Palace of Versailles in France. Architecture of Versailles description of the Palace of Versailles

The demonstration of the luxury of the French Empire in the Palace of Versailles is striking in its scale. This ensemble is included in all textbooks on landscape art as a standard. In the halls there are luxurious apartments, in the fresh air there are beautiful views and landscapes. There is something to see here.

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Versailles turned into a royal residence only during the reign of Louis XIV, or as he was called the Sun King.

When he was 20 years old, in 1662 he decided to create an architectural and park masterpiece here, following the example of the one built by the then French finance minister Nicolas Fouquet, only a hundred times better. He invited the same architect as Fouquet - Louis de Vaux.

The master of landscape art Andre Le Nôtre worked on the park, who had already created the famous Vaux-le-Vicomte by that time. To create the park, 800 hectares of swamps had to be drained. In this ensemble, the main thing was not even the castle itself, but the combination of the palace and the park in the same style.

In 1682, the king, along with all the courtiers, began to live in the Palace of Versailles. From this moment, the once small town begins to turn into a royal residence, sparkling with its luxury. But forty-year-old Louis XIV, the palace begins to seem not majestic enough. He invites the then very famous architect Jules Hardouin Mansart, who orders him to change the appearance of the palace as soon as possible.

For this, two five-hundred-meter wings were completed, two floors were added. The royal bedroom was located on the second floor. The famous mirror gallery, also created by Mansart, was closed by the halls of War and Peace. The building has completely changed, becoming grandiose. The balance between the grand scale of the park and the palace was achieved. The ensemble turned out to be majestic, as it should be to demonstrate the greatness of the monarch.

Halls of the Palace of Versailles

All accounts related to the construction of Versailles have survived to our times. The estimated amount spent on the construction of Versailles, according to experts, is, in terms of modern money, about 260 billion euros. Most of this amount was spent on the interior decoration of the halls and galleries.

In the stunning Hall of Mirrors, on a seventy-meter wall, there are 17 very large and beautiful mirrors separated by gilded lamps in the form of sculptures. In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed here, which determined the post-war fate of European states. The chapel, decorated in white and gold baroque style, was the wedding venue of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

All halls and chambers are decorated with great luxury and elegance. Every corner, including the ceiling and walls, is covered with wood and marble carvings. Everything is decorated with frescoes, paintings, sculptures. There is an opera and a theater in the palace with a large oval hall, illuminated by 10,000 candles.

Be sure to visit the queen's chambers in the northern wing of the palace. Each centimeter of them is decorated with gilding.

It is interesting that the center of the palace was not the throne room and not even the office. All important decisions were made in the royal bedroom.

Park of the Palace of Versailles

The day flies by unnoticed if you walk in the palace park. Absolutely everything here speaks of care and concern. Carefully trimmed trees are planted along the Grand Canal. The setting sun is reflected in the water surface.

The garden sculptures are selected with great art. There are 50 beautiful fountains in the park.

The fountains don't always work. Before visiting Versailles, you need to check the timetable on the website. But if you get to this festival of music and water, then remember this show forever. Fountain jets synchronously dance to the music. On summer Saturday evenings, light shows with fountains and fireworks are held here.

Against the backdrop of these well-groomed gardens, fountains, lakes, ponds, carefully selected flowers in the flower beds, turn on your imagination and you will find yourself at the ball of the royal court.

Other sights of Versailles

On the side opposite the palace are the Small and Big Trianon. Trianon in translation is a small elegant villa.

Louis XIV built the Grand Trianon from pink marble, a one-story Italian-style pavilion surrounded by a garden. In the main palace, the king even had to dine with a large crowd of spectators. Trianon was supposed to be a place for solitude.

The Petit Trianon is a rather simple building, built in 1773 by the order of Louis XV by the architect Gabriel for Madame du Barry.

Later, it became a favorite haunt of Marie Antoinette, who also wanted to retire from the formalities of the main palace. Behind this pavilion on the shore of the pond, she arranged a small village with a dairy farm.

Working hours

The opening hours of the Palace of Versailles are best viewed on the website. It usually operates from April to October from 9:00 to 18:30, the rest of the time from 9:00 to 17:30, except Mondays.

Ticket price

The entrance to the park is free. But during the days of the fountain, it will cost about 8€. There are several types of tickets for visiting the palace and other buildings. You can visit the palace separately and see its halls, the Mirror Gallery, the chambers of the king and queen. A full ticket to visit on the days of the fountains costs more than on other days.

