Cernay-la-Ville

Cernay-la-Ville is situated at about 45 km south-west of Paris and about 20 km south of Versailles in the Chevreuse Valley area.

The village of about 1600 inhabitants lies between the Rambouillet forest on the north and farmland on the south.

This unique and very picturesque setting has attracted many artists as early as the beginning of the 19^thcentury.

Barbizon

In the forest of Fontainebleau near Paris the first artists’ colony came into being.