Until the end of the 16th century, Versailles was a small village near Paris. Louis XIII built a hunting lodge there, then a small castle, and in 1632 he bought the whole village. His son, Louis XIV, the Sun King, built a huge palace complex in Versailles and turned it into the main residence of the French monarchs.

The history of the emergence of Versailles as one of the symbols of France

In 1682, the royal court moved to Versailles, which became not only the de facto capital of France, but also a symbol of absolutism. From that moment on, all European rulers, wanting to emphasize their greatness, build palaces in the "Versailles" manner.

Louis XIV had reason to rush out of Paris. The capital looked too provincial for the mighty European power that France had become in these years. In addition, the king could not forgive the Parisians of the Fronde, he did not trust them and wanted to protect himself from the rebellious crowd for the future.

The arrangement of Versailles began in 1661, lasted for more than a dozen years and required huge costs, the country was practically ruined.

Description of Versailles - severity in everything

The complex was planned around three roads leading to Paris and to the royal estates of Saint-Cloud and Sault. At the point of their connection in front of the main entrance to Grand Palace Versailles has an equestrian statue of Louis XIV.

Parks of Versailles - geometric rigor of lines and proportions

On the other side of the palace, as if continuing the middle road, stretches main alley with swimming pools and the Grand Canal (1520 m). It clearly divides the huge park into two symmetrical halves.

The geometric rigor of lines and proportions is a hallmark of the Versailles ensemble. It reflected the fascination of French architects with utopian architecture, originating from the fantastic "ideal cities" of the Renaissance.

It seems that the park is drawn according to the ruler, but at the same time it does not look boring or monotonous. It is enlivened by flower beds, sculptural groups, cascades, grottoes and especially fountains, the device of which was the pinnacle of engineering thought of its time. Particularly impressive visitors are the fountain of Apollo (sculptor Tyubi), depicting the chariot of the ancient god.

Luxurious halls of the Palace of Versailles

Inside, the Grand Palace consists of a suite of luxuriously decorated rooms filled with exquisite furniture, jewelry, and works of art. Separately, it is worth noting the Mirror Gallery 73 m long. Its 17 mirror panels reflect the light of 17 huge windows overlooking the park. Solemn ceremonies, balls, receptions and royal weddings took place in this sparkling hall.

It is also necessary to visit the Royal Chapel, the Venes Salon, the Apollo Salon, the Royal Opera, the Grand and Petit Trianon palaces.

The architect Andre Le Nôtre created a completely new type of park landscape in Versailles, called the French regular (i.e., correct) garden. Such a garden, embodying the ideals of harmony, grandeur and unchanging order, became a model for the famous imperial ensembles of Peterhof and Sanssouci (Potsdam).

Like Versailles, these parks have one characteristic feature: from certain points in them one can observe a “clear linear perspective” of a properly organized space.

Gardens and parks of Versailles

The gardens and parks of Versailles with a total area of ​​101 hectares served as a grand stage for the court nobility: holidays, festivities, masquerades and other amusements took place here, in the shadow of which intrigues and palace intrigues were woven.

Louis, who turned his life into a magnificent performance, patronized the classical theater - operas by Lully, plays by Racine and Moliere were staged in Versailles. This tradition was continued by the successors, especially the wife of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, who built her own theater and played in it herself.

The main palace complex, created in the style of French classicism, is striking in its scope. The ensemble consists of three consecutive courtyards - the Ministers, the Royal Court, where only the carriages of the monarch could enter, and the Marble Court, where the buildings of the hunting castle of Louis XIII have been preserved.

Versailles is the history of France

The history of Versailles is not limited to the lives of kings. It was here that in June 1789 the deputies of the third estate proclaimed themselves the National Assembly, and later the Constituent Assembly. In the same year, on August 26, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was adopted at Versailles.

Here, six years earlier, a document was signed that approved the independence of the United States. On June 28, 1919, a peace treaty was signed in Versailles, which ended the First World War.

Since 1837, Versailles has been officially the Museum of the History of France.

Ten years ago, the Palace of Versailles became part of a large-scale restoration project of the palace, under the patronage of Jacques Chirac. According to the plan, within 20 years, the interior of the Opera and the facade were to be updated, the original layout of the gardens was restored, the gilded King's Grid was returned to the inner Marble Court, etc.

However, life makes its own adjustments and today the restoration work is limited to maintaining the palace in working order.

Palace of Versailles – VIDEO tour

Versailles is a palace and park ensemble in France, the former residence of the French kings in the city of Versailles, now a suburb of Paris. The total area of ​​the entire territory with gardens, fountains, pools, cascades, grottoes, sculptures and elegant palaces is truly royal, more than one hundred hectares.

