Palace of Fontainebleau

Palace of Fontainebleau – The royal residence used by French kings and royal families

The Palace of Fontainebleau, or Chateau de Fontainebleau, is a royal residence used by French kings and royal families. Beginning in the 12th century, the chateau was used as a medieval hunting lodge by King Louis VII. Located in the forests of the Île-de-France, Fontainebleau was the perfect choice for a residence not far from the capital in Paris.

In the 16th century, François I recreated the lodge, transforming it into the Renaissance palace it is today. Beginning in 1528, the project of embellishing the royal residence began with the earliest builder, Gilles le Breton, including his work on the Cour Ovale in the eastern part of the complex.

The architecture and art of the Palace of Fontainebleau inspired artistic evolution. François I brought artists from Italy, who spread the Renaissance to France. Rosso Fiorentino was the artist who created many of the palace’s frescoes and stuccos from 1533 to 1540. Fiorentino worked in the Mannerist style and his work incorporated themes from Greco-Roman mythology. Francesco Primaticcio also created frescoes, along with Romantic bronzes, the Cortile of the Belvedere and the Palazzo della Valle.

After François I, construction on the palace was continued by successors, even through the 19th century. Today, the palace is made up of five courtyards surrounded by buildings and filled with gardens. The grounds feature the Forest of Fontainebleau and many gardens, like the Grand Jardin on the east side. Originally consisting of flower beds and a canal, the gardens later became Parterre du Tibre, and today are primarily lawns with flowers along the borders.

The Palace of Fontainebleau now houses the Ecoles d’Art Americaines, an art school for American students. Tours are available of certain parts of the palace, like the Grands Appartements (including the Papal Apartment), the chapels, museums, and galleries.

Amazon River in Brazil

The Amazon River – Second Largest River in the World

The Amazon River, located in South America, is the second longest river in the world. It flows through Guyana, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru traversing a distance of about 4,000 miles or about 6,400 kilometers. While for the major part, the river runs through dense rainforests, some populous and large cities have sprung up on its banks. The largest among these cities is Manaus in Brazil with a population of over 1.7 million people. The Central Amazon Conservation Complex along the Amazon Basin is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.

The Amazon basin rainforest is one of the most bio diverse places on earth and is home to a number of freshwater species including over 3,000 different fish species. The world’s largest variety of electric fish, the Amazonian manatee, the black caiman, and Amazonian river dolphins live in the Amazon River. Going by drainage, the Amazon River is the largest in the world. It is so large that the river and its tributaries contain 20% of the planet’s freshwater supply. The river rises to about 30 feet during the monsoons, its rich alluvium settles in the surrounding floodplain soils, while the water fills up the lakes and lagoons through its course. The river drains over 7,381,000 cubic foot of water into the Atlantic Ocean each second.

During the monsoons, the width of the Amazon River can reach over 30 miles (50 kilometers). With over 1,100 tributaries, it comes as little wonder that the Amazon is called The River Sea. The Amazon basin rainforests are known for the various medicinal herbs and minerals available here. While the uses of many of these are known to the indigenous tribes, researchers from across the world are discovering more and more beneficial substances here.