How to get on your own

There are several ways to get to the palace:

Take the RER yellow line C to the terminus Versailles-Rive Gauche. After leaving the station, turn right and go along the royal street to the main entrance of the park.

By train from Gare Montparnase or Gare St-Lazar stations respectively to Versailles-Chantiers or Versailles-Rive Droite stations.

From the Pont de Sevres metro station, take bus number 171 to Place d Armes in the city of Versailles.

It is also possible by car along the A13 highway.

Use the services of kiwitaxi and at the airport, at the specified time, the driver will be waiting for you, help with luggage and promptly take you to the hotel. Several classes of cars are available - from economy to Minibus with 19 seats. The price is fixed and does not depend on the number of passengers and the address within Paris. Taxi from / to the airport is a convenient and comfortable way to get to the right place.

Is it possible to find another place as aesthetically harmonious as the Palace of Versailles?! Its external design, the elegance of the interior and the park area are made in the same style, the whole complex deserves to be walked around by representatives of the aristocracy. Every tourist will certainly feel the spirit of the reign of kings, as it is easy to try on the role of a powerful autocrat in whose power the whole country is in the palace and park territory. Not a single photo can convey true grace, since every meter of this ensemble is thought out to the smallest detail.

Briefly about the Palace of Versailles

Probably, there are no people who do not know where the unique structure is located. The famous palace is the pride of France and the most recognizable royal residence in the world. It is located near Paris and previously was a separate building with a park area. With the growing popularity of this place, numerous houses appeared among the aristocracy around Versailles, in which builders, servants, retinue and other people who were admitted to the court lived.

The idea of ​​creating a palace ensemble belonged to Louis XIV, known as the "Sun King". He himself studied all the plans and pictures with sketches, made adjustments to them. The ruler identified the Palace of Versailles with a symbol of power, the most powerful and indestructible. Only the king could personify complete abundance, so luxury and wealth are felt in all the details of the palace. Its main facade stretches for 640 meters, and the park occupies more than one hundred hectares.

Classicism was chosen as the main style, which was at the peak of popularity in the 17th century. Several of the best architects were involved in the creation of this massive project, which went through several stages of construction. Only the most famous masters worked on the decoration inside the palace, creating engravings, sculptures and other art treasures that still adorn it.

The history of the construction of the famous palace complex

It is difficult to say when the Palace of Versailles was built, since work on the ensemble was carried out even after the king settled in a new residence and arranged balls in exquisite halls. Officially, the building received the status of a royal residence in 1682, but it is better to mention the history of the creation of a cultural monument in order.

Initially, since 1623, there was a small feudal castle on the site of Versailles, where the royal people with a small retinue were located while hunting in the local forests. In 1632, the possessions of the French kings in this part of the country expanded through the purchase of a nearby estate. Small construction work was carried out near the village called Versailles, but the global restructuring began only with the coming to power of Louis XIV.

The Sun King became the ruler of France early and forever remembered the rebellion of the Fronde, which was partly the reason that the residence in Paris evoked unpleasant memories in Louis. Moreover, being young, the ruler admired the luxury of the castle of the Minister of Finance Nicolas Fouquet and wished to create the Palace of Versailles, surpassing the beauty of all existing castles, so that no one in the country would doubt the wealth of the king. Louis Levo was invited to the role of architect, who had already proven himself in the implementation of other large-scale projects.

Throughout the life of Louis XIV, work was carried out on the palace ensemble. In addition to Louis Leveaux, Charles Lebrun and Jules Hardouin-Mansart worked on the architecture, the park and gardens belong to the hand of André Le Nôtre. The main asset of the Palace of Versailles of this stage of construction is the Mirror Gallery, in which paintings alternate with hundreds of mirrors. Also during the reign of the Sun King, the Battle Gallery and the Grand Trianon appeared, and a chapel was erected.

In 1715, power passed to the five-year-old Louis XV, who, together with his retinue, returned to Paris and for a long time did not rebuild Versailles. During the years of his reign, the Salon of Hercules was completed, and the Small Apartments of the King were created. A great achievement at this stage of construction is the construction of the Petit Trianon and the completion of the Opera Hall.

Components of the palace and park area

It is simply impossible to describe the sights of the Palace of Versailles, since everything in the ensemble is so harmonious and elegant that any detail is a real work of art. During the tour, be sure to visit the following places:

• Grand Trianon (used for outdoor recreation);
  
• Petit Trianon (was the home of the mistress of Louis XV);
  


• Farm of Marie Antoinette;
  
• King's quarters;
  
• mirror gallery.
  

