However, i found the amount of detail on the actual construction of the palace to be, on the whole, rather meager. A breathtaking product of 17thcentury france, the palace of versailles sits on top of the chateau, hunting lodge and original hunting grounds of king louis xiii. Description of the panorama of the palace and gardens of. The book includes copies of drawings and paintings of features that no longer exist, such as the grotto of thetis of 1672, the small orangery of 1674, and.
When you arrive at the palace, you can go directly to the gardens by going to the top lefthand side of the cour dhonneur, then entering the gate of the courtyard of the princes. Beginning in 1777, the queen ordered a redesign of the trianon estate. The audio tours are good but you might want to supplement with a guide book that gives a little more of the history. Palace of versailles 2020 all you need to know before you. Access to the gardens is free of charge, except for fountain show and musical gardens days from april to october. Sep 09, 2012 louis xiv documentary biography of the life of louis xiv the sun king duration. The palace of versailles is one of the most extraordinary achievements of 17th century european architecture. The gardens of versailles by andre le notre pariscityvision. The palace and gardens of versailles cover an area of over 800 hectares. The palace of versailles, the seat of french royalty, is about 10 miles 16 km southwest of paris. The two were in paris in august of 1901 and on the 10th they decided to visit the palace of versailles, which neither had visited. See all 200 palace of versailles tickets and tours on tripadvisor. The palace of versailles boasts a grandiose history. Book your palace of versailles gardens tickets online and skiptheline.
Peterhof on the gulf of finland is a testament to that vision. The royal versailles estate includes 8000 hectares until the revolution in 1789. The hall of mirrors, the kings grand apartments, the gardens the palace of versailles is one of the most visited cultural sites in the world today. Yet louis xv made his own original contribution to the gardens at the trianon, where later still richard mique and hubert robert designed the english garden and the delightful village beloved by marie antoinette. To the east of the palace is the place darmes, a wide plaza that in the 21st century served mainly as a parking lot to accommodate the thousands of tourists who visited versailles each day.
The women in the life of the sun king by antonia fraser, ma. In this case, buy a passport ticket access to the palace, the trianon palaces, marieantoinettes estate and the gardens at. The palace of versailles is the french jewel in europes crown of culture and style. It began with the original chateau, with the brick and stone and sloping slate mansard roofs of the louis xiii style used by architect philibert le roy. Versailles palace tickets one of the finest examples of 17thcentury french art and architecture, the versailles palace is a unesco world heritage site and a mustsee french landmark.
Versailles gardens and versailles palace tour description in this fourhour versailles palace and gardens tour excursion from paris, we will join a historian to see the magnificent palace and gardens of versailles, the seat of the royal court from 1682 until the revolution. Jun 03, 2012 the images in this book also do justice to the palace gardens, with their canal, lakes, fountains, statues, orangerie and potager du roi, the kings vegetable garden. The french revolution began in 1789, as the people of france pushed to overthrow the absolute monarchy of louis xvi. More than 35,000 workers constructed the palace of versailles. The palace of versailles offers a visual history of french architecture from the 17th century to the end of the 18th century. The creation of the gardens of versailles is the context for the film a little chaos, directed by alan rickman and released in 2015, in which kate winslet plays a fictional landscape gardener and rickman plays king louis xiv. The gardens of versailles were planned by andre le notre, perhaps the most famous and influential landscape architect in french history. Palace of versailles history crunch history articles. Just 20km from the centre of paris, the palace has become a unesco world heritage site and for good reason in 2017 alone, the versailles received an incredible 7,700,000 visitors. The palace of versailles was important because, for the. A humble gardener without specialized training, le notre designed and conceived a series of gardens, groves, and parks for the palace and its domaine. The palace of versailles has been listed as a world heritage site for 30 years and is one of the greatest achievements in french 17th century art.
Explore versailles holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. Likewise, frederick the greats sans souci palace in potsdam was inspired by versailles. I just thoroughly enjoy looking at these photos all in color and reading the text on how they were developed. Palace of versailles 2020 all you need to know before. One of the largest gardens ever made the gardens of the palace of versailles are laid out on an enormous scale. Take your seat aboard an airconditioned tour bus departing at 8. The gigantic scale of versailles exemplifies the architectural theme of creation by division a series of simple repetitions rhythmically marked off by the repetition of the. The king louis xiv is the creator of this unique palace. On your arrival, go directly to the entrance of the place you want to visit entrance a of the palace, entrance of the grand trianon with substantiating documents and your id card.