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Versailles- this name is associated throughout the world with the idea of ​​​​the most significant and magnificent palace, erected at the behest of one monarch. The Palace of Versailles, a recognized masterpiece of world heritage, is a fairly young palace and park ensemble, it is only three and a half centuries old. And for almost three hundred years it has attracted the attention of researchers, writers, scientists and tourists. Since the 17th century, many guidebooks, descriptions of the palace and park have been published, but most of them are in French. There are far fewer works on Versailles produced by Russian researchers. There are even fewer materials covering the integrity of the architectural composition of Versailles, its role in the history of park art and its historical and artistic significance.

Thus, Versailles is still an interesting problem for researchers around the world.

Versailles as a symbol of absolute monarchy in France

History of the construction of Versailles

The second half of the 17th century is the period of development of classicism in French architecture. This is the era of absolutism, when the court becomes synonymous with the national, as the very personality of the king - the embodiment of the state. Absolutism as a state system acts as a carrier of a reasonable principle in culture and art, providing the broadest opportunities for the artistic realization of the high ideals of rationalism in the forms of the unprecedented splendor of the residence of the Sun King. This is how Versailles is created - the ideal embodiment of absolutism in architecture and a high example of the aspiration of the architectural genius of the nation to create perfect forms of the natural world in accordance with the laws of the human mind.

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 complete architectural complex complex for them, including 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 history of the park and the palace is closely connected with the development of absolutism. The construction of Versailles was conceived and carried out in the second half of the 17th century, when absolutism reached the highest level of its power. Last years the reign of Louis XIV - the years of the crisis of absolutism and the beginning of its decline - are also the period of the crisis of Versailles.

The construction expressed the ideas of a progressive centralized monarchy for its time, which put an end to the feudal fragmentation of states and united France. Social restructuring was also associated with its economic development. These economic successes of France, the advanced country of the 17th century, were also reflected in the very technique of building Versailles. So, for example, the Mirror Gallery of the palace was not only an expression of the search for new spatial and lighting solutions, it was supposed to demonstrate the achievements of the French glass industry, its first victories over Venice. The three upper avenues are not only the end of the palace perspective, but also a monument to road construction. Finally, fountains and pools Versailles park should be recognized as a significant technical achievement of the era, as well as the digging of the famous Languedon Canal.

The idea of ​​unity, order, system - this is what French absolutism opposed to the fragmentation of the feudal princes. In the forms of art, this meant: a sense of proportion, tectonic clarity, representativeness, overcoming the intimacy characteristic of French architecture of the 16th - early 17th centuries.

The art of Versailles is an expression of a complete and consistent worldview of the era of classicism.

Versailles as an architectural and park ensemble did not arise immediately, it was not created by one builder like many palaces of the 17th-18th centuries that imitated him.

“Ancient chronicles report that at the beginning of the 17th century, Versailles was a village with 500 people, a mill stood on the site of the future palace, and fields and endless swamps spread around. In 1624, on behalf of Louis XIII, the architect Philibert Le Roy built a small hunting castle near the 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". This castle was rebuilt in the coming years by order of the king by the architect Lemercier. At the same time, Louis 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 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-Vicomte, So, Saint-Cloud, etc.). It is interesting that the residence in Vaux-le-Viscount, made with extreme luxury, was owned by the influential quartermaster Fouquet. The king treated him with hostility and imprisoned him. Thus, the creators of the park and the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte, Le Nôtre and Le Vaux, were involved in the construction of Versailles. The architecture of the Fouquet estate was adopted as a model for Versailles. Having preserved the Fouquet Palace, the king took out of 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 trilude, 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 speedy settlement of the city, Louis XIV distributed plots for building 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.

The construction of the residence took place over several periods. In 1661, the rebuilding of the small castle of Louis XIII was entrusted to the architect Levo, one of the best architects of the era. The decorative decoration of the palace was updated, the Orangery was built. In 1668-1671, the castle was built with new premises in such a way that the walls of the buildings forming the Marble Court, facing east, were preserved; the walls of the outer facades of the castle were largely destroyed. As a result of this, the western, park facade was tripled, and Levo built up the old building only on the first floor; its upper two floors now opened onto a terrace, which created a kind of propylaea that connected the park with the Marble Court. The southern and northern façades were also lengthened by two exquisitely shaped buildings. In the northern, new extension, the stairs of the Ambassadors were placed, and in the south - the stairs of the Queen. Levo died without completing the design of the front of the palace, which was carried out by Francois d "Aubray, who placed a lattice with two pavilions along the line of the eastern ends of the palace. Thus the "Royal Court" was formed.

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 Cardinal Mazarin, Versailles, created by Levo, began to seem not majestic enough to express the idea of ​​​​absolute monarchy. Therefore, Jules Hardouin Mansart, the largest architect of the end of the century, was invited to rebuild Versailles, whose name is associated with the third building period in the history of the creation of this complex. 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). 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 fantasy, 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.