At the main entrance to the territory of the palace complex, there are gates made of gold, decorated with a coat of arms and a crown. The area in front of the palace is decorated with sculptures, which are also found inside the main building and throughout the park. You can even find a statue of Caesar, whose cult was valued by the French masters.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the park of Versailles, as it is an exceptional place, charming with its diversity, beauty and integrity. Here you can find amazingly decorated fountains with musical arrangements, botanical gardens, greenhouses, and swimming pools. Flowers are collected in unusual flower beds, and shrubs are annually given certain shapes.

Significant episodes in the history of Versailles

Although the Palace of Versailles was used as a residence for a short time, it played a significant role for the country - in the 19th century it received the status of a national museum, where numerous engravings, portraits, and paintings were transferred.

With the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, the mansions became the property of the Germans. They chose the Hall of Mirrors to proclaim themselves the German Empire in 1871. The French were offended by the chosen location, so after the defeat of Germany in the First World War, when Versailles was returned to France, the peace treaty was signed in the same premises.

Since the 50s of the 20th century, a tradition has appeared in France, according to which all visiting heads of state were to meet with the president in Versailles. Only in the 90s it was decided to move away from this tradition due to the great popularity of the Palace of Versailles among tourists.

The monarchs of other countries who visited the French landmark marveled at the elegance and luxury of the royal residence and often, upon returning home, tried to recreate no less exquisite palaces with similar architecture. Of course, you will not find a similar creation anywhere in the world, but many castles in Italy, Austria and Germany have some similarities. Even the palaces in Peterhof and Gatchina are made in the same classicism, borrowing a number of ideas.

It is known from historical descriptions that it was very difficult to keep secrets in the palace, since Louis XIV preferred to know what was in the mind of his courtiers in order to avoid conspiracies and uprisings. The castle has many hidden doors and secret passages, which were known only to the king and the architects who designed them.

During the reign of the Sun King, almost all decisions were made in the Palace of Versailles, because statesmen and close associates of the autocrat were here around the clock. To become part of the retinue, one had to live in Versailles regularly and attend daily ceremonies, during which Louis often distributed privileges.

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The word "Versailles" from a proper name has long turned into a household name and has become a symbol of brilliance, luxury and impeccable taste. The Palace of Versailles today is one of the most visited attractions in France. And this is quite understandable - after all, there are imitations of this masterpiece of the era of absolutism in the world, but no equal has ever been created for him.

Louis XIV wanted to make a miracle; ordered - and among the desert, wild, sandy, were the Tempe valleys and a palace, which in Europe has no similar splendor.

Nikolai Karamzin

Symbol of the French monarchy

It is interesting that the reason for the creation of the palace was ordinary human envy. Seeing the Palace Vaux-le-Vicomte, which belonged to the then Minister of Finance Fouquet, Louis XIV could no longer sleep peacefully: he convened the same team of architects that created the minister’s palace and set the difficult task of doing “the same thing, but 100 times better.” The desire of the monarch was fulfilled: the architect Louis Leveau began construction in 1661, and 21 years later Versailles became the official royal residence - an unprecedentedly short construction time for a grandiose building with an area of ​​​​more than 6 hectares, consisting of 3500 rooms! When creating the palace and its decor, the latest technologies of that time were used: for example, Italian craftsmen were invited to decorate the famous Hall of Mirrors, who at that time alone mastered the technique of amalgamation. For major construction work, masons from Flanders were ordered along with their secrets - the professional reputation of the Flemings in those years was the best in the world.

Although the project is striking in scale, during the construction of the palace they tried to maintain austerity: for all the splendor of the decoration, not a single toilet was provided in the building, and half of the fireplaces were pure decoration.

Gravedigger of the French Monarchy

If the French were building the Palace of Versailles today, the construction would cost them a quarter of a trillion euros (the Americans launched 15 spacecraft to the moon for half the amount). Add to this the costs of expanding and rebuilding the palace, maintaining a crowd of thousands of courtiers and lackeys, grandiose spending on balls and celebrations - and it becomes clear how heavy a burden the palace was for the economy. While Versailles was prettier, France was impoverished, and less than a century after the "Sun King" his kingdom fell, and armed sans-culottes ruled in the halls of the palace.

