FONTAINEBLEAU, fii-tan-bler, France, town of northern France, in the department of Seine-et-Marne, and in the midst of the forest of same name, about two miles from the left bank of the Seine, and 37 miles east of Paris. It is well built, partly of stone and partly of brick, with spacious and regular streets; is the seat of a court of first resort and several public offices; contains fine barracks and a military college, a communal college, school of design and engineering, public library of 28,000 volumes, public baths and several hospitals; and has manufactures of calico, gloves, porce lain and stoneware; quarries of sandstone, ex tensively used in paving the streets of Paris and the roads of the surrounding districts; and a trade in wine, fruit, preserves, cattle, etc. Pop. of commune 14,679.
The castle or palace of Fontainebleau, from which the town derives its chief im portance, lies to the southeast of the town, is one of the most magnificent in France and is indeed one of the world's most famous public monuments. Many of its sovereigns have made it their favorite residence and vied with each other in lavishing upon it all the embellishments that art could furnish, without any limitation as to expense. Henri IV, Louis XIV, Napo
leon I, Louis Philippe, and Napoleon III all expended large sums upon it. It is now a sum mer residence of the President of the republic. Fontainebleau holds a great place in French history; it was here that the revocation of the Edict of Nantes was signed in 1685; it was here that Pope Pius VII was held a prisoner by Napoleon in 1812-14; and here also Napoleon signed his own acts of abdication in 1814 and 1815.
The Forest of Fontainebleau has for cen turies been the haunt of and a 'urce of in spiration to the artists of France. It covers „n area of about 65 square miles and is renowned for its sylvan loveliness. The village of Bar bizon on its northwest edge has been made celebrated by such artists as Willet and Corot. Fontainebleau has given its name to a school of painters.