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.

“The creators of the palace were not Levo and Mansart alone. A significant group of architects worked under their leadership. Lemuet, Dorbay, Pierre Guitard, Bruant, Pierre Cottar and Blondel worked with Levo. 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).

The Bourbon dynasty at Versailles.

Bourbons (Bourbon) - (the younger branch of the Capetians) an old French family, which, due to its kinship with the royal house of the Capetians, occupied French and other thrones for a long time. Its name comes from the castle in the former province of Bourbonnais.

“The Bourbon dynasty gave the world Louis XIV - the “Sun King”, under whom the construction of the Palace of Versailles began. The example of the "Sun King" was imitated by all of Europe; the customs of his court, etiquette, even the French language itself enjoyed unheard-of popularity; his luxury palace at Versailles became an unattainable model for countless princelings. He held in his hands the threads of all the political intrigues of the country. The court of Versailles, with its strictly regulated etiquette, became the center from which all decisions proceeded, rays of splendor and luxury streamed over the whole country. An inscription was carved on the pediment of the main palace building: "The Palace of Versailles is open for public entertainment." Grandees and nobles were drawn here even from remote corners of France in pursuit of the mercy of Louis XIV. The nobles, who wanted to take a place in the ranks of the army, get a position at court or in public service, secure a pension or awards, crowded into the chambers of Versailles, strolled along its alleys, participated in festivities and hunts, and with all their behavior proved loyal devotion to the sovereign.

Daily life at Versailles proceeded according to strict rules set by the King and court etiquette. Morning awakening, going to bed, dinner and walks of the King - all the gestures and actions of the monarch served as an occasion

for court ceremonies. Brilliant company surrounded the King when he heard mass or gave an audience for foreign ambassadors. The courtiers thus brought variety and revitalization to palace life.

For the entertainment of the Court, the monarchs arranged magnificent festivities. Under Louis XIV, three grand celebrations were organized at Versailles, at which the performances of the best artists of the era - Molière and Lully - were presented. The first performance of The Delights of the Magic Island took place in May 1664. The second festival, the most magnificent of the three, took place on July 18, 1668; it went down in history under the name of the Great Versailles Divertissement. The last took place in July 1674, when many of Lully's operas, Molière's comedy The Imaginary Sick, were performed.

In Versailles, theatrical performances, and operas, balls - masquerades were given both in the apartments and in the Mirror Gallery or in the park. In the era of Marie Antoinette, the Trianon became the theater of numerous illuminations.

The Palace of Versailles was not just the residence of the king, but also a symbol of the French kingdom. Court etiquette, strict observance of the hierarchy, impressiveness, gallantry - everything was supposed to emphasize the magnificent splendor of the palace.

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 succeeded to 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.

Louis XVI, 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 ancestors, the Bourbons, conveyed 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, and great-granddaughter of Philippe d'Orleans, brother of King Louis XIV, and the famous Princess Palatine, left a deep mark on the musical life of Versailles thanks to her love of music, inherited both from the Habsburgs of Austria and from Louis XIII. Unlike his ancestors, Louis XVI did not have the ambitions of a creator king. 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

year. 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.

I would like to note the political significance of Versailles. It was the center of the state and over the past centuries has witnessed many historical events. The first stage of the French Revolution is associated with it. Here, on June 17, 1789, the assembly of deputies of the third estate proclaimed itself the National Assembly, and on July 9, the Constituent Assembly. On August 26, the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen" was adopted at Versailles. On September 3, 1783, a peace treaty was signed here, which approved the independence of the United States. During the Paris Commune in 1871, Versailles, where the National Assembly and the government of Thiers were located, became the center of the counter-revolution: from here the offensive of the government troops - the "Versailles", ended in their victory. On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed here, ending the First World War.

The Bourbon surname, which for many centuries served as a symbol of power and glory, is now synonymous with French royal style and elegance.

Versailles: a grandiose synthesis of palace and park

Despite the clear plan underlying it, the individual parts of the Versailles Ensemble are far from complete unity. The architecture of the facades of the palace facing the city is especially diverse in stylistic terms.

In creating the Palace of Versailles, its main authors, Levo and Mansart, started from Italian architecture. A large order is the main motif of Versailles architecture. It is present on the western facade of the palace, as well as in later buildings - the Great and Little Trianon. The nature of the orders used in Versailles is typical of the buildings of Palladio and Vignola - only decorative details and capitals vary. So, for example, Lebrun created the so-called "French order", placing in the capitals the emblems of Louis XIV - a lily and the sun.

As a rule, the facade of Versailles does not correspond to the interior layout of the palace. The exterior architecture disguises the purpose of the various parts of the building intended for domestic service.

Therefore, architecture acquires a pronounced representative character, corresponding to the spirit of absolutism.

