Gallery of Francis I, Renaissance gallery in Palace of Fontainebleau, France.

The Gallery of Francis I is a 64-metre gallery on the first floor of the Château de Fontainebleau, 6 metres wide, once a covered bridge with windows on both sides. Its lower walls carry carved walnut panelling by Francesco Scibec de Carpi, with the king's F monogram and salamanders; above, frescoes in stucco frames are divided into two groups of six around a central bay. The coffered ceiling and parquet are modern.

Built between 1528 and 1530 as a covered bridge with windows on both sides, the gallery linked Francis I's apartments to the Chapel of the Trinity. Rosso Fiorentino and Francesco Primaticcio directed the stucco and fresco decoration from 1533 to 1539, finishing before Charles V's Christmas visit that year. Louis XVI doubled the wing in 1786, closing the northern windows, and Napoleon turned the gallery into a gallery of the Emperor in 1805.

The king kept the gallery's keys and showed it to distinguished guests; at Christmas 1539 he led Charles V inside for a private talk of over two hours. The decoration praises his rule through Greco-Roman myths and allegories whose meaning is now lost; his sister Marguerite d'Angoulême said she could read them only "in Hebrew" without explanations.

This corridor connects multiple sections of the palace and also serves as a display space for artworks. Plan time to observe the detailed decoration covering the walls and ceilings as you walk through.

The renowned artist Rosso Fiorentino directed the artistic transformation and merged Italian painting techniques with French design in a groundbreaking way. His contribution marked a turning point that shifted how French royal art would develop for centuries.