Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles was built approximately 20 miles from Paris and for a time was the capital of France and the home of the kings.

 

 

The entrance to the palace - we arrived early but found a large crowd waiting to enter.

 

The Royal Gate of the Marble Courtyard

 

Laura was prepared for the crowds!  She carried the bags through the people so that I could take pictures and notes! :)

 

The Hall of Mirrors was originally a terrace that was closed in for the king.  The ceiling portrays the history of Louis XIV's reign with a focus on the war against Holland and the War of Devolution in the second half of the 17th century. 

 

Can you see Laura and I in the reflection of the mirrors?  The mirrors are not original because they were made from silver with glass and were melted down by the revolutionaries after they took over the palace.

 

The king's bedchamber was situated so that the sun rose at the foot of the king's bed and set behind the bed.  This was done on purpose because the king believed that he was as essential to the French people as the sun.

 

The Council Study is where the king met with ministers, presided over ceremonies, granted audience with nobles, and received oaths of loyalty.

 

The queen's bedchamber contains the original summer wallpaper (yes, they changed the wallpaper twice a year for summer and winter) as well as the original bedspread and chairs from the time of Marie Antoinette.

 

 

The courtyard contains gilding that has recently been replaced so that is extremely bright.  The windows of the kings chambers are in the center section of the courtyard.

 

The gardens contain many fountains including this one named Water Parterre which was built to reflect the architecture of the building and the bronze statues represent the rivers of France.

 

The Avenues of the garden were designed in the reign of Louis XIV as walls to create an architectural foliage.

 

As we were walking through the Avenues, we watch gardeners trim the trees using an oversized stencil that allowed them to maintain uniformity in the angles of the foliage.

 

As we were leaving the palace, the courtyard was filled with enormous crowds!  There are thousands of visitors a day to the palace and its gardens.