FRANCE: The Palace of Versailles

One of our first outings when we got to Paris was to Versailles to see the infamous Palace.

The Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles) is one of the most famous and opulent royal residences in the world.

Located in Versailles, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southwest of Paris, we went by train.

The palace began as a modest hunting lodge for King Louis XIII.

It was later transformed by his son, the legendary Louis XIV, into a symbol of absolute monarchy and the center of French political power in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Versailles hosts millions of visitors each year.

 

Louis XIV, also known as the "Sun King," began expanding the humble lodge in Versailles in 1661. He had a bit of an ego and wanted the palace to reflect his vision of absolute rule and divine right.

The expansion was designed in the French Baroque style which was popular at the time. Versailles became the official seat of the French court and government 21 years later in 1682. The place is massive and photos don't do it justice. 

The lineups to enter the palace had started before opening hours. I had booked us a 9:30am tour of the King’s Private Apartments and fortunately for us, these rooms are only open to “small” tours led by the museum and not open to the general public’s self-guided tours. Which turned out to be a really good decision because the palace got packed. 

 

 

 The King’s Private Apartments (Appartements intérieurs du Roi) were the personal living quarters of the king. These rooms were far more intimate, relatively speaking, and reserved for the king’s daily life, private audiences, and close family and courtiers. Access was highly restricted and considered a privilege.

 

 

Unlike the ceremonial State Apartments, the Private Apartments were more functional and comfortable. They may look a bit "cold" because at that time rooms were multi functional and furniture was stacked around the room and moved as needed for the occasion. 

  

Some details of the "informal" decorations. 

The King’s Bedchamber (Chambre du Roi) was both a private and public room. The King slept here and also held public rituals like the lever (morning waking "ceremony". Don’t ask. Just know that it was considered a big privilege to get to witness this), and coucher (evening retiring. Again, don’t ask.) The bed is placed facing the windows with a balustrade to separate the king from onlookers.

 

This desk was designed with a roll down top so papers could be quickly concealed if someone unexpectedly walked into the room.

After we finished the tour of the "humble" private apartments we joined the general riff-raff in the King’s State Apartments (Grands Appartements du Roi et de la Reine.) And this is where it got very crowded.

The State Apartments were used for official ceremonies and court life. 

 

 

 

These are the most lavish rooms in the palace designed to showcase the power, wealth and divine right of the French monarchy—especially under Louis XIV, the Sun King. 

 

 

 

It was a stage to reinforce Louis XIV's image as Apollo, the sun god, radiating power, wealth and order.

 

 

 

 

The decorations are lavish. Marble, gold leaf, mirrors, crystal chandeliers, and mythological paintings. 

 

In the State quarters there is another bedroom for the King, the Salon de Mercure, which served as the ceremonial bedroom. He did not necessarily sleep there. 

 

An image of the Sun God over the bed.

The palace has a 2 story chapel. (This was as far as we got in the chapel because something was going on.)

But the most famous room of all is the Hall of Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces). In the hall there are 357 mirrors reflecting the light of 17 large windows. 

 

 

The Hall of Mirrors was the envy of Louis XIV's regal contemporaries in Europe as they all wanted to imitate it in their palaces.   

 

Cocktail Party Trivia: The Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, was signed in the Hall of Mirrors in 1919.

 To be honest, I found it overwhelming because there were so many people.

I was very happy to get outside and away from the crowds into the gardens, where there are over 800 hectares of meticulously landscaped grounds, fountains, sculptures, and groves. 

 

The Gardens of Versailles are known for geometric designs, fountains and the Grand Canal. 

 

 

 

 

A walk through the estate leads to the Grand Trianon, a pink marble "retreat" built for Louis XIV.

 

 

The Petit Trianon is a smaller chateau given to Marie Antoinette.  

 

 Also on the estate is Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet, which is a rustic-style village.

 

 

This was where she could get away from the confines of royal life, which she disliked, and she could "play at being a shepherdess".

  Versailles Palace remained the royal residence until the French Revolution in 1789, when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were, ummmm, "forced to leave" and then, ummmmm, "ceremoniously executed". Battles and turbulence followed.

Post revolution it was largely emptied of furnishings and then eventually turned into a museum by Louis-Philippe in the 1830s.

Today millions of tourists wait to enter the gates to see how the "other half" lived centuries ago. 

P.S. There is no historical evidence that Marie Antoinette ever said "Let them eat cake".