Palace of the French Kings before Versailles. France

The Chateau de Versailles or Palace of Versailles is recognized as the largest historical museum in the world.

The palace is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Most of it is open to tourists.

Before the construction of this architectural masterpiece, Versailles was considered a village. These days, Versailles is a suburb of Paris, where tourists from different countries come. In 1623, Louis XIII built a hunting castle in the village of Versailles. The castle was intended for recreation. A small building in the shape of a hunting castle became the basis for the construction of the most expensive and extravagant building in the world.

Construction of the palace began by Louis XIV in 1661. The king's actions caused some controversy among the starving people and ministers, but no one dared to openly express their discontent. The best architects of that time, Louis Le Vau and Jules Hardouin, took part in the construction. The construction of the gardens was carried out according to the design of Andre Le Notre. Charles Lebrun took care of the interior and park sculptures. A huge area of ​​14,970 hectares was cleared for construction and the construction of gardens, paths, and fountains.

Throughout the palace there are 1,400 fountains, as well as 400 stunning sculptures. More than 36,000 workers took part in the construction. Once completed, the Chateau de Versailles could accommodate up to 5,000 people. However, despite the amount of money, which is more than 250 billion euros (by modern standards), the palace has some disadvantages. It was possible to live in it only in the summer; in the winter, living in it was impossible, because... there was no heating, most of the fireplaces were not usable.

The construction of the Palace of Versailles was finally completed towards the end of Louis XIV's life. It was the residence of the royal family from 1682 to 1789.

The grandeur of the Palace of Versailles shows how powerful and rich the monarch was. The king's apartments were located in the center of the palace, which symbolized the absolute power of the monarch. The Sun King was confident that God himself had chosen him as the ruler of France.

It is worth noting that Peter the Great had the opportunity to stay at the Palace of Versailles as a guest in 1717. The splendor of the buildings and gardens delighted Peter I. Upon his return to Russia, Peter the Great adopted some ideas that were used in the construction of the Peterhof Palace.

During the war, a significant part of the buildings was damaged. But, despite the precarious financial situation in the kingdom, Louis XVI allocated part of the funds for the restoration of the palace and gardens. In 1760, most of the damage was repaired.

After the fall of the monarchy, the Palace of Versailles fell into the hands of the new government. As a result, in 1792, some of the furniture and other luxury items were sold, and the works of art were transferred to a museum, namely the Louvre.

Among the architectural structures of the palace complex, the Small and Grand Trianon are distinguished.

The Grand Trianon was built in 1687 by order of Louis XIV. Now the Grand Trianon is used by the President of France to receive important guests.

The Petit Trianon was built between 1762 and 1768. Louis XV's mistress Madame de Pompadour lived in Petit Trianon. Later, in 1774, Louis XVI gave the building to Queen Marie Antoinette.

The masterpiece of the Palace of Versailles is the Hall of Mirrors, whose area is 73 meters. The 17 windows of the Hall of Mirrors offer stunning views of the park. The hall got its name due to the presence of seventeen arches with mirrors. Important events and celebrations were held in the hall.

In general, the interior design is luxurious. Everywhere you can see wood and stone carvings, painted ceilings, expensive furniture, and the walls are decorated with numerous paintings by famous artists.

Versailles Park deserves special attention. It took 10 years to build the park. The Park of Versailles is a wonderful example of French garden design. Flower beds and alleys are made in strict symmetry.

The trees had strict geometric shapes. The crowns were formed in the form of balls, pyramids, and squares.

The flower beds were always fragrant. As soon as the flowers withered, they were replaced with new ones. Trees and other plants were brought from all provinces of France. Thousands of people participated in the creation of the garden.

The Grand Canal, whose length is 1670 meters, also deserves attention. Work to create the canal lasted 11 years. The channel was created under the leadership of Andre Le Notre. The Grand Canal was the site of numerous water spectacles during the reign of Louis XIV. Currently, anyone can take a boat ride on the canal near the Palace of Versailles.

Versailles of Louis XIII

Could Louis XIII, who built a modest hunting lodge in Versailles, know that his son and successor, the great Sun King, would turn this place so dear to him into a symbol of absolute monarchy, into a miracle of architecture, the luxury and splendor of which no palace in the world could surpass?

Louis XIII built a hunting lodge near the village of Versailles, pursuing completely different goals. Louis XIII was not even six years old when, on August 24, 1607, he, being only the Dauphin, came to Versailles for the first time with his father Henry IV for falconry. Hunting trips with his father to Versailles were not erased from the Dauphin’s memory; Having become king, he will prefer the lands of Versailles and Saint-Germain to all other places for hunting.

At that time, the village of Versailles included about 500 people, a modest church was dedicated to Saint Julien, a windmill rose on a hill, and tired hunters, including Henry IV, stopped for the night at four inns. The Versailles domain was ruled by Henri de Gondi, Bishop of Paris, whose nephew subsequently, having become an adult, ceded this land to his other uncle Jean-François de Gondi, Archbishop of Paris and the last owner of Versailles from the Gondi family.

The village was surrounded by the magnificent forests of the Ile-de-France, full of game, endless fields and marshes - an ideal place for hunting at any time of the year. Located 17 kilometers from Paris, it was located quite close to Saint-Germain, one of the most favorite residences of Louis XIII. When the hunt dragged on until late and there was no way to return to Paris, the king rode to Saint-Germain or stopped at one of the inns of Versailles or in a dilapidated old castle belonging to the Gondi family, where he slept without undressing on an armful of straw. He often spent the night at the windmill.

