The Château de Versailles and its Rooms
The Château de Versailles has a central axis, two wings and several courts. Despite its immensity, visitors remember several remarkable rooms -- generally royal apartments or staterooms conceived to impress visitors -- that are listed below.
The Royal Chapelle
After a ten-year break, the construction of the Royal Chapelle was undertaken in 1699 under the reign of Louis XIV and finished in 1710. Before the Royal Chapelle was built, religious ceremonies were conducted in a temporary chapel for 28 years. The Royal Chapelle’s exterior is elaborated by a large number of statues representing saints and its interior is richly decorated. For example, the main vault painted by Antoine Coybel, represents a sort of imaginary architecture with holes through which one can make out the sky where “Our God, Father in his Glory” is seen accompanied by angels.
La Galerie des Glaces (The Hall of Mirrors)
The Hall of Mirrors' objective is to completely stupefy visitors with its 357 immense mirrors that line the gallery in front of large windows to create a particularly luminous ambiance. A symbol of the grandeur of the kingdom of France, the Hall of Mirrors is also a place where historical events took place such as the signing of the Treaty of Versailles that put an end to the First World War on June 28, 1919.
The King’s Chamber
Tradition had it that the King sleep at the heart of his royal domain. Louis XIV rooms are therefore located at the center of the chateau which renders it easy to find his private chamber.
The daily preparations of Louis XIV were a real show. Highly idealized, even deified, the Sun King soaked up all the court’s attention. When the King got up in the morning, one could watch his daily rituals unfold before their very eyes. In fact, the King’s chamber was divided up into seven, visible ceremonial chambers to impress nobles and other esteemed visitors. The King’s chamber was transferred to the chateau’s southwest wing in 1701.
The Queen’s Chamber
It was often in the different rooms that constitute the Queen’s Chamber that Louis XIV and Marie Thérèse of Austria would convene. Occupied successively, the chamber’s decorations changed regularly to satisfy the tenant of the moment. It is made up of the bedchamber as well as various other chambers in which court ladies could converse.
Splendor Beyond the Chateau
The Château de Versailles domaine is not only known for its palace and parks but also for its numerous buildings such as the Grand Trianon, made of marble and constructed under the reign of Louis XIV that served as a secondary residence for the king. The Grand Trianon was also home to Marie Leszczynska, Queen of France and wife of Louis XV, as well as more recently home to former President Charles de Gaulle. Another remarkable edifice is the Petit Trianon that was first given to Madame de Pompadour as a gift by Louis XV and then later became Marie Antoinette’s Normandy-inspired residence.
If you want to discover the different rooms and there history, book your tickets online and visit the Versailles Palace with PARISCityVISION.
