Historically, Versailles happened to be a royal residence, a museum, and a military headquarters. But at the end, the palace was again just a national landmark, regaining the title of a historical monument.
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The Palace of Versailles owes its emergence and prosperity to the Sun King. The king was building it while ravaging the treasury of France. Louis’ fondness for the theater is well known. He made his life a performance. And this performance needed a decent stage. Here Versailles of France happened to be the place where all the events of royal life developed. The palace became an epithet of luxury, the wealth of the irrepressible Sun King. Versailles was a success, striking contemporaries and descendants alike with its unsurpassed beauty.
The architectural ensemble of Versailles is perfect. There is not a single superfluous or random line here. Each architectural element, as well as the grass, is in its place. The entire palace is subject to strict mathematical logic. Louis XIV built a symbol of the might of the state, of his absolute power.
History of Versailles
Versailles was once a small town near Paris with a small hunting lodge. Then the young Louis began to rebuild, to expand it. During his reign, the king remodeled the Palace many times. It happened mostly in the breaks between the wars.
Buildings are rebuilt, facades are changed, and new chambers for the king and queen are rebuilt. The French architects Jules Ardouin-Monsart, Le Brun and Le Nôtre are working tirelessly. The interiors of the Palace of Versailles are richly decorated with frescoes with allegorical depictions of ancient heroes. A perfect landscaped park is created around it.
At the zenith of his fame, Louis is building the Mirror Room in the Baroque style.
The gallery is richly decorated with mirrors and works of art and makes a huge and unforgettable impression on the viewer. The technology for making mirrors belonged to the Italians. Colbert, the finance minister at the time, lured the craftsmen to France, which almost cost them their lives.
We can note the mind-boggling cost of the Versailles of France. In other years, it was half of the country’s budget. According to current estimates, the palace complex is worth 250 billion euros.
The successor of the Sun King was Louis XV. Under him the Versailles of France grew and developed. Rooms were being improved and expanded. The Neptune Fountain, the palace theater, and the Battle Gallery were built.
The palace landscapes are considered the largest in Europe. It is a huge number of terraces, flowerbeds, greenhouses, fountains and many sculptures.
Have a good walk around the Palace of Versailles and more opportunities to see France not only in pictures. It is true that they say that the Palace of Versailles is the one attraction in France that should be seen last. The palace will outshine anything you’ve seen before it.
