on the old foundations and after his death in 1547 his son Henri II finished the construction.

In 1559 the chateau covered a total surface area of 8000m2 comprising 55 apartments, a ballroom, 7 chapels, a kitchen and a prison. Naturally things continued to evolve as the property passed from monarch to monarch. Louis XIV had Le Notre design the terrace overlooking the Seine but in 1682 the court left the chateau permanently, for Versailles. James II of England lived there during his exile.

During the French Revolution the chateau was used as a prison, then a hospital for treating contagious diseases. later it became Napoleon I's cavalry school and then, under Louis-Philippe, a military prison.

Napoleon III found the building in a bad state of repair. It was listed as a historical monument in 1863 and extensively restored. It became the museum it is today specialising in Celtic and Gallo-roman antiquities.

There is no furniture in the chateau as it is completely given over to exhibitions and displays of archeological collections, amongst the richest in the world. 29,000 objects are on display, bearing witness to the technological and artistic developments ranging from Paleolithic to Celtic times.


I really enjoyed the quality of the displays. it was great to see Celtic chariot pieces, old firearms.

https://musee-archeologienationale.fr/