The interiors of the palace were also created over several building periods. The principles of the "grand style" of French art of the time of Louis XIV are especially clear in them, that is, the combination of a sober logic of composition with a decorative enrichment of forms.

The central part of the palace housed the royal family, and the guards and courtiers were in the huge wings. The state rooms of the royal couple occupied the second floor. Each room was dedicated to various ancient deities, whose names were allegorically associated with members of the royal family. Scenes from the life of the gods are depicted on the plafonds and above the fireplaces, and easel paintings hung on the walls, which later formed the first fund of the Louvre.

The interior of the church, completed in 1710 by Robert de Cotte, is one of the links in the general artistically unified chain of the grand interiors of the palace; it is full of secular brilliance and refined pomp. The interior of the central part of the palace is much richer

by the variety of artistic means involved than facades. This principle of the relationship between the external and internal appearance of the structure, which was formed in Versailles, later became widespread in Rococo hotels.

Almost all the interiors of the central part of the palace were made by Lebrun himself, with the constant consultation of the Perrault brothers. Lebrun attracted the largest painters, sculptors, coppersmiths, carvers and organized a special school. Under the leadership of Lebrun, a tapestry manufactory and two hundred and fifty workers worked.

During his work with Levo, Lebrun's work had baroque tendencies, clearly expressed in the staircase of the Ambassadors, which leads to the large apartments of the king. The master uses the techniques of illusory perspective, applied very skillfully and interestingly.

The chambers of the royal apartments were located in such a way that between the starting point of the movement (the stairs of the Ambassadors) and its end point (the Royal bedroom) there was the largest number of intermediate links.

This sequence of chambers affects both the colorful and the spatial solution of individual interiors. Their architecture in the Palace of Versailles strives to create a holistic spatial impression in each room with a slight emphasis on the back wall. Each hall had, as it were, its own front side, its own facade.

“The enfilade principle of planning also triumphs in the famous Mirror Gallery. This, in essence, is not a throne room, but a real avenue 173 meters long. Here it was important to decorate the vault and walls in such a way as not to overload the spaces and not obstruct the flow of people. Lebrun placed images of Louis' victories on the vault. Painting has lost its independent meaning, but space has acquired grace and lightness. Instead of tapestries, paintings of statues that grab attention and stop the viewer, the gallery is covered with light, wide mirrors.

The chapel is also included in the enfilade arrangement of the premises. True, from the outside it seems like a foreign body, but inside it is connected with the suite of state rooms through a special vestibule, which directly adjoins the choirs.

Even the royal bedroom is included in the enfilade system. Only a low balustrade separates the king's bed from the stream of courtiers flowing by. The living quarters are sacrificed to the front halls. In this sense, Versailles is a complete type of ceremonial arrangement of premises, characteristic of absolutism of the 18th century. ”The interiors of Versailles break with the tradition of the 16th century. The ceilings are always smooth or vaulted, covered with murals with allegorical scenes. Panels of marble, plaster or bronze appear on them. Stairs, usually spiral until the 17th century, acquire straight marches in this era, with wide platforms, balustrades and iron gratings. Gilding is mainly used on a white background, polychromy plays a very limited role.

The buildings located next to the palace are one with it in their architectural images. Levo's greenhouse in 1681-1688 was quadrupled and rebuilt by Mansart on the model of Roman baths. It is connected to the southern parterre by two colossal staircases, between which it is located. It seems that the idea of ​​the grandiose found its form in the image of these stairs. When viewed from the stalls of the Swiss, which lies at the foot of the greenhouse, the meaning of the whole idea emerges especially clearly. The scale of the stairs, the huge planes of which seem to go into the sky, are incommensurable with a person: they were created for the "idea" that prevails here.

In the same plan, Mansart built the Large and Small stables in 1679-1686 (opposite the palace, from the side of the city). They took their place between the rays of the trident of roads.

We start our journey with Museum of carriages. Located in the large stables, it is a collection of carriages, collected mainly by Louis-Philippe for the Versailles Historical Museum. At that time, Louis-Philippe bought carriages that have historical value and once served the monarchs. Thus, the wedding Berlins of Napoleon I were delivered to Versailles - seven festive carriages illustrating the splendor of the imperial court during its heyday on April 2, 1810, as well as the carriage of Charles X, in which he rode on the day of the coronation and which was designed by the architect Persier for Louis XVIII , but in the context of the political differences of the Restoration era, Louis XVIII did not dare to use it. In addition, Louis-Philippe purchased a sledge and a stretcher. In 1833, a new exhibit entered the collection - the funeral carriage of Louis XVIII, which had previously been stored in the Small Stables. This carriage, used in 1809 for the funeral of Marshal Lannes, Duke of Montebello, and then converted for the Duke of Berry (son of the future Louis XVIII), who was assassinated in 1820, was redecorated for the funeral procession of Louis XVIII, held on September 23, 1824. Despite all the changes that this crew has undergone at different times, it was restored in the form it had on that day.