The king soon became tired of this state of affairs, and he bought 40 hectares of land from 16 different owners in the winter of 1623-1624. Deciding that the time had come to build a small hunting lodge in Versailles. An unknown architect erected a U-shaped building on the hill, 24 meters long and 6 meters wide, made of pink brick, white stone and blue tiles. Louis XIII constantly came to Versailles to monitor the progress of work.

By summer the house became inhabitable, and the king lived there from June 28 to July 5. On August 2, he arrived at Versailles from Saint-Germain at 8:30 a.m. to supervise the delivery of furniture and kitchen utensils purchased especially for him by Monsieur de Blainville, the first nobleman of the house.

The king occupied 4 rooms in the house; Louis's apartment consisted of a bedroom, an office, a dressing room and a reception room. These rooms would later be occupied by Louis XIV, who wanted to live in his father's apartment.

The bedroom furnishings were rather modest. There was only the essentials: a bed, two chairs, six benches, a table. In the evening, candles were lit in silver and crystal candlesticks. Five tapestries decorated the walls; the bed curtains, carpet, curtains and upholstery were made of green damask fabric. In the study, eight tapestries reproduced the story of Mark Antony. A little later, the gallery leading to the king's bedroom will be decorated with a large painting depicting the capture of La Rochelle.

The king tried to come to Versailles as often as possible. The retinue accompanying him was always extremely small. Of the courtiers, Louis occasionally invited only Claude de Rouvroy, the future Duke de Saint-Simon, the Duke de Montbazon, M. de Souvres, the Comte de Berengen, Michel Luc, personal secretary, the Marquis d'Aumont, the Comte de Praslin, the Comte de Soissons and the Duke of Mortemart. The last two usually slept on the first floor, in the room of the captain of the guards.

It must be said that the courtiers considered it a great honor to be invited by the king to hunt at Versailles, but such trips were associated with great inconvenience for them. Louis XIII was a tireless and fearless hunter; he could gallop through fields and forests for seventeen hours in a row in any weather, which was extremely tiring for his companions. Moreover, it was often the difficulties caused by bad weather conditions that could force him to go hunting, and no amount of persuasion could force the king to change his decision. In addition, in the hunting lodge in Versailles, the amenities were minimal and could not satisfy the demanding nobles, faced with the need to share them with a king indifferent to comfort.

There were no rooms provided for either the Queen Mother or the Queen Reigning. However, several times they still came to Versailles for one day, without ever spending the night there.

A typical day for the king in Versailles is described by his physician Héroir: “On October 12, 1624, he woke up at 6 o’clock in the morning, had breakfast at 7 o’clock and went deer hunting. At 10 o'clock he returned, soaked through, changed his clothes and changed his shoes. At 11 o'clock I had lunch, mounted my horse and again chased the deer, reaching Porschefontaine. Returned to Versailles at 6 o'clock in the evening."

Versailles became for the king not only a place where he could find shelter after a hunt. The king hid in a hunting lodge when life in the Louvre became completely unbearable for him. Under the pretext of hunting, he tried to go there as often as possible in order to take a break from the court and hide his emotions from outside witnesses.

Meanwhile, in 1631, Louis XIII decided to expand his holdings at Versailles and enlarge his house. On April 8, 1632, he bought from Jean-François de Gondi for 70,000 livres the entire seigneury of Versailles, along with the ruins of the old castle of Gondi, which he wanted to completely demolish in order to expand the park.

On August 15, 1634, construction was completed. The main building, in which the king's apartments were located, had five windows on the first and second floors overlooking the courtyard; There were also five windows in two parallel wings that now border the Marble Courtyard. The four outer corners of the castle were decorated with four identical pavilions. On the courtyard side, a portico with seven arches covered with bars connected the two wings. The house was surrounded by a moat without water; the gardens were expanded by Jacques de Mener and included a vegetable garden and a ballroom. In 1639, the gardens were redesigned by Claude Mollet and Hilaire Masson.

Versailles was for Louis XIII not only a hunting lodge, but also a place where no one could come without his permission. In April 1637, the king was tormented by severe emotional distress. The tender and sincere love that connected him with Mademoiselle de Lafayette was doomed, and he understood this perfectly well, but, exhausted by constant persecution from the court and remorse, he decided to take an unexpected action. Madame de Motteville writes in her Memoirs: “This great king, so wise and so constant in his courage, nevertheless experienced moments of weakness, during which he hurried her<Луизу де Лафайет>so that she would agree to his proposal to take her to Versailles, where she would live under his protection. This proposal, so contrary to his usual feelings, forced her to leave the court.” Mademoiselle de Lafayette, deeply in love with the king, was afraid that she would not be able to resist her feelings and would destroy the soul of her lover by agreeing to his proposal to move to Versailles. Fearing that she would give in if the king continued to ask her to do so, nineteen-year-old Louise de Lafayette entered a convent. To hide his grief, Louis XIII went to Versailles, which never became a refuge of love. In 1643, feeling the approach of death, Louis XIII said: “If God restores me to health, immediately after my Dauphin can mount a horse and reaches the age of majority, he will take my place, and I will retire to Versailles and think only about the salvation of the soul."

After the death of the king, which occurred on May 14, 1643, Versailles would remain without an owner for eighteen years. Louis XIV will order to preserve his father's hunting lodge intact, making it the heart of the new ensemble.

