He also demanded that nobles and minor royals be in attendance at Versailles and live in whatever small apartments they were given. This move was designed to neutralize the power of the nobles. This it did, but it also created a hotbed of boredom and extravagance, with hundreds of aristocrats crammed together, many with nothing to do but gossip, spend money and play. May Ball at Versailles during the Carnival of From the start, everything was over the top at Versailles.
The elaborate dress required for the court nearly broke many noble families, while they were also expected to buy large quantities of French goods to support various industries. Amusements—be they concerts, multi-course banquets, balls or parades—packed the calendar.
Plays and pageants were favorites of the royal household, and an enormous amount of money was spent on everything from the costumes to the set. Gambling was also a favorite pastime during the reign of all three kings to rule over Versailles.
While most of France lived in poverty, fortunes were made and lost at Versailles on a nightly basis. Bribery was common, as were graft and embezzlement. The royal stables were often the target of corruption, Spawforth writes. She took over a building called the "Petit Trianon" and built a number of structures, including a working farm also called the "hamlet" , which provided the palace with fresh produce, and a nearby house and small theater.
She also built a "Temple of Love," which modern-day curators say can be seen from her room in the Petit Trianon. It features a dome propped up by nearly a dozen columns covering a statue, which shows a depiction of "Cupid cutting his bow from the club of Hercules," Bajou writes.
Additionally, she built the charming "grotto," a cave that had a moss bed for Marie Antoinette to lie on. It had two entrances, prompting much speculation as to what went on in it. Though Marie Antoinette is known for her lavishness, in reality she did not always enjoy being queen.
Her estate reflects a desire for a simpler life and homesickness for her native Austria. In the Habsburg Empire, royalty was allotted a far greater sense of privacy and she had a remarkably "normal" upbringing," explained Schmidt. Once she had become Dauphine, her life was constantly in the spotlight. Etiquette demanded that she dine before a seemingly never-ending crowd of spectators and getting dressed was a court ceremony in itself. Marie Antoinette attempted to break some etiquette rules but was opposed by the court and the French people.
She built the Hamlet and took over the Petit Trianon so that she could escape the many watchful eyes and be herself. It was an attempt to "recreate some of her dearly missed childhood.
Two key events in the American Revolution happened at Versailles. Benjamin Franklin, acting on behalf of a newly independent United States, negotiated a treaty with Louis XVI, which led to America getting critical support from the French military. Spawforth notes that Louis XVI would have one of his inventions, a "Franklin chimney," installed that produced less smoke than an ordinary fireplace. Several decades later, when King Louis Philippe reign was turning Versailles into a museum, he would include a painting that depicts the siege of Yorktown, a decisive victory in the Revolutionary War in which the Americans and French cooperated against the British.
America would reciprocate in the s when oil millionaire John D. Rockefeller Jr. The palace fell under the control of the new republican government.
Many of its furnishings were sold to help pay for the subsequent Revolutionary Wars. When Napoleon came to power, he had an apartment created for himself in the Grand Trianon, complete with a map room. King Louis Philippe, in the museum he created, showcased different aspects of French history.
The Battles Gallery can still be seen today with its modern-day keepers noting that the gallery's art depicts every main French battle between the Battle of Tolbiac in A. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, Versailles curators would convert many of the museum areas back into palace space, trying to show how they looked before the French Revolution. Two more pivotal events would occur at Versailles in this post-revolutionary period.
In , after France had lost a war against Prussia, Kaiser Wilhelm I was proclaimed Emperor of Germany in the Hall of Mirrors, adding an extra layer of humiliation to the French defeat. For several years after this defeat, the situation in France was so bad that its Chamber of Deputies and Senate opted to meet at Versailles, rather than Paris, for reasons of safety. In , France would have its revenge, of sorts, when the Treaty of Versailles, which imposed reparations on Germany, was signed in the same hall.
Even then, centuries after its modest start as a hunting lodge, events still took place at Versailles that ultimately helped shaped the world we live in today. Open from am to pm Attendance: average. Open from pm to pm Attendance: low. Open from am to pm. Life of the estate Restoration of the Royal Chapel More than forty years after its last major restoration, the Royal Chapel is requiring an urgent intervention on the roof timbers, the roof and decorative lead work, the statues and the window frames and stained glass.
Plan my visit guided tours During guided tours, a speaker from the Palace invites you into lesser known locations otherwise closed to the visitors. Shows All shows The musical season The Palace of Versailles presents many operas, concerts, gala evening and ballets in some of its exceptional sites as the Royal Opera and the Royal Chapel.
All the news Calendar. Choosing your ticket Tickets, guided tours, free admissions More information. Getting to Versailles Opening times, access, public transportation Visiting Versailles Advice and routes to better plan your visit More information. Make an online donation Take part in the history of the palace of Versailles by supporting a project that suits you: adopt a linden tree, contribute to the missions of the Palace or participate in the refurnishing of the royal apartments.
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