Yards. Three broad highways rush to the castle: from the north - Saint-Cloud Avenue, from the south - Avenue de Saux, and between them - Parisian Avenue. From the north, they go around the Big, and from the south - the Small Stables, gradually built by Hardouin - Mansart, starting in 1679.

Spread behind them Armory Square, crossing which visitors enter the Main Court of Honor. On both sides of this courtyard are the Ministerial wings, built in 1671-1679, at the entrance there is an openwork fence topped with the Royal coat of arms. From the flanks, the fence is framed by four sculptural groups, symbolizing War ("The King's Victories over the Empire and Spain"), and Peace ("Peace and Abundance"). The last two were located on both sides of the lattice, which before the Revolution separated the Honorary and Royal courts. During the Revolution, the inner fence was demolished, and in its place in 1837, Louis-Philippe ordered the installation of an equestrian statue of Louis XIV. The internal lattice started directly from the two pavilions that stood in the place of the North Wing (architect Gabriel, late Louis XV era) and the South Pavilion (architect Dufour, Louis XVIII era). The right to enter the Royal Court in a carriage was possessed only by a few persons granted the Honors of the Louvre. At the back, on an elevation of five steps, is the Marble Court - (its name comes from the marble slabs) - which gives an idea of ​​the size of the courtyard during the existence of the castle of Louis XVIII.

royal chapel- the fifth in a row in the castle, however, unlike others that were equipped in existing buildings, the room for the Royal Chapel was built specifically. On the corner formed by the central building of the palace and its North Wing, from 1699 to 1708, that is, until his death, the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart erects this chapel; its construction is completed in 1710 under the direction of the architect's son-in-law, Robert de Cotte. The construction scheme as a whole corresponds to the traditional canons of the Palatine three-story chapels, but it is made in the classical interpretation. Decor emphasizes continuity

of the Old and New Testaments, both in the reliefs of Coustout, Fremin, Lemoine, Van Cleve, Magnier, Poirier and Vass, and in the painting of the vaults, imbued with the spirit of the Holy Trinity: whether it be the ceiling of the apse with the “Resurrection of Christ” by de Lafos, or the vault of the central the nave with "The Most High in Glory, foreshadowing the coming of the Savior" by the artist Antoine Coypel, or the ceiling above the royal gallery with the composition "The Appearance of the Holy Spirit to the Virgin and the Apostles" by Jouvenet, as well as the decor of the large organ, inspired by the theme of King David.

The King of France heard mass from the royal gallery opposite the altar. The gallery was on the same floor as his apartment, so the King went down to the lower floor of the chapel only in exceptional cases. In order to get into the gallery, the King passed through a hall with a vaulted ceiling and stone walls, rhythmically decorated with pilasters and Corinthian columns. This vestibule was built at the same time as the chapel; in its decor, it matches the style of the chapel, linking it to the Great Royal Apartments. In two niches of the hall there is a statue of Glory, holding a medallion with a portrait of Louis XV by Vasse, and the Magnanimity of the Monarch by the sculptor Busso.

The Royal Chapel of Saint Louis served as a venue for ceremonies in honor of the Holy Spirit, the anthem "Te Deum" was played here on the occasion of the victories of the French army and the birth of the Children of France, and the marriages of princes of the blood were celebrated here.

Through the Royal Gallery, you can enter the second floor of the castle, the Salon of Hercules. In this spacious hall, located at the junction of the North Wing and the central building of the castle, magnificent receptions were held. The salon was equipped in the upper part of the fourth chapel, where religious services continued from 1682 to 1710. In 1712, Robert de Cotte began to create the interior decoration of the salon. But due to the death of Louis XIV in 1715, work was interrupted and resumed only in 1725.

The wall decoration rhythmically combines polychrome marble and twenty pilasters, the base and Corinthian capitals of which are made of gilded bronze. A cornice adorned with consoles and trophies rests on the pilasters.

A marble fireplace by Antenna crowns the painting by Paolo Veronese "Meeting of Eleazar with Rebekah". Another of his paintings - "Dinner at Simon the Pharisee" - is located opposite; Louis XIV received it as a gift in 1664 from the Republic of Venice. Ceiling painting, made according to the sketches of Francois Lemoine in 1733-1736, brought the artist the title of the First Royal Painter. Nine complex compositions, uniting 142 figures, make up the creation of Lemoine. “In the first composition, Juno and Jupiter offer the young Hebe to take Hercules as his wife. In the second we see Bacchus supported by the god Pan. At the top are Amphitrite and Mercury, below - Venus surrounded by the Graces, as well as Cupid, Pandora and Diana. The third composition combines Mars, Vulcan and Cupids. Envy, Wrath, Hatred, Discord and other vices cast down by the chariot make up the fourth composition. The fifth represents Cybele in her chariot, Minerva and Ceres, Neptune and Pluto. In the sixth one can see Aeolus, Zephyr and Flora, Dew watering the clouds, and below - Dreams shower the sleeping Morpheus with poppies. The seventh composition includes Iris and Aurora, and around them are figures representing the Stars. Apollo and the Muses appear in the eighth composition. The ninth group includes the constellation Castor and Pollux. Silena, surrounded by children and Fauns, symbolizes the Bacchic festival in honor of Hercules.