Builders of a great masterpiece

Four people assisted the king in the construction of Versailles: Colbert, Levo, Le Nôtre and Lebrun. Without them, the grandiose project would never have been realized; however, despite the numerous and undoubted merits of all four, the main inspirer and driving force of the project was still Louis. He knew well what he wanted. Thanks to Mazarin, who surrounded him with beautiful things since childhood, the king developed good taste. Year after year he became more and more refined, and this left its mark on all his affairs.

After his death, Mazarin left the king all his property: paintings, books, houses, eighteen huge diamonds known as les Mazarins, and money (and also, he might add, his nieces). All this was nothing compared to another priceless treasure - Colbert. He was the most remarkable minister in the history of France. He was born in 1619 into the family of a wool merchant in Reims. His coat of arms was a modest grass snake, in contrast to Fouquet's squirrel, which strives to climb ever higher. Unlike Fouquet, a merry fellow and a rake, Colbert was restrained and strict. He frowned more often than he smiled, and never tried to please. But everyone always knew what to expect from him. When someone, in the hope of avoiding any taxation, went straight to the king, bypassing Colbert, then at the end of the courteous reception he could hear from Louis: “Monsieur, you need to pay!” Therefore, most petitioners preferred to communicate with the gloomy-looking Colbert. Even at a fairly young age, he realized that economics is a sure, albeit not very fast, path to power; and began his career by putting in order Mazarin’s personal affairs, which were terribly neglected; then, still in the service of the cardinal, he became involved in public finance. When the king was a child, Colbert taught him how to keep accounts; Louis became the first king of France who knew how to do this on his own. Colbert hated Versailles, but only he was able to obtain the amount necessary for its construction. The money immediately disappeared, like water into sand. Having learned that the king was going to settle in Versailles, the financier resigned himself to the inevitable and began to think about how to use this expensive structure wisely and for the benefit of the country.

Colbert was an amazing person; he was distinguished by his deep knowledge of literature, science and art, although he probably himself considered these areas of human knowledge not the most important in life, something like an application to trade. By promoting the development of science in France, the financier did this primarily with the aim of attracting world markets. The minister founded a French school of painting and sculpture in Rome at the Villa Medici, opened an observatory in Paris and invited the astronomer Cassini to work there; he also bought books to replenish the royal library and, finally, as superintendent of construction, supervised the reconstruction of Versailles.

Although Colbert was twenty years older than the king, he treated his monarch with reverent awe. Leaving So's country house, this influential and powerful man, who kept the whole of France in fear, took a piece of bread with him to the park and threw it across the canal. If the bread fell on the other side, it meant that Louis XIV would be in a good mood; if the bread fell on the other side, Colbert had no doubt that a thunderstorm could not be avoided.

Lebrun was born the same year as Colbert and worked with him most of his life: They were similar in that they did not disdain any work. Le Brun was found by Chancellor Séguier when he was ten years old, and he was drawing scenes from the Apocalypse on tracing paper. He received his first serious order in 1649; he was to decorate the Hôtel Lambert, the Parisian home of a wealthy government official. He then worked for Fouquet at Vaux-le-Vicomte; in 1662, the king made him the chief court artist and entrusted him with the decorative decoration of Versailles. In addition, Lebrun was the director of a large tapestry factory, which was engaged not only in the production of woven carpets, but also almost all the furniture for Versailles. Lebrun, although not one of the first-class painters, was an excellent designer. Almost all the furniture and decoration of the palace: chairs, tables, carpets, decoration, decorative panels for walls, silver, tapestries and even keyholes were made according to his original sketches; he painted the ceilings in the Gallery of Mirrors, as well as in the halls of War and Peace, the facade of the small royal house in Marly. Lebrun created nasal decorations for galleys and decorations for holidays. In addition, he managed to paint huge canvases on religious and mythological themes. He loved allegories and battle scenes, but was rather indifferent to nature.

Reconstruction of the castle from 1661 to 1668 was carried out by the architect Levo. Le Brun and Levo worked in perfect harmony. Levo's most famous buildings are the Vaux-le-Vicomte, the Lambert Hotel and the Institut de France, designed by the architect after his death. Much of his work at Versailles was obscured in later times by the work of the architect Mansart. Levo left the eastern façade of brick and stone in its original form, but added two wings to it; on the approach to the building, he erected a number of pavilions intended for ministers.

Le Nôtre was born into a gardener's family and was destined to become a royal gardener himself. His grandfather looked after the parks of Marie de Medici; his father was the head gardener at the Tuileries; the husband of one of his sisters grew a young garden for Anne of Austria, and the husband of the second took care of her orange trees. Le Nôtre dreamed of becoming an artist and began life in Vouet's studio, but soon returned to gardening. He succeeded his father in the Tuileries and gave the parks there a new look. Fouquet noticed him and invited him to Vaud, where the result of his work did not leave the Sun King indifferent, who immediately appointed him chief manager of all his parks. We owe him not only the gardens of Versailles, but also the parks of Chantilly, Saint-Cloud, Marly, Sceaux; The creation of his hands is the famous terrace in Saint-Germain-aux-Layes, as well as numerous private parks and gardens, and the magnificent wide avenue Champs Elysees, which begins at the Louvre. The city of Versailles was also built according to his design.

Le Nôtre carried an interest in painting and art throughout his life. His home in the Tuileries was replete with beautiful things, including Chinese porcelain. When leaving home, he left the keys on a nail so that art connoisseurs who came in his absence would not be disappointed and could admire the magnificent collection.

