When you look at the palace, it seems - that he was a real medieval castle: thick walls, defensive towers, gates and powerful, even a small village at the foot of the castle hill. But the most striking buildings all date from the XIX century.

The first castle here arose during the Carolingian period. Later, Pierre-background was a part of the duchy of Valois. During the Hundred Years' War, Louis d'Orléans (brother of Charles VI) rebuilt it and turned into a chain of fortifications that stretched between the rivers Oise and Urk. The fortress was dismantled in the reign of Louis XIII. Then the ruins of a castle bought Napoleon I. In 1857, Louis Napoleon commissioned architect. Viollet-le-Duc to build on the site of the ruins anything romantic, but after 4 years the emperor for updating residence.

Viollet-le-Duc built a neo-Gothic palace (the fortress of Louis d'Orleans preserved base of the wall and towers), which is perhaps more Gothic than Gothic itself. Of course, critics are right when they say that the building had been violated and historical accuracy, and the architectural canon, but the palace was very beautiful.