Palace of Versailles today

Although Versailles became one of the reasons for the death of monarchical France, today it paradoxically saves France: thanks to the multimillion-dollar flow of tourists, Versailles became a donor to the national economy - and so significant that the Republic allocated 400 million EUR for its reconstruction. Currently, more than 1000 rooms of the palace are open to the public, including the world-famous Hall of Mirrors, the Large and Small Royal Chambers, the Hall of Battles and the Royal Opera.

Practical information

The easiest way to get to Versailles from Paris is to take the RER line C (any city pass with zones 1-4 will do). There are also special buses from the Eiffel Tower.

Opening hours: the palace is open to the public from April to October on all days except Mondays. Ticket offices are open from 9:00 to 17:50, the ticket price for an adult is 20 EUR. Prices on the page are for March 2019.

And in general, in the palaces of France, we cannot but look into the most probably famous palace and park complex in France. Let it be known to everyone, you have heard a lot about it, but let's take a virtual look there for a couple of minutes.

Versailles- this name is associated all over the world with the idea of ​​​​the most significant and magnificent palace, erected at the behest of one monarch. The Versailles palace and park ensemble, a recognized masterpiece of world heritage, is quite young - it is only three and a half centuries old. The Palace and Park of Versailles is one of the outstanding architectural ensembles in the history of world architecture. The layout of the vast park, the territory associated with the Palace of Versailles, is the pinnacle of French park art, and the palace itself is a first-class architectural monument. A galaxy of brilliant masters worked on this ensemble. They created a complex, complete architectural complex, which includes a monumental building of the palace and a number of park structures of "small forms", and, most importantly, a park that is exceptional in its compositional integrity.

The Versailles ensemble is a highly characteristic and striking work of French classicism of the 17th century. The palace and park ensemble of Versailles is the greatest architectural monument of the 17th century, which had a strong influence on the urban planning of the 18th century. In general, Versailles became, as it were, an “ideal city”, which the authors of the Renaissance dreamed about and wrote about and which, by the will of Louis XIV, the “Sun King”, and the art of his architects and gardeners, turned out to be realized in reality, and in the immediate vicinity of Paris. But let's talk about everything in more detail ...

The mention of Versailles first appeared in a charter of 1038 issued by the Abbey of Saint Peter. It spoke about a certain seigneur Hugh of Versailles - the owner of a small castle and the territories adjacent to it. The emergence of the first settlement - a small village around the castle - is usually dated to the middle of the 11th century. Another village soon grew up around the church of St. Julian.

The 13th century (especially the years of the reign of Saint Louis) for Versailles, as well as for the whole of Northern France, became a century of prosperity. However, the 14th century that followed brought with it a terrible plague and the Hundred Years' War between England and France. All these misfortunes brought Versailles into a very deplorable state: by the end of the 14th century, its population numbered just over 100 people. He began to recover only in the next 15th century.

Versailles as an architectural and park ensemble did not appear immediately, it was not created by one architect like many palaces of the 17th-18th centuries that imitated him. At the end of the 16th century, Versailles was a small village in the forest, where Henry IV. Ancient chronicles report that at the beginning of the 17th century, Versailles was a village with a population of about 500 people, a mill stood on the site of the future palace, and fields and endless swamps spread around. In 1624 it was built, on behalf of Louis XIII, architect Philibert Le Roy, a small hunting castle near a village called Versailles.

Near it was a medieval dilapidated castle - the possession of the house of Gondi. Saint-Simon, in his memoirs, refers to this ancient castle of Versailles as a "house of cards". But soon this castle was rebuilt by the architect Lemercier by order of the king. At the same time, Louis XIII acquired the site of Gondi, along with the dilapidated palace of the archbishop, and demolished it to expand his park. The small castle was located 17 kilometers from Paris. It was a U-shaped building with a moat. In front of the castle there were four buildings made of stone and brick with metal bars on the balconies. The courtyard of the old castle, which later received the name of Marble, has survived to this day. The first gardens of the Versailles Park were laid out by Jacques Boisseau and Jacques de Menuard.

In the middle of the 16th century, Martial de Lomeni, Minister of Finance under King Charles IX, became the only lord of Versailles. Charles granted him the right to hold four annual fairs in Versailles and to open a weekly market (on Thursdays). The population of Versailles, which was still a small village, was at that time about 500 people. However, the French religious wars between Catholics and Protestants led to an early change in the seigneurial dynasty. Martial was arrested for his sympathies with the Huguenots (French Protestants) and thrown into prison. Here he was visited by the Duke de Retz, Albert de Gondi, who had long hatched plans to seize the territories of Versailles. Through threats, he forced de Lomeny to sign a paper, according to which the latter ceded Versailles to him at a negligible price.