Quentini played an equally significant role in the arrangement of Versailles. He planted a vegetable garden. He first worked as a lawyer in Poitiers, but his real passion was vegetables and fruits. His book on gardening and horticulture can be considered one of the best publications on this topic; it awakens in the reader a passion for gardening; his advice is detailed and simple enough that even a child can understand it.

The king adored Quentini. He elevated him to the nobility and gave him a house in the garden, where he often visited for a walk. Today, the garden and vegetable garden remain almost unchanged, including the gate marked “Public”, through which residents of Versailles entered to take free vegetables.

Quentini pears existed in Versailles until 1963, when the last two trees had to be dug up. In the 19th century, many of them still bear fruit and survive the winters that killed other fruit trees.

So, after 1661, Louis XIV wanted his own palace, which in its splendor and luxury would surpass other castles in France and even Europe. The king chose Versailles, a small village with a population of five hundred people, where the small hunting castle of Louis XIII was located, as the construction site. The best architects, sculptors, and artists of the 17th century worked on the construction; huge sums of money were spent on the construction of the castle. But the Sun King spares nothing. What led to the construction of Versailles, as we see, was Louis’s desire to have his own, unique palace, which was supposed to be proof of the glory and power of the king.

Finances of France and the Palace of Versailles

When it comes to the money spent on Versailles construction projects, historians unanimously agree that the palace cost enormous sums. And if we take into account the cost of interior decoration, we get colossal numbers. Although the Comptroller General of Finance, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, tried to instill in the king a penchant for frugality, the desire for the king's glory came at a cost.

Before Colbert became superintendent of construction, from 1661 to 1663, Versailles had already cost one and a half million (in four years it absorbed what Fontainebleau had eaten in 17 years). Almost all of this amount was used, apparently without any measure, to create parks. The king bought, increased, expanded, rounded out his possessions. He comes up with swimming pools, new parterres, a greenhouse, bosquets. In 1664, Versailles cost the construction administration 781,000 livres; next year – 586,000.

Colbert was undoubtedly concerned about these numerous expenses. He was worried and even angry. The letter he wrote to the king (September 1665) sounds alarming. “If Your Majesty wishes to discover traces of glory at Versailles, where more than five hundred thousand crowns have been spent in two years, you will undoubtedly be disappointed if you do not find it.”

Colbert still believed in the future of the Louvre and the Tuileries. At this time, Lorenzo Bernini, sculptor, artist, architect, author of the colonnade at the Cathedral of St., had already arrived in Paris. Peter, monuments to Popes Urban VIII and Alexander VII. He had to make the Louvre the most beautiful palace in the world.

But more and more money is spent on Versailles every year. If in 1668 339,000 livres from the budget of the Ministry of Construction were spent on construction, in 1669 spending reached 676,000 livres, and in 1671 - up to 2,621,000 livres. Beginning in 1670, new furniture appeared in the palace, decorated with silver overlays, and His Majesty's bedroom was covered with gold brocade.

To get an idea of ​​what the livre was then (divided into 20 soles and 240 deniers) at the end of the 17th century, we will give several examples. In the cities, an unskilled worker could earn from 6 to 10 soles per day when there was work; qualified (cabinet maker, mechanic, stonecutter) – 20 soles. Day laborers in rural areas, when they found work (150 days a year), received 5-6 soles per day. A parish curate who lived without hassle could receive from 300 to 400 livres a year, that is, 20 soles for a full day's work. It can also be assumed that the modest family lived on 25 livres a month. Thus, calculating the average annual income of such a family, we get: per year on the construction of Versailles (data from 1664), not counting expenses on interior decoration, as much money was spent as would be enough for the comfortable living of 3,000 families.

Versailles can be called, in the full sense of the word, a peacetime construction site. After all, construction work began to pick up and the largest financial investments took place just at the time when peace was being concluded. Let's compare some numbers. During the War of Devolution, Versailles cost the state 536,000 francs over two years. As soon as peace came, expenses immediately increased. In 1671, Versailles cost 676,000 francs. Over the five war years, from 1673 to 1677 inclusive, the amount spent on Versailles construction projects amounted to 4,066,000 livres. As soon as the Nimvegen Peace Treaty was concluded, the monarch no longer saw any reason to save. In 1679, Versailles spending rose to 4,886,000 francs, and in 1680 reached 5,641,000 francs. With the beginning of the Ten Years' War, major construction projects stopped. In the documents of the Construction Ministry you can see a report on the amounts spent on Versailles (excluding water supply): in 1685 - 6,104,000, in 1686 - 2,520,000, in 1687 - 2,935,000. Preparations for war are in full swing, and therefore costs are sharply reduced in 1688: 1976,000 livres. And then, for nine whole years, from 1689 to 1697 inclusive, Versailles cost France only 2,145,000 livres. Between 1661 and 1715, Versailles, including the castle and office premises, cost 68,000,000 francs.

We must not forget that Versailles is not the only palace built at this time. Numerous other construction projects were also taking place in Paris. Until 1670, contributions for the construction of Parisian palaces were twice as large as those provided to Versailles. Since 1670 the situation has changed.

And in 1684, the Ministry of Finance allocated 34,000 francs for just one housing for workers. The statistics are certainly impressive!

But if you think about it again, these expenses do not seem so astronomical in comparison with the costs of wars and with the degree of political and artistic flowering the court reached during the time of the great king and beyond, throughout the entire age of Enlightenment. One cannot say it better than Pierre Verlet: “Everyone will agree that Louis XIV, by giving us Versailles, enriched France... The expenses of the great king gave the world a castle that one cannot help but admire.”