The Hall of Hercules smoothly transitions into the Large Royal Chambers, consisting of several salons: the Salon of Abundance, the Salon of Venus, the Salon of Diana, the Salon of Mars, the Salon of Mercury, and the Salon of Apollo. Located on the second floor of the castle and overlooking the Northern Parterre, the Great Royal Apartments were built from 1671 to 1681. Their purpose was determined only in 1682, when the King ordered to turn Versailles into an official state residence. In these chambers, “The King entertained, but did not live,” one could get here through the Embassy Staircase, two flights of which led, respectively, to the Salons of Venus and Diana. Levo's ingenious creation - the Embassy Staircase - was built by Francois d'Orbe; in 1752 it was demolished by order of Louis XV.

Until 1678, when the construction of the Gallery of Mirrors was started, the Great Royal Apartments included seven rooms. Noting the splendor of the picturesque decoration of the apartments, Felibien wrote in 1674: "Just as the Sun was chosen for the emblem of the King, seven planets made up the plots of the canvases that adorn all the rooms of these chambers."

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. There are amazingly decorated fountains with musical arrangements, botanical gardens, greenhouses, 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.

Address: France, city of Versailles
Start of construction: 1661
Architect: Louis Levo
Main attractions: regular park (one of the largest in Europe), Mirror Gallery, Battle Gallery, Palace Chapel, Royal Opera House, Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, Small apartments of the King
Coordinates: 48°48"16.6"N 2°07"13.3"E

Content:

Short description

Just 30 minutes by train from Paris, and the passenger arrives in Versailles - a respectable suburb, famous for the residence of the French monarchs.

Palace of Versailles from a bird's eye view

The city of Versailles grew up around a modest 5-room hunting castle founded by Louis XIII in 1623. The heir to the throne - "The Sun King" Louis XIV was also fond of hunting, but he connected much more grandiose plans with Versailles. Dissatisfied with his residence in the Louvre, the monarch decided to turn the hunting grounds into a luxurious palace.

Palace of Versailles. General form.

In addition, living in the Louvre seemed unsafe: even at a young age, Louis XIV, together with his family, had to flee from Paris, engulfed by the Fronde uprising. In Versailles, the monarch could hide from court intrigues and conspiracies, enjoying the company of numerous favorites.

The construction of the palace, begun in 1661 under Louis XIV, continued during the reign of his son, Louis XV. Charles Le Brun, the court painter of the Sun King, and Louis Le Vaux, the "first royal architect," expanded and decorated Versailles in the classicist style.

Golden Gate of the Palace of Versailles

And the master of landscape art Andre Le Nôtre landscaped the gardens and parks. 36,000 people worked hard at Versailles - drained swamps, created artificial relief, etc. According to the records of those years, the palace cost the state "15228287 livres, 10 sous and 3 deniers". Putting the costs in relation to the state budget of France in the 17th century and recalculating them in modern money, we get an amount of 260 billion euros. Half of this money is spent on interior design.

Marble courtyard of the Palace of Versailles

Hunger riot in the square near Versailles

Versailles served as the main residence of the French kings until 1789, when Louis XVI was dethroned and executed. It was here, on the square in front of the palace in October 1789, that a crowd of citizens gathered, outraged by the high prices for bread. In response to the protest, they heard the famous phrase, the authorship of which is attributed to Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis XVI: "If they have no bread, let them eat cakes!" After the food riot, Versailles lost its importance as the center of high society life in France.

View of the Palace of Versailles from the park

Interiors of Versailles - "chic-brilliance-beauty"

In the atmosphere of luxury of Versailles, among the monumental fountains, alleys and promenades, immersed in a riot of greenery and flowers, it was so easy for the monarch to get rid of the real problems of the common people! The Mirror Gallery of the Palace of Versailles is especially chic. It is a gigantic hall as high as a 5-storey building. Arched windows and doorways filled with mirrors visually expand the space of the hall.

During the era of the Sun King, the gallery was furnished with silver tables and stools; statues and even planters were cast in silver.