To achieve his masterpiece, louis xiv mobilized the seventeenth centurys artistic and scientific elite. Using the latest historical research, spawforth offers the first full account of versailles in english in over thirty years. Initially constructed as a hunting lodge for king louis xiii, the royal familys love for the estate saw the movement of the royal court from paris to versailles in 1682 by king louis xiv, louis xiiis son. The palace itself has been radically altered since 1789. Learn about the sun king louis xiv who decided to settle there in 1682, and walk the spectacular hall of mirrors as the royals and their courtiers once did, until the revolution forced louis xvi and marie antoinette to leave and never return. No visit to versailles would be complete without a visit to the aweinspiring, if admittedly rather gaudy, hall of mirrors. Located just 40 minutes outside of paris in the city of versailles, the grand palace was once the epicenter of french royal power and home to the french monarchy. When the chateau was built, versailles was a country village. Palace of versailles tickets, opening hours, and information.
It would be beneficial to plan ahead if you want to visit the palace, the trianon palaces and enjoy some time in the gardens. Jul 17, 2006 beautiful book of the versailles gardens, parterres, fountains, and sculptures. A wellwritten history of the building and various remodeling efforts undertaken at versailles, this book managed on a several occasions to prove interesting. As the center of the french court, versailles was one of the grandest theaters of european absolutism. Facade of the castle and midi flowerbed park of the castle see photo. The book is huge and full of details i never seen on other books about versailles i have several. Gardens of versailles beautiful virtual tour through the gardens of the palace of versailles france the gardens of versailles french. Exceptions might occur due to bad weather, and the gardens of versailles are usually open between 08. Popular versailles books meet your next favorite book. Louis xiiis old hunting pavilion was transformed and extended by his son, louis xiv, when he installed the court and government there in 1682. The palace of versailles with its magnificent gardens is in versailles on the western edge of paris. Palace of versailles facts interesting and fun facts. This half day visit will give you an overview of the fascinating history of versailles and you will have a chance to explore the palace and its gardens.
Versailles sets out to rediscover what is now a vanished world. They looked around the sumptuous luxury inside the palace and then, with the help of a guidebook, they decided to explore the expansive gardens. Potager du roi kitchen garden of the king history of the palace of versailles. The palace of versailles is a royal chateau in versailles, in the iledefrance region of france. It wouldnt be a royal palace without a few hiddenyetastonishing stories weve dug them up. During the reign of louis xiv, the tiny village of versailles grew to 45,000 inhabitants. Money for the palace came from multiple sources louis xivs privy purse, the countrys earnings, etc. Palace of versailles can be crowded, so we recommend booking etickets ahead of time to secure your spot. Oct 11, 2019 king louis xvi and marie antoinette are winding the shrubbery bends in the gardens of versailles when. On this map of versailles, we propose you to have an overview of the palace of versailles and its gardens to understand better the domain of versailles. During his whole reign, the king made from the gardens of versailles palace a unique and magnificent place.
Palace of versailles history from king louis xiii to treaty. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some 800 hectares of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic french formal garden style. One of the worlds most lavish and famous chateaux, versailles is a true masterpiece. From the hall of mirrors, visitors can admire a great overview of the gardens of versailles for which the king of sun, louis xiv, had an unconditional love. Access to the gardens is free of charge except for fountains shows and musical gardens days from april to october. Work on the gardens started at the same time as the work on the palace of versailles and lasted for around 40 years. Their virtuosity formed the star turn of a tour of the gardens, writes tony spawforth, a professor at newcastle university, in his book versailles. His son louis xiv eventually took over and commissioned the building of what the world now knows as the. The original park design, realized by andre le notre, a few advisers, and louis xiv himselfauthor of the way to present the gardens of versaillesremains largely intact. Ticket options available for visiting the palace of versailles are standard admission tickets with multilingual audioguides, skip the line tickets to the palace and gardens, guided tours as well as the versailles passport ticket that allows you access to all parts of the versailles palace. Here, we explore some fascinating facts about the story of this national treasure, beginning with its humble roots and concluding with its lasting legacy. Your official guide will give you a personalized tour and of course youll skip the queues at the entrance.
