"the most beautiful castle/palace in the... " a Versailles Travel Page by pedmar

just wonderful and to think i live nearby is grand!!!! A bit of condense history if one can do that ::)

In 1607 Louis XIII hunts for the first time in the area at the age of 6 yrs old next to his father Henri IV. It was just a small mount around sit a feodal small castle and a town full of vegetable,trees,and plants. He begins to like the place, and encourage the enlargement in 1631-1634 to Philibert Le Roy,it was call the little postcard castle!
Louis XIV inherit from his father the taste for hunting and the refinement from his mother Anne of Austria; he too loves Versailles. He creates many enlargements in 1660 the year of his marriage with the Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain. The new work is given to the trio of Louis Le Vau, architect; André Le Notre,gardener; and Charles Le Brun, decorator. The first festivities in the new renovated castle is in 1664 "Les Plaisirs de l'Ile Enchantée" and for a whole week Moliére plays "Tartufle". In 1668 the elegant stones that enclosed the castle is in construction with 36 000 workers!!! In 1670 the rights to build around the castle is given by Louis XIV ,and the city of Versailles is born ! In 1678 Jules-Hardouin-Mansart takes over the renovation of the castle. In May 6, 1682 the court and government of France takes seat at Versailles!! In 1715 the court leaves the castle for the 7 years of the regency of Philippe d'Orleans which guide the affairs of govt from the Palais-Royal in Paris. But the court comes back to Versailles in 1722. Louis XVI reign begins in 1774 with renovation started by Marie-Antoinette. In October 6, 1789; they leave the castle for the last time. Later, the castle was renovated and enlarge by Napoleon 1er, and Louis XVIII, and Charles X;but not as the center of government. During the reign of Louis-Philippe (1830-1848) it was thought to demolish the castle! but being a royal residency save it from the axe. In 1837 ,the museum is built still visited, and praise by Victor Hugo. In later years it was visited by Queen Victoria in 1855, inside the galerie des Glaces (mirrors) the German empire was born on January 18,1871. In 1919 ,it took the treaty of Versailles in the same galeries to end the First World War. Today the French parlement meets in Versailles when necessary of a Constitutional change to the French constitution a symbol of its past. 5,5 millions visitors in 2008 at the castle and 7 millions visitors for the park.

the gardens, this is the Orangerie, citrus trees from many lands !!!
Many of the replacement trees are kept inside at constant temperature between 5 and 8 C in the winter. This is a central gallery for 150 meters long with two wings each of 117 meters long which give support to the stairs call Cent marches or one hundred steps. It was built by Hardouin-Mansart between 1684-1688.

Inside the building we see, lies two interesting points. First, there is a statue of Louis XIV, the king did not like it, but it was change a bit by Girardon (after pm Colbert ordered built) with an inspiration look a la Marcus Curtius (Roman hero who thru himself at the flames to save the Republic).

Another, more somber ,is the fact that there are written on the walls the year 1871! why, because it houses during the communal struggles in Paris many prisoniers including Gustave Courbet,the painter. they were split into three levels, the ordinary prisioners wre put in the gallery, the ones to be look after more serious were put in the wings, and the most dangerous ones wre put in the marshes, a space with little light which was commonly called the fosse aux lions or the pit of lions. Many of these prisioners were deported or executed for give space to more trees!!

just awesome recently renovated to its old splendor, a cornupia of glass, enamel, decor wood,and gold, silver, and bronze all coming together. must see it.

In 1678 Louis XIV came to its apogee, and this gallery once called the grande galerie, created by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. It is 73 meters long, wide of 10,5 meters, and high of 12,3 meters illuminated by the sun in 17 large windows with 17 panels of glass in the opposite wall. The gallery is surrounded by on the left=west the salon de la paix = room of peace,and on the right=east salon de la guerre=room of war.
The ceilings tell you the military exploits of the King Louis XIV,the Sun King (made popular after his death) history in 1000 sq meters!

There are 357 mirrors of mercury, it was a very toxic mixing to be able to do them, after 1850 it was forbidden to use them. Once the recent restoration was completed by a grant by the firm Vinci, only 48 were needed to be replace!!! and more than 70% of them are originals !!! Many were found by the master antique mirror Vincent Guerre, who put up some of the missing ones, and about 12 brought over from the French Senate building at the Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris.

Here great events happened, including the marriage of king Louis XVI with Marie-Antoinette, theaters presentations,a painting in the chateau traces the event in 1685 where the doge of the Genevese Republic came to offer his excuses for helping the Spanish in their campaign against France. The peace to end WWI was signed here on 28 june 1919.