The story begins in 1623 with a very modest hunting castle, reminiscent of a feudal one, built at the request of Louis XIII of brick, stone and slate roofing on land purchased from Jean de Soisy, whose family had owned the lands since the 14th century. The hunting castle was located in the place where the marble courtyard is now. Its dimensions were 24 by 6 meters. In 1632, the territory was expanded through the purchase of the Versailles estate from the Archbishop of Paris from the Gondi family, and a two-year reconstruction was undertaken.

Louis XIV - Creation of a magnificent palace and park ensemble

From 1661, Louis XIV began to expand it in order to use it as his permanent residence, since after the Fronde uprising, living in the Louvre began to seem unsafe to him. Architects Andre Le Nôtre and Charles Lebrun renovated and expanded the palace in Baroque and Classicism styles. The entire facade of the palace from the garden side is occupied by a large Mirror Gallery, which with its paintings, mirrors and columns makes a stunning impression. In addition to it, the Battle Gallery, the palace chapel and the palace theater also deserve mention.

Louis XV and Louis XVI - the unprecedented prosperity and decline of the Palace of Versailles

A city gradually arose around the palace, in which artisans who supplied the royal court settled. IN Palace of Versailles Louis XV and Louis XVI also lived. During this time the population Versailles and the surrounding city reached 100 thousand people, however, it quickly decreased after the king was forced to move to Paris.

On May 5, 1789, representatives of the nobility, clergy and bourgeoisie gathered at the Palace of Versailles. After the king, who by law was given the right to convene and dissolve such events, closed the meeting for political reasons, the deputies from the bourgeoisie declared themselves the National Assembly and retired to the Ball House.

After 1789, it was possible to maintain the Palace of Versailles only with difficulty. Since the time of Louis Philippe, many halls and rooms began to be restored, and the palace itself became an outstanding national historical museum, which exhibited busts, portraits, battle paintings and other works of art mainly of historical value.

The Palace of Versailles and the Franco-Prussian War

The Palace of Versailles was of great importance in German-French history. After the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War, it was the residence of the main headquarters of the German army from October 5, 1870 to March 13, 1871. On January 18, 1871, the German Empire was proclaimed in the Mirror Gallery, and Wilhelm I was its Kaiser.

This place was deliberately chosen to humiliate the French. A peace treaty with France was signed on February 26, also at Versailles. In March, the evacuated French government moved the capital from Bordeaux to Versailles, and only in 1879 again to Paris.

World War I

At the end of the First World War, a preliminary truce was concluded at the Palace of Versailles, as well as the Treaty of Versailles, which the defeated German Empire was forced to sign. This time, the historical site was chosen by the French to humiliate the Germans.

The harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles (including huge indemnity payments and admission of sole guilt) were a great burden on the young Weimar Republic. Because of this, it is widely believed that the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles were the basis for the future rise of Nazism in Germany.

The Second World War

After World War II, the Palace of Versailles became the site of German-French reconciliation. This is evidenced by the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Elysee Treaty, which took place in 2003.

Architectural influence of the Palace of Versailles

Many palaces in Europe were built under the undoubted influence of Versailles. These include the castles of Sanssouci in Potsdam, Schönbrunn in Vienna, the Great Palaces in Peterhof and Gatchina, as well as other palaces in Germany, Austria and Italy.

Modernity

Since 2003, it has become the object of one of the projects under the patronage of Jacques Chirac - a large-scale restoration plan for the palace, comparable only to Mitterrand’s project to renovate the Louvre.

The project, with a total budget of 400 million euros, is designed over a period of 20 years, during which the façade and interior of the Opera will be renovated, the original layout of the gardens will be restored, and the three-metre gilded King's Grille will be returned to the inner Marble Court.

In addition, after the restoration, tourists will be able to visit for free those parts of the castle that today can only be accessed with an organized tour.

However, over the next few years, work will be limited to only the most urgent tasks: so that the roof does not leak, so that there is no short circuit in the electrical wiring, and so that interruptions in the central heating system do not allow the palace to fly into the air, because at one time even revolutionaries.

And in general, looking at the palaces of France, we cannot help but look into the most probably famous palace and park complex in France. Let it be known to everyone, you have heard a lot about it, but let’s take a virtual look there for a couple of minutes.

Versailles- this name is associated throughout the world with the idea of ​​​​the most significant and magnificent palace, erected by the will of one monarch. The Versailles palace and park ensemble, a recognized masterpiece of world heritage, is quite young - it is only three and a half centuries old. 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 complex, complete architectural complex, which included a monumental palace building and a number of park structures of “small forms”, and, most importantly, a park that was exceptional in its compositional integrity.

The Versailles ensemble is a highly characteristic and striking work of French classicism of the 17th century. The palace and park ensemble of Versailles is the greatest architectural monument of the 17th century, which had a strong influence on the urban planning thought of the 18th century. Versailles in general became a kind of “ideal city”, which the authors of the Renaissance dreamed and wrote about and which, through the will of Louis XIV, the “Sun King”, and the art of his architects and gardeners, turned out to be realized in reality, and in close proximity to Paris. But let's talk about everything in more detail...

Mention of Versailles first appeared in a charter of 1038 issued by the Abbey of St. Peter. It spoke of a certain lord Hugo of Versailles, the owner of a small castle and the surrounding areas. The emergence of the first settlement - a small village around the castle - is usually dated to the mid-11th century. Another village soon grew up around the Church of St. Julian.

