History About the Chateau de Versailles
The Palace at Versailles is an impressive, 1,300-room chateau located twelve miles outside of Paris. From the reign of Louis XIV until the French Revolution, Versailles was where French kings lived. Today this is one of the most visited sites in France.
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Origins
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Louis XIII built a hunting lodge on the present site of the chateau in 1624. His successor Louis XIV had the palace constructed on the same site in 1661. He allocated between 10 and 20 percent of France's budget to palace construction.
Nobility
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Louis XIV required that all nobles spend part of the year at Versailles. Here he entertained them with sumptuous feasts, plays and concerts. This was one way for him to keep tabs on them to ensure that they were not plotting against him.
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Hall of Mirrors
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Designed by Charles Le Brun in 1678, the Hall of Mirrors is the most famous room at Versailles. The room contains 483 mirrors and the ceiling is decorated with paintings venerating Louis XIV.
The Versailles Museum
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During the French Revolution, revolutionaries took over the chateau and stole furniture and works of art. In 1833 Louis Philippe founded a museum at Versailles displaying paintings and tapestries.
World War I
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The Treaty of Versailles which ended World War I was signed at Versailles on June 28, 1919.
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References
- Photo Credit Photo courtesy of Remi Jouan