View of the Grand Canal in the park of Versailles

Crystal chandeliers flickered above the sky-glazed ceiling, and gold brocade curtains framed the windows. The floors were covered with magnificent Savonnerie carpets. Under Louis XIV, the Mirror Gallery, together with the Ambassadors' staircase (dismantled in 1752) and the Royal Chapel, was one of the three most colossal interiors of the palace. The upper tier of the chapel, intended for the royal family, rests on a white marble colonnade with gilded capitals.

Small Trianon

In the center is an altar decorated with figures of ancient Greek gods. On the lower level there was a chapel for courtiers and ladies-in-waiting. Behind the gallery stretched the apartments of the Queen. Immediately attracts the attention of a huge bed, almost the size of a bedroom. All surfaces in the bedchamber are covered with gold, emphasizing the high status of the first lady of France. The apartments of the king and queen are separated by the Battle Gallery. On its walls hang 30 paintings glorifying the significant victories of France, and along the walls there are statues of 82 commanders.

Grand Trianon Palace

The king's apartment occupies several halls, among them the Bull's Eye salon with an oval-shaped window overlooking the courtyard is noteworthy. The interior of the salon is decorated with sculptural images of playing putti (winged angel boys), stucco and portraits of members of the royal family.

Secret meeting room and toy farm

In the depths of the palace park, spread over 800 hectares, there is a one-story palace of the Great Trianon, lined with white and blue tiles. It was intended for relaxation and secret rendezvous. If you go in the opposite direction, you can get to the Petit Trianon - Marie Antoinette's mansion.

Fountain of Laton

Here, on the banks of the pond, there is the "Mill Village" - several houses stylized as peasant ones. In this semblance of a real farm, clean chickens and perfumed cows roamed, and dressed ladies-in-waiting portrayed peasant girls. There were also children's games.

Versailles is a palace and park complex (Parc et château de Versailles), which is located in the same suburb of Paris. Versailles is included in the list of 100 wonders of the world, and since 1979 it has been included in the List of objects world heritage UNESCO.

• Grand Trianon;
• Petit Trianon (Mansion of Marie Antoinette);
• Farm of Marie Antoinette;
• gardens;
• A park.

Excursion to Versailles: information for tourists

Address: Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles, France.

How to get to Versailles

From Paris to Versailles can be reached in half an hour by high-speed trains RER, line C. In Versailles, the stop is called Versailles Rive Gauche, from there it is a 10-minute walk to the palace gates.

Another way to get there: bus number 171, which departs from the Pont de Sevres metro station in Paris. Buses run every 15-20 minutes.

Schedule

The complex is open every day except Monday, as well as official holidays: December 25, January 1 and May 1.

• Chateau - from 09:00 to 17:30 (from May to September - until 18:30);
• Large and Small Trianons, farm - from 12:00 to 17:30 (from May to September - until 18:30);
• Gardens and park - from 8:00 to 18:00 (from May to September - from 7:00 to 20:30).

Prices for tickets to Versailles

Services list	Price
Full ticket (main palace, Grand and Petit Trianons, farm, gardens)	20 €/during the days of the fountains 27 €
Full ticket for two days	25 €/during the days of the fountains 30 €
Only Château (main palace)	18 €
Large and Small Trianons, farm	12 €
Park only (fountains turned off)	for free
Park only (fountains included)	9 €
Night show of fountains	24 €
Ball	17 €
Fountain night show + ball	39 €

Prices are current for 2018.

Admission is free for children under 5 years old, discounts are available for older children, students, and people with disabilities.

From the history of Versailles

Versailles under the Bourbons

Initially, these lands were the hunting estate of Louis XIII. His son and successor, the "Sun King" Louis XIV, was crowned in 1654. After the Frondon uprising, the life in the Louvre seemed unsettling and unsafe to the “Sun King”, so he gave the order to build a palace in the Versailles lands, on the site of his father’s hunting grounds.

The construction of the palace and park complex began in 1661 under Louis XIV and continued under the reign of his son, Louis XV. Architects Louis Leveaux, François d'Orbe and painter Charles Lebrun created a grand palace in the style of classicism, which to this day has no equal.

Until 1789, Versailles was the main residence of the kings of France. In early October 1789, people gathered on the palace square, outraged by the high prices for bread. The answer to the protest was the phrase of Marie Antoinette: “If they don’t have bread, let them eat cakes!”. But it is not known for certain whether she said this phrase or whether the townspeople themselves came up with it. After this rebellion, Versailles ceased to be the center of France's secular life, and the king and his family and deputies of the bourgeoisie (National Assembly) moved to Paris.

Palace of Versailles during revolutions and wars

The maintenance of the Palace of Versailles was not easy. When Napoleon I came to power in 1799, he took Versailles under his wing. In 1806, by order of the emperor, work began on a plan to restore the Palace of Versailles. Restoration work started two years later - mirrors, gold panels were restored here, furniture was brought, including from.