The 13th century (especially the years of the reign of Saint Louis) for Versailles, as well as for the whole of Northern France, became a century of prosperity. However, the subsequent 14th century brought with it a terrible plague epidemic and the Hundred Years' War between England and France. All these misfortunes brought Versailles into a very deplorable state: by the end of the 14th century, its population numbered just over 100 people. It began to recover only in the next 15th century.

Versailles as an architectural and park ensemble did not arise immediately; it was not created by one architect, like many palaces of the 17th-18th centuries that imitated him. At the end of the 16th century, Versailles was a small village in the forest, where he sometimes hunted Henry IV. Ancient chronicles report that at the beginning of the 17th century, Versailles was a village with a population of about 500 people; a mill then stood on the site of the future palace, and fields and endless swamps stretched all around. In 1624 it was built on behalf of Louis XIII, by the architect Philibert Le Roy, a small hunting castle near a village called Versailles.

Near it there was a medieval dilapidated castle - the property of the house of Gondi. Saint-Simon in his memoirs calls this ancient Versailles castle a “house of cards.” But soon this castle was rebuilt by the architect Lemercier by order of the king. At the same time, Louis XIII acquired the Gondi site along with the dilapidated archbishop's palace and demolished it to expand his park. The small castle was located 17 kilometers from Paris. It was a U-shaped structure 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 Mramorny, has survived to this day. The first gardens of the Versailles Park were laid out by Jacques Boisseau and Jacques de Menoir.

In the mid-16th century, the only lord of Versailles was Martial de Lomeny, Minister of Finance under King Charles IX. Charles granted him the right to hold four annual fairs in Versailles and open a weekly market (on Thursdays). The population of Versailles, which was still a small village, at this time was about 500 people. However, the French religious wars between Catholics and Protestants led to a quick change of the seigneurial dynasty. Martial was arrested for his sympathies towards the Huguenots (French Protestants) and thrown into prison. Here he was visited by the Duke de Retz, Albert de Gondi, who had long been nurturing plans to seize the Versailles territories. Through threats, he forced de Lomeny to sign a document according to which the latter ceded Versailles to him at a negligible price.

At the beginning of the 17th century, King Louis XIII began to frequently visit Versailles, who took great pleasure in hunting in the local forests. In 1623, he ordered the construction of a small castle where hunters could stop for a rest. This building became the first royal palace in Versailles. On April 8, 1632, Louis XIII completely bought the seigneury from the last Versailles owner, Jean-François de Gondi, for 66,000 livres. In the same year, the king appointed his valet Arnaud as governor of Versailles. In 1634, the architect Philibert le Roy was commissioned to rebuild the old Versailles castle into a royal palace. However, despite the changes that took place, by the end of the reign of Louis XIII, Versailles did not change its appearance much. It, as before, was a small village.

Everything changed with the accession to the throne of the king - the sun, Louis XIV. It was during the reign of this monarch (1643-1715) that Versailles became a city and a favorite royal residence.

In 1662, Versailles began to be built according to Le Nôtre's plan. Andre Le Nôtre(1613-1700) by this time had already become famous as a builder of country estates with regular parks (in Vaux-le-Vicomte, Saux, Saint-Cloud, etc.). It is interesting that in 1655-1661 N. Fouquet, the largest financier of absolutist France, according to the project of the architect Louis le Vaux rebuilt his country castle. The main thing in the palace and park ensemble of Vaux-le-Vicomte was not even the palace itself (at that time quite modest), but the general principle of creating a country residence. The whole of it was turned into a giant park, skillfully designed by the architect-gardener Andre Le Nôtre. The Vaux-le-Vicomte Palace demonstrated the new lifestyle of the French aristocrat - in nature, outside the walls of a cramped, crowded city. I liked the palace and park so much Louis XIV that he could not come to terms with the idea that they were not his property. The French king immediately imprisoned Fouquet and entrusted the architects Louis le Vau and Andre Le Nôtre with the construction of his palace at Versailles. The architecture of the Fouquet estate was adopted as a model for Versailles. Having preserved the Fouquet Palace, the king removed from it everything that could be removed and taken away, right down to the orange trees and marble statues of the park.

Le Nôtre began by building a city that would house the courtiers of Louis XIV and a large 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: to Seau, Saint-Cloud, and Paris. Despite the direct analogy with the Roman triradius, the Versailles composition differed significantly from its Italian prototype. In Rome, the streets diverged from Piazza del Popolo, but in Versailles they quickly converged on 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. To settle the city as quickly as possible Louis XIV distributed building plots to everyone (of course, nobles) for a reasonable price with the only condition that buildings be built in the same style and not higher than 18.5 meters, that is, the level of the entrance to the palace.

In 1673, a decision was made to demolish the old Versailles buildings, including the church. The new Cathedral of St. Julian was erected in its place in 1681-1682. On May 6, 1682, Louis XIV, along with his entire court, moved from Paris to Versailles. This became a turning point in the history of the city. By the first quarter of the 18th century (i.e. by the end of Louis's reign), Versailles had become a luxurious royal residence, and its population was 30,000 inhabitants.

As a result of the second construction cycle, Versailles developed 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 the cardinal Mazarin, Versailles, created by Levo, began to seem insufficiently majestic to express the idea of ​​​​an absolute monarchy. Therefore, he was invited to rebuild Versailles Jules Hardouin Mansart, the largest architect of the end of the century, whose name is associated with the third construction period in the history of the creation of this complex, the great-nephew of the famous Francois Mansart. Mansar further enlarged the palace by erecting two wings, each five hundred meters long, at right angles to the southern and northern facades of the palace. In the northern wing he placed a church (1699-1710), the vestibule of which was finished by Robert de Cotte. In addition, Mansart built two more floors above the Levo terrace, creating a Mirror Gallery along the western facade, closing with the halls of War and Peace (1680-1886).