At the beginning of the 17th century, King Louis XIII began to visit Versailles often, who took great pleasure in hunting in the local forests. In 1623, he ordered the construction of a small castle where hunters could stop for a halt. This building became the first royal palace in Versailles. On April 8, 1632, Louis XIII completely redeemed the seigneury from the last owner of Versailles, Jean-Francois de Gondi, for 66,000 livres. In the same year, the king appointed his valet Arnaud as steward of Versailles. In 1634, the architect Philibert le Roy was commissioned to rebuild the old castle of Versailles into a royal palace. However, despite the changes that took place, by the end of the reign of Louis XIII, Versailles did not change much in its appearance. He, as before, was a small village.

Everything changed with the accession to the throne of the king - the sun, Louis XIV. It was during the reign of this monarch (1643-1715) that Versailles turned into a city and a favorite royal residence.

In 1662, Versailles began to be built according to the plan of Le Nôtre. André Le Nôtre(1613-1700) by this time had already become famous as a builder of country estates with regular parks (in Vaux-le-Viscount, So, Saint-Cloud, etc.). It is interesting that in 1655-1661 N. Fouquet, the largest financier of absolutist France, according to the project of the architect Louis le Vaux rebuilt his country castle. The main thing in the palace and park ensemble of Vaux-le-Viscount was not even the palace itself (quite modest at that time), but the general principle of creating a country residence. The whole of it was turned into a giant park, skillfully arranged by the architect-gardener André Le Nôtre. The Palace of Vaux-le-Vicomte demonstrated the new style of life of the French aristocrat - in nature, outside the walls of a cramped, overcrowded city. The palace and the park are so pleasant Louis XIV that he could not come to terms with the idea that they were not his property. The French king immediately imprisoned Fouquet, and entrusted the architects Louis le Vaux and André Le Nôtre with the construction of his palace at Versailles. The architecture of the Fouquet estate was adopted as a model for Versailles. Having preserved the Fuke Palace, the king removed from it everything that could be removed and taken away, down to the orange trees and marble statues of the park.

Le Nôtre began with the construction of the city, which was to house the courtiers of Louis XIV and the numerous staff of palace servants and military guards. The city was designed for thirty thousand inhabitants. Its layout was subject to three radial highways, which diverged from the central part of the palace in three directions: in So, Saint-Cloud, Paris. Despite the direct analogy with the Roman three-beam, the Versailles composition was significantly different from its Italian prototype. In Rome, the streets diverged from Piazza del Popolo, while in Versailles they rapidly converged towards the palace. In Rome, the width of the streets was less than thirty meters, in Versailles - about a hundred. In Rome, the angle formed between the three highways was 24 degrees, and in Versailles 30 degrees. For the fastest settlement of the city Louis XIV he gave out building plots to everyone (of course, to the nobles) for a reasonable price with the only condition to build buildings in the same style and not higher than 18.5 meters, that is, the level of the entrance to the palace.

In 1673, a decision was made to demolish the old Versailles buildings, including the church. The new Cathedral of St. Julian was erected in its place in 1681-1682. On May 6, 1682, Louis XIV, together with his entire court, moved from Paris to Versailles. This was a turning point in the history of the city. By the first quarter of the 18th century (that is, towards the end of Louis' reign), Versailles had become a luxurious royal residence, and its population was 30,000 inhabitants.

As a result of the second construction cycle, Versailles formed into an integral palace and park ensemble, which is a wonderful example of the synthesis of arts - architecture, sculpture, and landscape gardening art of French classicism of the 17th century. However, after the death of the cardinal Mazarin, Versailles, created by Levo, began to seem not majestic enough to express the idea of ​​​​absolute monarchy. Therefore, for the restructuring of Versailles was invited Jules Hardouin Mansart, the largest architect of the end of the century, whose name is associated with the third construction period in the history of the creation of this complex, the great-nephew of the famous Francois Mansart. Mansart further enlarged the palace by erecting two wings five hundred meters long each at right angles to the southern and northern facades of the palace. In the north wing he placed a church (1699-1710), the vestibule of which was completed by Robert de Cotte. In addition, Mansart added two more floors above the Levo terrace, creating a Mirror Gallery along the western facade, which is closed by the War and Peace Halls (1680-1886).

