About American Friends of the
Château de Compiègne

American Friends of the Château de Compiègne (AFCDC), a non-profit organization based in North Carolina, was established in May 2006, with the goal of promoting an appreciation of French history and culture through the study of, and support for, the Château de Compiègne, France.

AFCDC grew out of connections between North Carolinians and the people of Compiègne. A strong relationship began in 1989 when Raleigh and Compiègne were officially designated as Sister Cities.  During the past fifteen years, citizens from Raleigh, Winston-Salem, and Asheville have participated in a wide range of social, cultural, and educational exchanges with Compiègne, through both the Sister Cities organization and the North Carolina Center for International Understanding.

In 2002 a group of Raleigh residents who had visited Compiègne mounted a modest fundraising campaign to help with the long-term restoration and refurbishment of the Château. Their contribution of $10,000, given as a symbol of the friendship between the two cities, was used to restore the chandelier in the Petit Théâtre of the Château.

With the positive results of that initial support, individuals from both Compiègne and Raleigh realized the impact they could have on this historic monument. They began to envision a broader effort to help the Château and, in the process, to extend friendships and goodwill on a regional and national basis. Thus was born American Friends of the Château de Compiègne.

The Château, built as a royal residence for Louis XV, became one of only three seats of royal and imperial government in France, the others being Versailles and Fontainebleau. Following the French Revolution, it was restored by Napoleon Bonaparte and became one of his preferred residences. During the Second Empire, Napoleon III also adopted the Château de Compiègne as a favorite residence, and carried out extensive redecoration.

Today, Versailles and Fontainebleau enjoy wider recognition and are visited by tourists more frequently than the Château de Compiègne. One of the goals of AFCDC is to increase awareness of the historical and artistic treasures of the Château, thereby fostering friendship and cultural interchanges between France and the United States. For a description of the history and holdings of the Château please visit: www.musee-chateau-compiegne.fr. For a description in English, please visit www.wikipedia.org.

With the encouragement of our French friends in Compiègne, we envision an organization that will embrace supporters of the Château de Compiègne from throughout the United States.

American Friends of the Château de Compiègne
25 Pennington Place, Durham, North Carolina 27707-3642
919-403-7333