Versailles, << vehr SY, >> Palace of, is a magnificent palace in northern France. It was built by King Louis XIV during the 1600’s and was the royal residence for more than 100 years. It is now a national museum. The palace stands in the western part of the city of Versailles, about 11 miles (18 kilometers) southwest of Paris. The palace and the beautiful grounds around it make up one of the most visited sites in France.
The palace is more than 1/4 mile (0.4 kilometer) long. It has about 1,300 rooms. Many of the rooms have been restored and refurnished to look as they did when royalty lived in them. The palace also has paintings and sculptures by famous European artists.
Versailles was originally the site of a hunting lodge built in 1624 by Louis XIII. After he died, his son Louis XIV ordered that a palace be constructed on the same site. Work began in 1661 under the direction of Louis Le Vau, a French architect. The palace took more than 40 years to complete. Through the years, later kings added more rooms to the building.
The interior of the palace is richly decorated. The most famous rooms include the living quarters of the king and queen, the Room of Hercules, and the Hall of Mirrors. The Hall of Mirrors, designed by Charles Le Brun and Jules Hardouin-Mansart, was begun in 1678. It is a long hallway lined with mirrors that runs along the front of the palace. The ceiling is decorated with paintings glorifying the achievements of Louis XIV. The palace also contains a magnificent royal chapel and a private theater.
The palace gardens were first laid out by landscape designer André Le Nôtre in the 1660’s. They were enlarged several times. They now cover nearly 250 acres (101 hectares). Plantings, fountains, and statues are arranged in geometric patterns. The park also includes two small palaces called the Grand Trianon, designed by Hardouin-Mansart in 1687, and the Petit Trianon. Nearby are stables; an orangery (greenhouse for growing orange trees); and the hameau, a miniature farm designed for Queen Marie Antoinette.
The French Revolution of 1789-1799 led to the overthrow of the French king. Mobs invaded the palace during the revolution and removed or destroyed most of the furniture and art. Little was done to maintain the building until the early 1900’s. Rebuilding work began at that time. This project is still going on.
