Chapel Royal St. Louis

Super place, loads of history and a very impressive Chapel. £8 per person with informative audio guide ,great value.

In the 1770s, Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre, was one of the greatest land owners in France prior to the French Revolution. In 1775, the lands of the county of Dreux had been given to Penthièvre by his cousin King Louis XVI. In 1783, Penthièvre sold his domain of Rambouillet to Louis XVI. On November 25 of that year, in a long religious procession, Penthièvre transferred the nine caskets containing the remains of his parents (Louis Alexandre, Count of Toulouse, and Marie Victoire de Noailles), his wife (Princess Maria Teresa Felicitas of Modena) and six of their seven children from the small medieval village church next to the castle in Rambouillet to the chapel of the Collégiale Saint-Étienne de Dreux. Penthièvre died in March 1793, and his body was laid to rest in the crypt beside his parents. On November 21 of that same year, in the midst of the French Revolution, a mob desecrated the crypt and threw the ten bodies into a mass grave in the Chanoines cemetery of the Collégiale Saint-Étienne. In 1816, the Duke of Penthièvre's daughter, the Duchess of Orléans, had a new chapel built on the site of the mass grave of the Chanoines cemetery, as the final resting place for her family. In 1830, Louis Philippe I, King of the French, son of the Duchess of Orléans, embellished and enlarged the chapel which was renamed the Royal Chapel of Dreux, now the necropolis of the Orléans royal family. In 1977, the domain of the chapel was designated by the French government as a partially protected monument historique (national heritage site).

I can't offer much beyond the looks from the outside and the very nice grounds. We didn't do the tour. We needed a little break and it was a Great place to just relax and rest on a blanket on the grass in the shade and look out over the city. If you are interested in the history of churches in France and French Royalty you'd be fascinated and give it a 5. The last of the Louis's was buried here after his beheading in the French Revolution. Many of his predecessors are here too.

Chapelle royale de Dreux This imposing site, located high above the city, contains tombstones / tombstones of the post-French period, on each tomb lies a stone statue - a masterpiece of the buried figure, in a characteristic position, With a book, sleeping, with a sword or even covered with a stone blanket. The building has spectacular stained-glass windows with colors (which are not clear) preserved for so many years and it is located on the fringes and under an ancient church and maintained at a high level. In addition, outside the building you can see a beautiful view of the city. If passing through the area - strongly recommended!

It’s a amazing place to know the history of France and Dreux. There are nice views of the city and nature.

A beautiful final resting place built for a king. Here lies the tombs of the Bourbon dynasty, richly detailed, refined, offering a glimpse inside royalty.

To be honest, I was regretting going to Dreux from Paris because someone on the train says, "Dreux? Trust me, you don't want to go there." This place will ensure you do not regret your visit to this small, charming city. Really quite interesting place. If you are not big on history, I don't know if I can suggest this place for you. I adored the chapel and I thought that the crypt was very nice. It really is not that much to see, I did not take the audio guide but it would help to understand more about the place undoubtedly. Went on a Saturday morning and I was the only person there.

Beautiful Capel with the tomb with the last king of France