Château de Versailles – A Brief History and What to See
Versailles will remain in the forefront of my memory as one of my favourite places. When you have travelled extensively, sometimes locations, activities, and even the people you met can blur. Whilst I must admit I have forgotten some of the cities I have visited, other places are intimately remembered with even smells and textures hard-wired into my memory. Why is this?
Why Does Versailles Evoke Strong Memories?
I think if you have an emotional attachment with the activity or location, knowledge or appreciation of the historical or cultural significance of the site, or experience the location with special people, you are more likely to remember many more details.
Whirlwind travel, and in particular whirlwind travel with a number of young children, makes it more difficult to indulge in the sensations that increase your memory retention. And a lot of my travel over the years has been whirlwind and with three young children – so I guess this is my excuse!
So why did I connect with, and can vividly recall my first visit to Château de Versailles? Well, I think all the research I’d done on the Château, its inhabitants, the furnishings, and the garden made a big difference to my visit. We toured the palace and the grounds leisurely and although it never really matters to me, the weather was perfect.
I’ve now visited Château de Versailles a few times and there is always something special to see and of course the garden beds are always changing in colour. To help you enjoy your visit to Versailles, read about some of my favourite areas of the Château and gardens.
Château de Versailles and Fountain Latona
Louis XIV built the largest palace in Europe housing 20,000 people at a time and he moved the centre of the French Court to the Palace and created numerous titles, positions and duties to keep everyone that may cause dissension and pose a threat to his rule under his control by living close by.
The rebuilding of his father’s modest hunting lodge into the current colossal palace was undertaken by Architects Louis Le Van and Jules Hardouin-Mansart.
Château de Versailles Royal Courtyard and The Main Gate
As you enter the Main Gate into the Royal Courtyard you come to Louis XIV’s statue erected by Louis Philippe in 1837. Following the Royal Courtyard is the Marble Courtyard which is decorated with marble paving, urns, busts and a gilded balcony. The Clock flanked by Hercules and Mars is set atop the gilded balcony. Louis XIV the Sun King took upon himself the symbol of the sun and this emblem is everywhere throughout the Château. Even though it seems very pompous to me, I still love finding the sun emblem and engravings around the complex.
Around the Marble Courtyard are the private apartments of the king and the queen. Charles Le Brun designed and oversaw the interior design which today still inspires and amazes. The splendour and grandeur of the furniture and fabrics throughout the palace has always captured my heart.
The immense detail that furniture restorers, gilders, embroiders, weavers and many other historical craftsmen and women have taken to recreate much of what the visitor sees intrigues me. While you cannot get close to the curtain fabrics, bedcovers or lounges, it is easy to see the quality threads and beautiful work that restorers have done.
Château de Versailles and The Queen’s Bedroom
On the garden side of the Château are the state apartments where official court life took place. These were richly decorated by Charles Le Brun with coloured marble, stone and wood carvings, murals, velvet, silver and gilded furniture. Beginning with the Salon d’Hercule, each state room is dedicated to an Olympian deity.
The climax of the state apartments is the Hall of Mirrors where 17 great mirrors face tall arched windows.
Château de Versailles and The Hall of Mirrors
The Hall of Mirrors is amazing when the sun shines through the tall windows. Great state occasions were held in this vast 70m long room. The Treaty of Versailles was signed here in 1919, ending World War I.
Splendour and grandeur is the norm at Château de Versailles and it quite literally can take your breath away. The grandiose scale of everything draws visitors from around the globe with about 3 million tourists deciding that their visit to France is incomplete without a trip to Versailles.
If you plan to visit Château de Versailles I suggest arriving during off-peak days and as close to the 9am opening time as possible, and of course with a pre purchased ‘beat the queue’ ticket. Some days are also busier than others, including Sundays and Tuesdays, when many Paris museums, including the Louvre (another former royal palace), are closed.
Château de Versailles and The French Revolution
I can understand the people’s uprising and the French Revolution being an inevitable part of history when you witness the enormous extravagance of the privileged when touring this Château and others of the 17th and 18th Centuries, but I also cannot help feeling sad for the victims of this bloody period of history, who were just born into the ‘wrong time’ and often paid for the extravagance of previous generations.
Château de Versailles and Marie Antoinette
This brings us to Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI who I feel they were both victims of living at a time when the political, social, and warring excesses of their predecessors caused the nation’s revolt to climax in the French Revolution. Louis XVI, born Louis-Auguste, was also known as Louis Capet and was King of France from 1774 until his deposition in 1792.
He still held the formal title after 1791 as King of the French but was guillotined on January 21, 1793 after being brought to his execution in a green carriage. To find out the connection between Louis XVI and Paris’ benches and signs read our article Why All Paris Benches, Signs and Fences Are Green.
Marie Antoinette, an Archduchess of Austria, was the fifteenth child of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa. She was 14 years old at the time of her marriage to the French heir apparent, who was 15 years old.
Château de Versailles and The Petit Trianon
The Petit Trianon built in 1762 as a retreat for Louis XV became a favourite of Marie Antoinette. This small château is lighter and airier than the Main Château and the Grand Trianon. It was remodelled for her with an emphasis on delicate and feminine details and it really is intimate and beautiful.
The gardens surrounding the Petit Trianon are spectacular, especially in Spring time, and were originally designed by André Le Nôtre, the principal gardener of the Sun King, Louis XIV.
Château de Versailles and The Grand Trianon
Near the Petit Trianon is the Grand Trianon which Louis XIV built for his mistress, Madame de Maintenon. This small palace built of stone and pink marble in 1687 was where the Sun King escaped the rigours of court life and spent time with Madame de Maintenon. As you can see below, this château is sumptuously decorated in royal colours and themes possibly as a statement of the ‘royal’ importance of Madame de Maintenon.
The official website of Château Versailles is helpful for event tickets, history, and the latest updates on everything about the Château and see our post 10 Things You May Not Know About Marie Antoniette for interesting facts on this French Queen.
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