The Influence of the French Court on the 1st Duke of Devonshire’s Chatsworth

Abstract

Chatsworth, a Baroque palace in the county of Derbyshire in northern England, is today a historic house open to the public. Operated by a registered charity, the Chatsworth House Trust, it attracts around 720,000 visitors a year. It is also still home to the Duke of Devonshire, and since 2007 has been undergoing a £14 million restoration project which includes the conservation and cleaning of the masonry, the replacement of all essential services as well as the restoration and representation of many important interiors in the house. As part of this project new archaeological evidence is constantly emerging, helping to reveal the development of the present building and the extent of the survival of its Elizabethan predecessor.