Adam Frans van der Meulen - Construction of the Château de Versailles

On the axis of the palace towards the entrance on the second floor, Mansart placed a royal bedroom with a view of the city and an equestrian statue of the king, later placed at the vanishing point of the trident of the roads of Versailles. In the northern part of the palace there were the chambers of the king, in the south - the queen. Mansart also built two buildings of Ministers (1671-1681), which formed the third, the so-called "court of Ministers", and connected these buildings with a rich gilded lattice. All this completely changed the appearance of the structure, although Mansart left the same height of the building. Gone are the contrasts, the freedom of imagination, nothing is left but an extended horizontal three-story building, united in the structure of its facades with the basement, front and attic floors. The impression of grandeur that this brilliant architecture produces is achieved by the large scale of the whole, by the simple and calm rhythm of the whole composition.

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Mansart was able to combine various elements into a single artistic whole. He had an amazing sense of ensemble, striving for rigor in decoration. For example, in the Mirror Gallery, he applied a single architectural motif - a uniform alternation of piers with openings. Such a classic basis creates a sense of clear form. Thanks to Mansart, the expansion of the Palace of Versailles acquired a natural character. The extensions received a strong relationship with the central buildings. The ensemble, outstanding in its architectural and artistic qualities, was successfully completed and had a great influence on the development of world architecture.

Each of the inhabitants of the Palace of Versailles left its mark on its architecture and decoration. Louis XV, the great-grandson of Louis XIV, who inherited the throne in 1715, only towards the end of his reign in 1770 decided to make changes to the architecture of the palace. He ordered to equip separate apartments in order to protect his life from court etiquette. In turn, Louis XV inherited from his great-grandfather a love of the arts, as evidenced by the decoration of his inner chambers; and the penchant for secret political intrigues passed to him from the Italian ancestors of the Medici and the Savoy dynasty. It was in the Inner Offices, away from the nosy court, that what was called "Everyone's Favorite" made some of the most important decisions of state. At the same time, the king did not neglect either the etiquette established by his predecessor, or the life of the family, which he was reminded of by the queen and especially his beloved daughters.

After the death of the sun king, Philippe d'Orleans, who became regent under the infant Louis XV, decided to move the French court back to Paris. This was a noticeable blow to Versailles, which immediately lost about half of its inhabitants. However, everything returned to its former state when, in 1722, the grown-up Louis XV again moved to Versailles. Under his successor, Louis XVI, the city had to go through many dramatic moments. By a whim of fate, this luxurious royal residence was to become the cradle of the French Revolution. It was here that the Estates General met in 1789, and here, on June 20, 1789, the deputies from the Third Estate took a solemn oath not to disperse until their demands for political reforms in France were accepted. Here, in early October 1789, a crowd of excited revolutionaries arrived from Paris, which, having seized the palace, forced the royal family to return to the capital. After that, Versailles again began to rapidly lose population: its number decreased from 50,000 people (in 1789) to 28,000 people (in 1824). During the revolutionary events, almost all the furniture and valuables were taken out of the Palace of Versailles, but the building itself was not destroyed. During the reign of the Directory, restoration work was carried out in the palace, after which a museum was located here.

Louis XVI, the heir to Louis XV, whose reign was tragically interrupted by the revolution, inherited from his maternal grandfather, the Polish king Augustus of Saxony, an enviable heroic strength; on the other hand, his Bourbon ancestors passed on to him not only a true passion for hunting, but also a deep interest in the sciences. His wife Marie Antoinette, daughter of the Duke of Lorraine, who later became Emperor of Austria, left a deep mark on the musical life of Versailles thanks to her love of music, inherited from both the Habsburgs of Austria and Louis XIII. Unlike his ancestors, Louis XVI did not have the ambitions of a king-creator. Known for his simplicity of taste, he lived in the palace out of necessity. During his reign, the interior of the palace was updated, and, above all, the Queen's Small Offices, which were located parallel to his Large Chambers. During the revolution, all the furniture and decorations of the palace were plundered. Napoleon and then Louis XVIII carried out restoration work at Versailles. After the July Revolution of 1830, the palace was supposed to be demolished. This issue was put to a vote in the Chamber of Deputies. Versailles saved the advantage by one vote. The last of the dynasty, King Louis Philippe ruled France from 1830 to 1848. In 1830, after the July Revolution that placed him on the throne, the House of Representatives passed a law that placed Versailles and Trianon in the hands of the new king. Wasting no time, Louis-Philippe ordered the creation of a Museum in Versailles in honor of the glorious victories of France, which opened on June 1, 1837. This purpose of the castle has been preserved to this day.

