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Palace Of Versailles

Pinnacle of Palace Architectures

Built in the 17th century, Palace of Versailles is an icon of European palace architecture, with Baroque-style decorations and exquisite frescoes. Versailles houses countless halls, suites, salons, and gardens filled with fountains and statues.

The miracle of Versailles is based on the splendor of the palace, its vast rooms and magnificent gardens. The French palace built in the 17th century has become The Icon of European Palace Architectures, and was imitated by other European countries, such as Schloss Sanssouci in Potsdam and Schloss Schönbrunn in Vienna. The Palace and gardens of Versailles were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979.

The Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles), located in the western suburbs of Paris, was originally the hunting lodge of King Louis XIII. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Sun King, Louis XIV, devoted all the resources of his country to the construction of Versailles, which was finally completed and became a Baroque Masterpiece.

Manywhere Trivia:
According to statistics, 55% of French people have visited Versailles.

The Palace of Versailles has 2,300 rooms, each decorated differently, some of them are marvels of architecture and design.

The Hall of Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces), the most famous hall of Versailles, is located on the second floor of the main building, facing the gardens. On the windowless side of the hall, 357 mirrors are installed to reflect daylight or candlelight, greatly enhancing the interior illumination.

The ceilings of many rooms of the Palace are decorated with frescoes by famous artists, such as “Sun Chariot of Apollo” in The Salon of Apollo (Apollo Room) and “Mars on his Chariot Pulled by Wolves” from The Salon of Mars. The most famous of these is “The Apotheosis of Hercules” in Salon of Hercules (Hercules Room), a fresco with more than 140 figures, which took the artist four years to complete.

The largest room in Versailles, the 120-meter-long Gallery of Great Battles is a museum of French military history with 33 paintings depicting major historical moments that shaped the fate of France.

Every inch of Versailles deserves to be admired, even a corridor may be transformed into a Gallery of Statues.

Manywhere Trivia:
To cover the cost of the war, Louis XIV had the silverware and silver throne of Versailles melted down for money.

In the 17th century, King Louis XIV moved his court to Versailles, where he conducted his affairs, received his guests and held his banquets. Versailles has The King's State Apartments, The Queen's Apartments and Rooms of the Prince and Princess. In addition, many noblemen who were close to the royal family also lived here.

The gardens on the west side of Versailles were the favorite of Louis XIV, with classical-style sculptures and fountains and a cross-shaped canal stretching nearly three kilometers. Inside the Versailles Gardens, fountains of the Chariot of Apollo, Poseidon and Latona are priceless historical and artistic treasures. Scattered throughout the 800-hectare garden area are also the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, the Hamlet of the Queen, and many pavilions.

Sculptures in the garden

Manywhere Trivia:
Louis XIV loved the gardens of Versailles more than many people could imagine. He even wrote his own “Itinerary of the Gardens of Versailles”, so that even when he was busy at work, his guests would not miss out on the important sights of the gardens, what a thoughtful king.

The Royal Stables, a short distance east of Versailles, opened to visitors in 1997 as the Gallery of Coaches, which houses a collection of magnificent French royal coaches.