Adam Frans van der Meulen - Construction of the Château de Versailles

On the axis of the palace towards the entrance on the second floor, Mansart placed the royal bedroom with a view of the city and an equestrian statue of the king, which was later placed at the vanishing point of the trident of the roads of Versailles. The king's chambers were located in the northern part of the palace, and the queen's in the southern part. Mansart also built two buildings of Ministers (1671-1681), which formed the third, the so-called “court of the Ministers,” and connected these buildings with a rich gilded lattice. All this completely changed the appearance of the building, although Mansar left the same height of the building. Gone are the contrasts, the freedom of imagination, nothing remains but the extended horizontal of the three-story structure, united in the structure of its facades with the ground, front and attic floors. The impression of grandeur that this brilliant architecture produces is achieved by the large scale of the whole and the simple and calm rhythm of the entire composition.

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Mansart knew how 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 used a single architectural motif - a uniform alternation of walls and openings. This classicist base 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.

Each of the inhabitants of the Palace of Versailles left their mark on its architecture and decoration. Louis XV, the great-grandson of Louis XIV, who inherited 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 separate apartments to be equipped 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 intrigue passed to him from the Italian ancestors of the Medici family and the Savoy dynasty. It was in the Inner Cabinets, far from the curious court, that he who was called "Everyone's Favorite" made some of the most important decisions of the state. At the same time, the king did not neglect either the etiquette established by his predecessor, or the life of the family, of which the queen and his especially beloved daughters reminded him.

After the death of the Sun King, Philip of Orleans, who became regent under the young Louis XV, decided to move the French court back to Paris. This was a notable blow to Versailles, which immediately lost about half of its inhabitants. However, everything returned to its previous state when, in 1722, the matured Louis XV moved to Versailles again. Under his successor Louis XVI, the city had to go through many dramatic moments. By a whim of fate, this luxurious royal residence was to become the cradle of the Great French Revolution. It was here that the Estates General met in 1789, and here, on June 20, 1789, deputies from the Third Estate took a solemn oath not to disperse until their demands for political changes in France were accepted. Here, at the beginning of October 1789, a crowd of heated revolutionaries arrived from Paris, which, having captured the palace, forced the royal family to return to the capital. After this, Versailles again began to rapidly lose population: its population decreased from 50,000 people (in 1789) to 28,000 people (in 1824). During the revolutionary events, almost all the furniture and valuables were removed from the Palace of Versailles, but the building itself was not destroyed. During the reign of the Directory, restoration work was carried out in the palace, after which a museum was located here.

Louis XVI, the heir of Louis XV, whose reign was tragically interrupted by the revolution, inherited enviable heroic strength from his maternal grandfather, the Polish king Augustus of Saxony; on the other hand, his Bourbon ancestors passed on to him not only a true passion for hunting, but also a deep interest in science. His wife Marie Antoinette, daughter of the Duke of Lorraine, who later became Emperor of Austria, left a deep mark on the musical life of Versailles thanks to her love of music, inherited from both the Habsburgs of Austria and Louis XIII. Unlike his ancestors, Louis XVI did not have the ambitions of a creator king. Known for his simple tastes, 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 stolen. 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. The margin of one vote was saved by Versailles. The last of the dynasty, King Louis Philippe ruled France from 1830 to 1848. In 1830, after the July Revolution, which brought him to the throne, the House of Representatives passed a law by which Versailles and Trianon passed into the possession 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.

The creators of the palace were not only Louis Le Vaux and Mansart. A significant group of architects worked under their leadership. Lemuet, Dorbay, Pierre Guitard, Bruant, Pierre Cottar and Blondel worked with Le Vaux. Mansart's main assistant was his student 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 drawings by Beren, Vigarani, as well as Lebrun and Mignard. Due to the participation of many masters, the architecture of Versailles is now heterogeneous, 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).

During the Napoleonic wars, Versailles was captured twice by Prussian troops (in 1814 and 1815). The Prussian invasion occurred again during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. The occupation lasted 174 days. In the Palace of Versailles, chosen by the Prussian King Wilhelm I as a temporary residence, on January 18, 1871, the creation of the German Empire was announced.

In the 20th century, Versailles also witnessed major international events more than once. It was here that a peace treaty was signed in 1919, ending the First World War and marking the beginning of the Versailles system of international relations.

Main palace complex(Chateau de Versailles) was built in the 17th century by King Louis XIV, who wanted to move here from unsafe Paris. The luxurious rooms are richly decorated with marble, velvet and wood carvings. The main attractions here are the Royal Chapel, the Salon of Venus, the Salon of Apollo and the Hall of Mirrors. The decoration of the state rooms was dedicated to the Greek gods. The Salon of Apollo was originally Louis's throne room. The Hall of Mirrors contains 17 huge mirrors reflecting the tall arched windows and crystal candelabra.

Grand Trianon- a beautiful palace made of pink marble was built by Louis XIV for his beloved Madame de Maintenon. Here the monarch loved to spend his free time. The palace was later home to Napoleon and his second wife.

Petit Trianon- another love nest built by King Louis XV for Madame de Pompadour. Later, the Petit Trianon was occupied by Marie Antoinette, and even later by Napoleon's sister. The nearby Temple of Love is said to have been Marie Antoinette's favorite place for parties.