After the revolution of 1814-1815. The empire collapsed and the Bourbons came to power again. Under Louis Philippe, many halls were completely restored. The palace became a national museum; an exposition of portraits, busts, paintings of historical value was exhibited here.

Versailles also played a role in French-German relations. After France lost the Franco-Prussian War, the residence of the German army headquarters was located in the Palace of Versailles (1870-1871). In early 1871, the Germans proclaimed the German Empire in the Mirror Gallery. This place was chosen specifically for the purpose of humiliating the French. But a month later, a preliminary peace treaty was signed with France and the capital was moved from Bordeaux to Versailles. And only 8 years later, in 1879, Paris again became the French capital.

Versailles from the 20th century to the present day

After the First World War, in which Germany was already defeated, the Treaty of Versailles was signed in the palace. This time, the place was chosen by the French in order to restore historical justice and humiliate the Germans.

In 1952, the government allocated 5 billion francs for the restoration of Versailles. Also, from the 50s to the mid-90s of the last century, all heads of state who came on a visit to France were supposed to meet with the French president in the palace.

In 1995, Versailles received the status of a legal entity and became a state institution. Since 2010, the institution has received the name "Public institution of the national possession and the Museum of Versailles".

What to see in Versailles: halls and interiors of the palace

Each room, salon and bedroom is a masterpiece that shows how much talent and work has been invested here.

mirror gallery

The Mirror Gallery is considered the heart of the Palace of Versailles. Its area is 803 sq. m. There are 357 mirrors in the gallery, 17 windows installed in parallel. The hall is decorated with crystal chandeliers, silver candelabra, floor lamps, vases, and Rouge de Rance pilasters topped with gilded bronze capitals based on a new design that has been called "French style" and was created by Le Brun.

The vaulted ceiling features 30 illustrations that depict the glorious history of Louis XIV during the first 18 years of his reign. Weddings in Versailles took place in the Mirror Gallery.

Royal Chapel

The chapel is located near the entrance on the right side of the building. The royal altar is surrounded by figures of ancient Greek gods. The royal coat of arms on the floor is lined with colored marble. A spiral staircase leads to the second tier of the chapel.

Throne room, or hall of Apollo

This hall was intended for holding audiences of foreign delegations or patronal feasts. In the evenings, dances, theatrical or musical performances were arranged here.

Salon Diana

The interior of Diana's salon at the Palace of Versailles is decorated with antique busts and sculptures, painted walls, and golden vaults.

War Salon

The Salon of War was created to glorify the legendary military merits of the French. on the walls there are monumental canvases telling about victories.

Salon "Bull's Eye"

The salon window overlooks the inner oval courtyard. Persons close to the monarch or titled nobility could be here to watch the royal apartments through a hole that resembles a bull's eye in shape.

Hall of Venus

The main attraction of the hall is the statue of the "Sun King" Louis XIV.

King's bedroom

Louis XIV was an extravagant man, he loved pomp in absolutely everything. That is why his bedroom looks like a theatrical scenery. When the king woke up and went to bed in the bedroom, there were selected persons who had the pleasure of enjoying this action. As soon as the "sun king" woke up, four servants presented a glass of wine, and two - a lace shirt.

Queen bedroom

The Queen's bedroom features a huge bed. The walls are decorated with stucco, portraits and various picturesque panels.

This is only a small part of the interiors that can be seen here. It is simply impossible to describe all the halls and salons.

Gardens and park of Versailles

The gardens and park of Versailles are unique; about 36,000 people worked on their construction. More than 6 million tourists visit this attraction every year.

The location of all park facilities is carefully calculated and thought out. The scale is so grandiose that it is simply unrealistic to go around the entire garden and park complex in a day. Fountains, pools, cascades, grottoes, statues - the park was created to show the majesty of the "sun king".

Approximately 350,000 trees grow on the territory. Trees, shrubs and lawns are cut as it was intended by the creator of the complex in the 17th century.

Activities and entertainment

Versailles constantly hosts various events and shows. Especially here there is something to see at the height of the tourist season.

Night show of fountains

From May to September, on Saturdays, a light and musical show of fountains is arranged for guests. Besides being indescribably beautiful, the spectacle ends with fireworks.

Ball

Before the night show, a real ball takes place in the Hall of Mirrors. Dancers demonstrate dances traditional for royal balls, and musicians perform classical music.

Exposure

Exhibitions are held periodically in the galleries and other premises of Versailles. Both contemporary artists and paintings by artists of past centuries are exhibited here.

Palace of Versailles on the map of Versailles

Versailles is a palace and park complex (Parc et château de Versailles), which is located in the same suburb of Paris. Versailles is included in the list of 100 wonders of the world, and since 1979 it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The whole complex is divided into the following main areas:

• Château (main palace in Versailles);
• Grand Trianon;
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