The creators of the palace were not only Louis Le Vaux and Mansart. A significant group of architects worked under their leadership. Lemue, Dorbay, Pierre Guitard, Bruant, Pierre Cottard and Blondel worked with Le Vaux. Mansart's chief assistant was his pupil and relative, Robert de Cotte, who continued to supervise the construction after Mansart's death in 1708. In addition, Charles Davilet and Lassurance worked at Versailles. The interiors were made according to the drawings of Beren, Vigarani, as well as Lebrun and Mignard. Due to the participation of many masters, the architecture of Versailles is currently of a heterogeneous nature, especially since the construction of Versailles - from the appearance of the hunting castle of Louis XIII to the construction of the battle gallery of Louis Philippe - lasted about two centuries (1624-1830).

During the Napoleonic Wars, Versailles was twice captured by Prussian troops (in 1814 and in 1815). The Prussians invaded again during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. The occupation lasted 174 days. In the Palace of Versailles, chosen by the Prussian King Wilhelm I as a temporary residence, on January 18, 1871, the creation of the German Empire was announced.

In the 20th century, Versailles also witnessed major international events more than once. It was here that the peace treaty was signed in 1919, which put an end to the First World War and laid the foundation for the Versailles system of international relations.

Main palace complex(Chateau de Versailles) was built in the 17th century by King Louis XIV, who wanted to move here from insecure Paris. Luxurious rooms are richly decorated with marble, velvet and wood carvings. The main attractions here are the Royal Chapel, the Salon of Venus, the Salon of Apollo and the Hall of Mirrors. The design of the front rooms was dedicated to the Greek gods. The salon of Apollo was originally the throne room of Louis. The Hall of Mirrors contains 17 huge mirrors, reflecting tall arched windows and crystal candelabra.

Grand Trianon- a beautiful pink marble palace was built by Louis XIV for his beloved Madame de Maintenon. Here the monarch liked to spend his free time. The palace was later home to Napoleon and his second wife.

Small Trianon- another love nest built by King Louis XV for Madame de Pompadour. Later, the Petit Trianon was occupied by Marie Antoinette, and even later by Napoleon's sister. The nearby Temple of Love is said to have been Marie Antoinette's favorite place for parties.

Colonnade- a circle of marble columns and arches, located within the gardens, continues the theme of the gods of Olympus. The place was the king's favorite outdoor dining area.

During World War II, Versailles was occupied by German troops. In addition, the city had to endure several brutal bombardments, the victims of which were 300 Versailles. The liberation of Versailles took place on August 24, 1944, and was carried out by French troops under the command of General Leclerc.

On February 25, 1965, a government decree was issued according to which Versailles was to be turned into the prefecture of the new department of Yvelines, the official creation of which took place on January 1, 1968.

To date, the city retains this status. Being one of the most attractive tourist destinations, Versailles is rightfully proud of its history and architectural monuments. In 1979, the Palace and Park of Versailles were officially included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

Pierre Denis Martin

Gardens of Versailles with their sculptures, fountains, pools, cascades and grottoes, the Parisian nobility soon became the scene of brilliant court festivities and Baroque amusements, during which they could enjoy both the operas of Lully and the plays of Racine and Molière.

Parks of Versailles spread over an area of ​​101 hectares. There are many viewing platforms, alleys and promenades, there is even a Grand Canal, or rather, a whole system of canals, which was called "little Venice". The Palace of Versailles itself is also striking in its size: the length of its park facade is 640 meters, the Mirror Gallery located in the center is 73 meters long.

Versailles is open to visitors

in May - September from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:30.
fountains are open on Saturdays from July 1 to September 30 and on Sundays from early April to early October.

How to get there - Versailles

Trains (trains) go to Versailles from Gare Montparnasse station, Montparnasse Bienvenue metro station (12th metro line). Entrance to the station directly from the metro. Follow to the Versailles Chantiers stop. Travel time 20 minutes. The cost of a round-trip ticket is 5.00 euros.

Exit the station in the direction of "Sortie" (exit), then go straight. The road will take you to the palace in 10-15 minutes.