Colonnade- a circle of marble columns and arches, located within the gardens, continues the theme of the gods of Olympus. The place was the king's favorite outdoor dining area.

During the Second World War, Versailles was occupied by German troops. In addition, the city had to endure several brutal bombings, which killed 300 Versailles residents. The liberation of Versailles took place on August 24, 1944, and was carried out by French troops under the command of General Leclerc.

On February 25, 1965, a government decree was issued, according to which Versailles was to be turned into the prefecture of the new department of Yvelines, the official creation of which took place on January 1, 1968.

Today the city retains this status. Being one of the most attractive tourist destinations, Versailles is rightfully proud of its history and architectural monuments. In 1979, the palace and park of Versailles were officially included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Pierre-Denis Martin - View of Versailles

Gardens of Versailles with their sculptures, fountains, pools, cascades and grottoes soon became for the Parisian nobility the arena of brilliant court festivities and Baroque entertainment, during which they could enjoy the operas of Lully and the plays of Racine and Moliere.

Parks of Versailles spread over an area of ​​101 hectares. There are many observation platforms, alleys and promenades, there is even its own Grand Canal, or rather, a whole system of canals, which was called “little Venice”. The Palace of Versailles itself is also striking in its size: the length of its park façade is 640 meters, and the Gallery of Mirrors located in the center is 73 meters long.

Versailles is open to visitors

in May - September from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:30.
the fountains are open on Saturdays from July 1 to September 30 and on Sundays from early April to early October.

How to get there - Versailles

Trains (electric trains) go to Versailles from the Gare Montparnasse station, Montparnasse Bienvenue metro station (metro line 12). The entrance to the station is directly from the metro. Continue to the stop Versailles Chantiers. Travel time is 20 minutes. The cost of a round-trip ticket is 5.00 euros.

Exit the station in the direction "Sortie" (exit), then go straight. The road will take you to the palace in 10 - 15 minutes.

Royal Palace of Versailles is the main pearl of France, which is located just 20 km from Paris in a small town. Exactly big Versailles castle served as a model for many European castles. The architectural and landscape masterpiece includes luxurious palace buildings and exquisite gardens with artificial and natural lakes. Versailles became a symbol of the power and authority of the French monarch Louis XIV.

Reasons for the construction of the royal palace at Versailles:

1. Due to the revolutionary movement, living in the royal family was dangerous.
2. Ambition. In the 17th century, France actively developed, becoming a new superpower. A powerful state needed a worthy political center, which was Versailles. . Paris at that time was a provincial city.
3. The envy of the young king, which arose after Louis XIV saw the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte Nicolas Fouquet. By the way, the owner of the castle was soon executed.

The palace at Versailles could simultaneously accommodate 10,000 people - including 5,000 courtiers and 5,000 servants. The domestic policy of Louis XIV was to vigilantly control the aristocracy. Those courtiers who left the Palace of Versailles were forever deprived of royal favor and, as a result, property and ranks.

The best French masters were involved in the construction of the architectural and landscape complex: Louis Leveau, Andre Le Nôtre, Charles Lebrun. In total, 25 million livres or 259.56 billion modern euros were spent from the state treasury. This is despite the fact that the construction of the great palace in France was carried out under conditions of extreme austerity, due to which some windows did not open and fireplaces did not work. In winter, living in the Palace of Versailles was uncomfortable.

Mirror Gallery, Palace of Versailles, France.

The Hall of Mirrors is rightly considered the most grandiose and impressive attraction of the Palace of Versailles. The brilliant masters of the Renaissance embodied the ideas of absolutism in it. The hall amazes and delights with its wealth and luxury. Every detail of the interior is lavishly decorated with gold. Huge mirrors, sculptures and numerous crystal chandeliers are harmoniously combined in a single ensemble.

Interestingly, it was in the Mirror Gallery that the famous Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919.

Royal Chapel, Versailles, France.

The Royal Chapel is located on the right side of the palace complex at Versailles. The gilded royal altar contrasts with snow-white columns decorated with stucco. Exquisite bronze figures of Greek gods immediately catch your eye. The chapel consists of 2 floors. Only monarchs had the right to climb to the top tier.

An interesting fact: every second court lady dreamed of becoming the favorite of the loving Louis XIV. That is why representatives of the fair sex never missed a service.

Hall of Apollo, Palace of Versailles, France.

The throne room was intended for holding ceremonial receptions of foreign delegations. In the evening, celebrations were sometimes held here.

Salon of War, Palace of Versailles, France.

The War Salon is dedicated to the military triumph of France. The walls of the hall are decorated with paintings glorifying the legendary victories of the French.

Diana's Salon, Palace of Versailles, France.

The interior of this salon is decorated with golden arches and painted walls, antique sculptures and busts. Once upon a time there was a large billiard table in this hall, where monarchs and courtiers entertained.

Queen's bedroom, Palace of Versailles, France.

The queen's bedroom is decorated with woven portraits, picturesque panels, stucco moldings, and crystal chandeliers. Every detail of the decor is covered with the purest gold.

Interesting: in the 17th century, queens gave birth in public.

King's Bedroom, Palace of Versailles, France.

The extravagant king of France loved pomp and luxury most of all. This is exactly what his bedchamber is, located in the very heart of the Palace of Versailles. The royal box is decorated with a scarlet silk canopy.

The narcissistic monarch Louis XIV loved the theater. And so he turned his whole life into a pompous performance, which was given with dignity on a magnificent stage - at the royal palace at Versailles!