Its central location and size predestined the Hall of Mirrors as a place for court festivities such as the wedding of the Duke of Burgundy with Marie Adélaïde of Savoy, the wedding of Louis Ferdinand and Maria Theresa of Spain in 1645 and the wedding of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in 1770. 5. You couldn’t even walk, it was like being in a mosh pit. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Two treaties of the 1783 Peace of Paris treaty, by which Britain recognised the independence of the US, were signed at Versailles. As you move between each room, you must jostle your way through doors and to the rope barriers to look at the furniture, decorations, and artwork. From the start, everything was over the top at Versailles. The problem was that, in those days, Venice had a virtual monopoly on the manufacture of mirrors. Versailles’ gardens had 400 sculptures, … But it was in 1664 that the shape of the palace began to take emerge when it was expanded to accommodate 600 guests who were invited to a great party on the site. Most tour groups have arrangements that let them skip the line – and that makes it worthwhile in itself! The niches contain depictions of Bacchus, Urania, Modesty, Venus in Modesty and antiques from the collections of King Louis XIV. We went early May one year, and it wasn’t too bad…. The French nation regarded this ceremony as deeply humiliating. The royal stables were often the target of corruption, Spawforth writes. As long as you get the elbows out and get to the front, you can still get some nice shots . This was a bit of an exception, though, and I don’t really regret it. The Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, on the occasion of the marriage of the Dauphin, in 1745. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. “A Parisian bourgeois says in all seriousness to an Englishman, “What is your king? At this time, the Hall of Mirrors and the grand appartements were still decorated with the original silver furniture. Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. “Her budget overruns on an annual clothing allowance of about $3.6 million in current spending were, in some years, more than double,” writes by Laurence Benaim in Fashion and Versailles. Versailles ceased to be a permanent palace for the French monarchy, which was done away with altogether in 1792. Marie-Antoinette attempted to create a version of French country village life within Versailles. The terrace was considered to be a rather misplaced architectural element and exposed to the elements, reducing its utility. [1], The ceiling depicts the War with Holland (1672-1678). Completed in 1684, this famous corridor is outfitted with 357 mirrors crafted by master glassmakers brought in from Venice. Mansart and Le Brun designed and built the Hall between 1678 and 1684. He lives at Versailles.’”, Versailles was seen as a glorious symbol of the absolute monarch, of France’s divinely ordained royal family, and of the state itself. Almost four hundred years ago, it was the Venetians who spilled blood to keep their secrets. Today's furniture was manufactured during the 19th century after most of the original furnishings were lost during the French Revolution. The Treaty of Versailles, which formally ended the First World War, was signed in the Hall of Mirrors. Maybe it was the time of day or the weather. In 1689 these chamber pots were melted down to finance Louis XIV’s war against Britain and other European nations. 10. It is 73 m (240 ft) long and 10.50 m (34.4 ft) deep. The grandiose performances and events were meant to impress the King’s court, and indeed, all of Europe. Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. The King Louis XIV is the creator of this unique palace. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. There really is something to going to some of these type of tourist sites in the off season! [17][18], On 18 January 1871 during the siege of Paris at the conclusion of the Franco-Prussian War, the Prussian king, William I, was, led by Otto von Bismarck, declared German emperor — thus establishing the German Empire — in the Hall of Mirrors by the assembled German princes and lords. Depiction of the Siamese embassy in Versailles, in a 1687 French almanac. Kosa Pan presents King Narai's letter to Louis XIV at Versailles, 1 September 1686, Embassy of Mehemet Raza-Bey, ambassador of the Shah of Persia, 19 February 1715 ca. The grandiose ensemble of the Hall and its adjoining salons was intended to illustrate the power of the absolutist monarch Louis XIV. There are some interesting comparisons between Versailles and the Vatican – good call. In the 1780s, as the economy went into a tailspin, Versailles became the symbol of the crown’s lack of concern about its subjects. Eventually it was decided to demolish it and architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart was tasked with the design development and the construction of the Mirror Hall Gallery and artist Charles Le Brun received the honor to create the interior decorative apparatus. It appears like a city within a city, an enormous compound radiating with splendour. We went in late August and there weren’t that many people there. Yeah, the crowds do make the experience a bit unpleasant unfortunately. The treaty was signed in the Hall of Mirrors. The Hall of Mirrors in the palace of Versailles, France (French: Grande Galerie or Galerie des Glaces) was constructed on what was once a terrace designed by Le Vau. We were there in winter time and even though there was a special light show and festival at Marie Antoinette’s Estate, it wasn’t too crowded. 