After centuries of royal habitation, you just know that versailles has baggage. It is located in the city of versailles in northern france, 10 miles 16 km westsouthwest of paris. Designed to embody the power, pomp and elegance of the french monarchy and its considerable military prowess, the 73meter gallery which was recently refurbished to its former glory features 373 mirrors situated around 17 arches. One corner of the gardens is home to the queens hamlet, a peaceful area with a rural feel that instantly transports you to another era. Palace of versailles welcome to memories dmc france. The palace of versailles is open yearround from 09. The palace of versailles in an enchanting place where art and nature are perfectly combined. Up until the french revolution, a line of kings succeeded each other, each taking his turn to embellish the palace. Access to the gardens welcome to the palace of versailles. One of frances most visited attraction is the incredible palace of versailles. Andre le notre and the gardens of the royal residence. In contrast, this book examines the political and cultural intrigues during the era of the gardens creation. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. Palace of versailles palace of versailles the gardens.
Since 1979, the palace and the gardens of versailles have been inscribed as a world heritage site by unesco. Read about the quintessential, historic landmark where kings and queens of france have lived for centuries. Visit the most famous and prestigious palace in europe. When the versailles gardens were complete, they included 372 statues, 55 fountains, and over 32 kms 20 miles of canals. Palace of versailles, former french royal residence and center of government, now a national landmark. A history of the gardens of versailles michel baridon. Orange trees outline a formal garden at versailles, once the epicenter of french royal power. Palace of versailles is the costliest building in the world. Located away from the city of paris, as if he wanted to protect the monarchy from the quivers and the conspiracies of the capital, the stunning palace is a symbol of power. A really excellent and interesting tour, lots of info on versailles and french history, art and. A succession of kings continued to embellish the palace up until the french revolution. A solitary stroll in the steps of louis xiv and andre le notre through the four seasons. Versailles, palace of palace of versailles, versailles, france, designated a world heritage site in 1979. The palace estate was itself surrounded by a 25mile wall, enclosing 8,000 hectares.
Skip the line palace of versailles and gardens tour from. The court of versailles was the centre of political power in france from 1682, when louis xiv moved from paris, until the royal family. Audioguided tour of giverny and the palace of versailles. Palace of versailles history from king louis xiii to. There were several different causes of the revolution, but one of the most important was the economic crisis facing france at the time and the excesses of the monarchy of louis xvi and marie antoinette. Palace of versailles gardens is one of the largest gardens ever created. It is a unesco world heritage site and is the second most visited monument in the world. The sisters of versailles by sally christie, love and louis xiv. Once the epicenter of french royalty, the elegant estate has undergone several transformations since its conception in the 17th century. Behind the palace, the ground falls away on every side from a terrace adorned with ornamental basins, statues, and bronze groups. Save time and money with our best price guarantee make the most of your visit to paris. It shows how the palace works including how the fountains operated during louis xiv time quite an engineering feat, the stages of the expansion of the palace.
Description of the panorama of the palace and gardens of versailles. You will visit the palace of versailles, the main royal residence of france, listening to fascinating comments on its history. Versailles is known for its gardens, spanning 800 ha, theyre sectioned off with mazes, canals and forests where over 200,000 flowers are planted annually. The history of the place is relatively well known it started as a pretty frumpy hunting lodge. This is the ultimate guide to the famed palace and gardens. Work on the gardens was started at the same time as the work on the palace and lasted for 40 or so years. Unmissable places and recommendations in the yvelines. Versailles palace tickets skip the line access with. The palace of versailles gardens alone took 40 years to build. The versailles gardens took 40 years to complete, and louis xiv valued them as much as the palace. This largeformat book presents the gardens of the palace of versailles as you have never seen them before. Known the world over, the gardens of versailles are often visited hurriedly by crowds of tourists. Palace of versailles 71 quality highdefinition images.
1613 651 728 1211 912 806 839 458 1195 644 1363 556 1157 159 1213 1170 500 240 1338 1402 889 296 1217 347 538 1293 1399 921 342 1275 1494 302 1360 227 1048 785 159 178 835