Versailles is the world's most famous royal residence. Surrounded by a famous park, it is located sixteen kilometres southwest of Paris.
History of Versailles
The first mention of a castle on this site dates back to the twelfth century. In 1623, the young Louis XIII, who sometimes needed solitude (he suffered from attacks of agoraphobia, fear of crowds) built a three-storey hunting lodge here. By 1632, the king bought all the surrounding area from the Archbishop of Paris de Gondi, began construction of a new castle, were laid out gardens.
When the king died, his four-year-old son could not yet take power. Louis XIV first travelled to Versailles in October 1641, fleeing a smallpox epidemic. After marrying Maria Theresa in 1660, he planned to establish his new residence here.
By 1668, the first phase of the renovation, carried out by the architect Louis le Vau and the king's gardener André Lenôtre, was complete. Versailles had become one of the finest palaces in Europe. But contemporaries criticised it: the site had been chosen on quicksand and mire, and there were few rooms. Live in those years, the king continued in the Louvre.
Soon there were apartments of the king and queen, the famous Mirror Gallery. In 1678, the great Jules Ardouin-Mansart took over the reconstruction. He changed the facades of the palace, added lavish wings to it, renewed the interiors, introduced grand staircases and created the Grand Canal. The residence in the style of classicism with Baroque elements gained true splendour.
The Sun King moved to Versailles in 1682. But even later, he continued to complete his favourite child. Here was born his heir, Louis XV, under whom appeared the pool of Neptune, the royal opera house, full of masterpieces of painting and sculpture salon Hercules.
In 1770 in the chapel of Versailles married the future Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The royal couple's huge expenditure on the construction of, among other things, the Petit Trianon was one of the causes of outrage on the eve of the Revolution. On 5 October 1789, the people invaded the residence and seized the royal family. On leaving, Louis XVI asked the steward: "Try to save my Versailles!". But the works of art were sent to the Louvre, the furniture was sold off at auction, and the Petit Trianon was turned into a tavern.
Palace Museum
Even Napoleon failed to fully restore the splendour of Versailles. King Louis-Philippe transformed it into a museum of French history, officially opened in 1837. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the palace suffered the humiliation of being the headquarters of Prussian troops. It is not by chance that peace with defeated Germany in 1919 was signed here, in the Hall of Mirrors.
Today Versailles is the richest museum. Its art collection includes masterpieces by Mignard, Lebrun, Rigaud, Houdon, Renoir, Delacroix, and Gerard. The gardens surrounding the palace are a brilliant example of a classical French regular garden with terraces, fountains and sculptures.
The museum is always full and there is a queue for tickets. You need to be careful on a tour: there are clever pickpockets in the halls. But you can explore the vast expanse of the park in a rented electric car.
On a side note
- Location: Place d'Armes, Versailles
- How to get there: RER metro-electric train to Versailles-Chantiers or Versailles-Rive Droite station.
- Official website: http://www.chateauversailles.fr
- Opening hours: the park and palaces are open daily from 9.00 to 18.00. The fountains are open strictly during certain hours from April to October.
- Tickets: a full ticket with a tour of the palaces and fountains costs 25 euros. Can be purchased separately, the cost will be lower.
