France Tourist Attractions - Versailles and its Chateau

After the French defeat in the Prussian-French war, the castle was the main headquarter of the German army from October 5, 1870 until March, 13, 1871, and the German Empire was proclaimed here on January 18.

The ravages of war and neglect over the centuries have left their mark on the palace and its huge gardens. Modern French governments of the post World War II era have sought to repair these damages. 

They have on the whole been successful, but some of the costlier items, like the vast array of fountains, have yet to be put back completely in service. 

As spectacular as they might seem now, they were even more extensive in the 18th century. The 18th century waterworks which fed the fountains was probably the biggest mechanical system of its time. 

Fountain Versailles Palace

The water came in from afar on monumental stone aqueducts, which have long ago fallen in disrepair or been torn down.

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Practical Information for the Palace of Versailles

Tél : 01 30 83 78 00

RER C : Versailles-Rive Gauche-Château de Versailles

Other transport :

SNCF :
- From gare Montparnasse : station Versailles-Chantiers 
- From gare Saint-Lazare : station Versailles-Rive Droite 

Bus (RATP) : n°171 
Pont de Sèvres / Versailles-Place d'Armes 

Car : autoroute A13 (direction Rouen) 
exit : Versailles-Château

Hours :
Grands Appartements - porte A
2 May to 30 Sep : 09:00-18h30 
1 Oct to 30 April : 09h00/17h30 

Appartements du Roi - porte C
2 May to 30 Sep : 09:00/17h30 
1 Oct to 30 April : 09h00/16h30 

No admission 1/2 hour before closure.

Credits : This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Palace of Versailles".

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France Tourist Attractions

Versailles is a city in France. It is the préfecture (capital) of the Yvelines département.

The 1919 Treaty of Versailles ended World War I and established the League of Nations. 

Some other famous treaties were signed there as well, e.g. the Prussian King Wilhelm was proclaimed Emperor of Germany on January 18, 1871 in the very same room, the "Hall of mirrors" (Galerie des Glaces, Spiegelsaal).

Hall of Mirrors

The Chateau of Versailles (commonly called Versailles) is a royal chateau, outside the gates of which the village - and now the city - of Versailles, France, has grown.

Front of Palace of Versailles

The palatial chateau was initially constructed as a simple hunting lodge for Louis XIII in 1624. In 1660, Louis XIV, coming to majority and taking on full royal powers, was casting about for a site near Paris but away from the tumults of the city. 

He had grown up in the disorders of the civil war between rival bands of aristocrats called the Fronde and wanted a site where he could organize and completely control a government of France centered upon his person. 

He settled on the lodge and decided to convert it into a palace; this was largely completed by 1688. 

Palace and Garden

The team of architect Louis Le Vau, decorator Charles Le Brun and garden designer (André Le Nôtre had been assembled by Louis' own finance minister Nicolas Fouquet at Vaux-le-Vicomte, whose grand success there was his undoing.

Sumptuous Palais de Versailles

Versailles became the home of the French nobility and the location of the royal court. Louis XIV himself lived there, and symbolically the central room of the long extensive symmetrical range of buildings was the King's Bedroom (the Chambre du Roi), which itself was centered on the lavish and symbolic state bed, set behind a rich railing not unlike a communion rail. 

All the power of France emanated from this center: there were government offices here; as well as the homes of thousands of individuals. By insisting that nobles spend time at Versailles, Louis kept them from countering his efforts to centralize the French government in an absolute monarchy.

Versailles Gardens

While the Palace was grand and luxurious, it was also impossibly expensive to maintain. Historians estimate that maintaining the Palace, including the care and feeding of its staff and the Royal Family, consumed as much as 25% of the entire national income of the country of France.

After Louis XIV, several smaller buildings were added to the Versailles area by Louis XV and Louis XVI including the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and the Hamlet of Marie Antoinette, which, in a way, is one of the world's first open air museums.

Petit Trianon