This blue linen towel, made in France, is inspired by the salamander on the tympanum of the Porte Dorée, the first royal entrance to the Château de Fontainebleau.
In 1528, François I, who had the Château de Fontainebleau built, launched his first major architectural campaign and with it the work on the Porte Dorée and the François I Gallery. The architecture and sumptuous decorations were built to the glory of its patron.
The salamander, a fabulous and legendary animal since the Middle Ages, which had its hours of glory at the time of the kings of France, appears as the emblem of Francis I. An emblem inherited from his grandfather Jean d'Angoulême, the salamander is displayed on all the creations directly or indirectly linked to Francis I: palaces, medals, books, etc., as a symbol of an untamed soul against fortune in all military adventures. Its ability to live in fire and extinguish it, gives it its mythical character represented as a fabulous animal resembling a dragon breathing flames.
This towel, full of meaning and creativity, acts as a sense of belonging to the collections on display and to the architecture of the place.
