Individuals & Infamy
"I am the state!" — Louis XIV of France.
Louis XIV is responsible for the magnificence of Versailles, furnishing the grand palace throughout his reign from 1654 to 1715. Roughly ten thousand individuals lived and worked on the palace grounds as Louis implemented his administration center with an elaborate series of kitchens, servant quarters, salons, a royal chapel and embellished hallways.
As an adult, the Sun King, who saw himself as the living representation of his nation state, restored Versailles in order to establish his prominence and immense authority throughout Europe. Under a system of monarchical rule, nobles were forced to drain their pockets entertaining the king while residing at the court. This show of affluence created a disconnect for the royal house, which Louis XVI and his Austrian wife inherited, along with long-ignored issues which led to the brink of absolutism with the chaotic dismemberment of the monarchy during the French Revolution.
Despite forming as a democratic republic, France glows with the beauty of Versailles. The grand vicinity serves as a preservation of history and a tourist attraction that glorifies the nostalgic memory of an era long ago.
Some of the most noteworthy individuals involved in the design process of the grand palace are architect Louis Le Vau, landscape architect André Le Nôtre, and artist Charles Le Brun(1). André Le Nôtre designed the landscape of the capitol, surveying as head of the royal gardens and the appointed Controller-General of the estate. Meanwhile, Charles le Brun adorned the palace with crystal, marble, chandeliers, thick carpets, tapestries and his own paintings(2). Louis Le Vau designed the interior and exterior of Versailles under the watchful eye and interaction of Louis XIV. Despite all the treasures of the palace, the most expensive portion of Versailles is the silver embellishments on all furnishings as decreed by Louis XIV. Yet the League of Ugsburg in 1689 required for all the silver to be melted in order to pay for the war (3). Recovering from the crisis, Louis was able to complete his masterpiece swiftly through his use of the army as inexpensive labor.
Impressively known as the largest garden of Europe, Versailles' gardens spread over 247 acres. This is largely due to the work of Jules Hardoin-Mansart who was assigned to triple the size of the palace. Besides his work on the gardens, Mansart also constructed the North and South wings, The Grand Trianon, the Orangerie and the Royal Chapel. The Chapel is a unique feature for it is the location of fifteen-year old Marie Antoinette's marriage to Louis XVI. The Opera and Petit Trianon were built later between 1761-1764. The Hall of Mirrors, one of the most significant exhibits built during the reign of Louis XIV encases 357 mirrors. The Hall was used as a gathering area for receive the socialites of the 17-18th century, even orchestrating weddings and masked balls, as enjoyed by Marie Antoinette and the future-king, Louis XVI, concluding their marriage ceremony. Lastly, the royal opera was built in 1770 as a ballroom and continues to host concerts and operettas to this day.
Although the French Revolution caused the royal art collection to be moved to the Louvre Palace, Louis-Philippe decided to convert the palace into a museum in 1837(4). Inaugurated in 1837, the Louvre contains over 6,000 paintings, 3,000 sculptures and specific galleries dedicated to the glorious history of France. June 28, 1919 is another date of notice for the palace for the Treaty of Versailles was signed within the grand gallery of mirrors, an agreement which concluded World War I. Continuously, Versailles stands as a marvel of design and an accomplishment of the nation.
(1) "Versailles - The Story of a Palace."
(2) Mer. "The Interior French Furniture Of Versailles." The French Provincial Furniture. 2010.
(3) "The King’s Grand Apartment: The Mercury Salon." Chateau Versailles.
(4) "Versailles - The Story of a Palace."
(2) Mer. "The Interior French Furniture Of Versailles." The French Provincial Furniture. 2010.
(3) "The King’s Grand Apartment: The Mercury Salon." Chateau Versailles.
(4) "Versailles - The Story of a Palace."