7. This was the manner in which nobles were able to obtain a much sought-after invitation to one of the king's house parties at Marly-le-Roi, a villa Louis XIV had built north of Versailles on the route to Saint-Germain-en-Laye. This move was designed to neutralize the power of the nobles. The painting The King Governs Himself highlights the claim to absolute power. , Wow. I have noticed you don’t monetize timetravelturtle.com, don’t waste your traffic, you can earn extra bucks every month with new monetization method. In 1745 the Hall was the scene of "The Yew Tree Ball". The Hall and the two Salons were identically furnished and decorated and form a stylistic and functional unit. In response, the Venetian government ordered the assassination of the treacherous artisans to keep the techniques of how to make mirrors a secret from the French. King Louis XIV (the “Sun King” of France) transformed this rural stretch of Île-de-France into a grand palace in 1682, when he relocated the French government. In the early morning of October 6, 1789, hundreds of starving, defiant women and men (some disguised as women) from Paris stormed the palace of Versailles, the legendarily extravagant seat of government in France. The 1770 chandeliers and candelabra were reconstructed in 1980 after the originals and documents in the archives.[2]. In 1623 King Louis XIII ordered the construction of a modest two-story hunting lodge at Versailles, which he soon enlarged to a château from 1631 to 1634. >> More info here about the Palace of Versailles <<. But it sprawls across 2,014 acres, giving it this particular distinction. A contemporary anecdote: the mirror surface furnishings of such large areas as the seventeen arches has been the idea of architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who wanted to prevent Le Brun from having even more opportunities to impress Louis with his work. My visit to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg this summer was very similar to your visit to the Palace of Versailles… just so many people. In the 19th century, the Prussian king, William I, was declared German emperor on 18 January 1871 in the Hall of Mirrors by Bismarck and the victorious German princes and lords. Le roi gouverne par lui-même, the modello for the central panel of the ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors ca. And that’s a good point about it being close to Paris – it’s so easy to get there by public transport! The palace itself is still a massive 721,206-feet of space. Charles Le Brun, "the greatest French artist of all time" according to king Louis XIV, was, unsurprisingly, the artist of choice for the ceiling paintings. On the other hand, the mirrors also conveyed the king's wealth and the efficiency of the French economy in a subtle way. The Hall of Mirrors still serves for state occasions such as receptions for visiting heads of state. On the summer afternoon I visit, the line to enter winds around itself for hundreds of metres in the outer courtyard and takes about two hours. Content of this web page is sourced from wikipedia ( http://simple.wikipedia.org). The Mirror Gallery connects to the two Salons, which were assigned to and incorporated into the king's apartments in the north and the queen's apartments in the south. Gambling was also a favorite pastime during the reign of all three kings to rule over Versailles. The end of World War I was officially ended in 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Related: Secrets of the Great Pyramids of Giza. A travel blog with stories beyond the brochure, January 13, 2019 | Michael Turtle | 28 Comments. Although the waiting line was not so long, there were so many people in the palace. The Palace of Versailles has come to represent the tumultuous nature of modern French history as much as it has the incredible design and architecture that makes it one of the most stunning buildings in the world. Located on the ground floor of the palace's central body, it faces west towards the Palace Gardensfor a complete perspective. The installation of any kind of fireplaces was never contemplated as the Hall of Mirrors was too large to effectively be heated. The Hall of Mirrors (French: Grande Galerie, Galerie des Glaces, Galerie de Louis XIV) is a grand Baroque style gallery and one of the most emblematic rooms in the royal Palace of Versailles near Paris, France. On the opposite inside wall of the Hall are 17 equally large mirrors, that are composed of more than 350 individual mirror surfaces. Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! There’s the crowds, the room after room of opulence, and even a bit of protective murder!! That’s so interesting. The Palace of Versailles was built by Louis XIII in 1623, Louis XVI, or the 'Sun King': Europe’s longest reigning monarch, The Hall of Mirrors contains a total of 357 mirrors, Versailles’ gardens had 400 sculptures and 1,400 fountains, Versailles' Alexander Vlahos BLASTS 'disrespectul' focus on sex scenes. It was during this costume ball that Louis XV, who was dressed as a yew tree, met Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson d'Étiolles, who was costumed as Diana, goddess of the hunt. That’s the thing! 1715 attributed to Antoine Coypel, Turkish Embassy to Louis XV, 1742 by Charles-Nicolas Cochin, (1715–1790), The Ball of the Yew Trees given in February 1745 by Charles-Nicolas Cochin, (1715–1790), Proclamation of the Second German Empire in 1871 by Anton von Werner, The eastern facade of the palace before the construction of the Hall of Mirrors, 1675. Entrusting Europe’s master architects, designers and craftsmen with what he termed his “glory,” he spent a huge amount of taxpayer money on Versailles and its more than 2,000 rooms, elaborate gardens, fountains, private zoo, roman style baths (for frolicking with his mistress) and novel elevators.