The longest of these is the main south-facing gallery, at over 500 ft. (150 meters) from end to end and 47 ft. (13 meters) in height from floor to ceiling. Some of the palace furniture at this time was constructed of solid silver, but in 1689 much of it was melted down to pay for the cost of war. The painting on the ceiling, The Apotheosis of Hercules, by François Lemoyne, was completed in 1736, and gave the room its name.[56][57]. During Louis XIV's reign, water supply systems represented one-third of the building costs of Versailles. (Hedin 1992; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985), During this phase of construction, three of the garden's major bosquets were modified or created. In 1674, the Pompe was enlarged – hence referred to as the Grande Pompe. In the Gardens too, the Grand Trianon was built to provide Sun King with the retreat he wanted. 336–339; Maral 2010, pp. The king also commissioned the landscape designer André Le Nôtre to create the most magnificent gardens in Europe, embellished with fountains, statues, basins, canals, geometric flower beds and groves of trees. Light was provided by candelabra on large gilded guerdirons lining the hall. Inspired by the architecture of baroque Italian villas, but executed in the French classical style, the garden front and wings were encased in white cut ashlar stone known as the enveloppe in 1668-1671 by Le Vau and modified by Hardouin-Mansart in 1678–1679. Latona and her children, Apollo and Diana, being tormented with mud slung by Lycian peasants, who refused to let her and her children drink from their pond, appealed to Jupiter who responded by turning the Lycians into frogs. File; File history; File usage on Commons; Metadata; Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixels. He instructed Mansart to begin the construction of the Royal Chapel of Versailles, which towered over the rest of the palace. Annual Report of the Regional Committee on Tourism of the Ile-de-France Region, cited in. In 1750, the year in which les jardins botaniques were constructed, the Jardinier-Fleuriste, Claude Richard (1705–1784), assumed administration of the botanical gardens. All fleurs-de-lys and royal emblems on the buildings were chambered or chiseled off. Hadouin-Mansart added a second level and two large new wings on either side of the original Cour Royale (Royal Courtyard). The French Revolution of 1830 brought a new monarch, Louis-Philippe to power, and a new ambition for Versailles. With the relocation of the statues from the Grotte de Thétys in 1684, the bosquet was remodeled to accommodate the statues and the Fame fountain was removed. An estimate in 2000 placed the amount spent during the Ancien Régime as US$2 billion,[113] this figure being, in all probability, an under-evaluation. A crowd of several thousand men and women, protesting the high price and scarcity of bread, marched from the markets of Paris to Versailles. p. 333. Created in 1675 at the same time as the Bosquet de la Renommée, the fountain of this bosquet depicts Enceladus, a fallen Giant who was condemned to live below Mt. Other resolutions: 180 × 240 pixels | 360 × 480 pixels | 576 × 768 pixels | 768 × 1,024 pixels | 2,112 × 2,816 pixels. However, with an eye on economy, Louis XVI ordered the palissades – the labour-intensive clipped hedging that formed walls in the bosquets – to be replaced with rows of lime trees or chestnut trees. In 1722, Louis XV and the court returned to Versailles. On weekends from late spring to early autumn, the administration of the museum sponsors the Grandes Eaux – spectacles during which all the fountains in the gardens are in full play. [12] Designed by André Le Nôtre, sculpted by Gaspard and Balthazar Marsy, and constructed between 1668 and 1670, the fountain depicted an episode from Ovid's Metamorphoses. [85], During the reign of Louis XIV and most of the reign of Louis XV, there was no plumbing to speak of in the palace itself. In 1705, this bosquet was destroyed in order to allow for the creation of the Bosquet des Bains d'Apollon, which was created to house the statues had once stood in the Grotte de Thétys. It was owned by the Gondi family and the priory of Saint Julian. 1693. Use our Versailles trip itinerary maker website to arrange your visit to Salle du Jeu de Paume and other attractions in Versailles. He succeeded in preventing further dispersing of the Grand Parc and threats to destroy the Petit Parc were abolished by suggesting that the parterres could be used to plant vegetable gardens and that orchards could occupy the open areas of the garden. Each room contained a number of fountains that played with special effects. The end of the construction is scheduled for summer 2020. It was as the cave of the sea nymph Thetis, where Apollo rested after driving his chariot to light the sky. Salle des Festins - Salle du Conseil - Bosquet de l'Obélisque (Marie 1968; Nolhac 1901, 1925; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985), Grand Canal In 1817, Louis XVIII ordered the conversion of the Île du Roi and the Miroir d'Eau into an English-style garden – the Jardin du Roi. [40], When these results and the high quality achieved were brought to the attention of the French Minister of Culture, he revived 18th-century weaving techniques so as to reproduce the silks used in the decoration of Versailles. Once the king passed a fountain in play, it would be turned off and the fountaineer would signal that the next fountain could be turned on (Thompson, 2006). Gaspard's brother Balthazard designed six lead half-human, half-frog figures to grace the water spouts surrounding the Latona statue, with 24 cast lead frogs positioned on the grass surrounding the perimeter of the fountain. ", Bottineau, Yves. Owing to the nature of the construction of Versailles and the evolution of the role of the palace, construction costs were essentially a private matter. For everyone else, water was carried by a small army of water carriers to the upper floors, filling copper tanks in the private appartements of the courtiers. ", Friedman, Ann. During the Ancien Régime, the Grand Canal served as a venue for boating parties. Estimate £8,000 - 12,000 ♠ Sold for £18,750. The Germans remained in the Palace until the signing of the armistice in March 1871. He and his successors Louis XV and Louis XVI used these rooms for official functions, such as the ceremonial lever ("waking up") and the coucher ("going to bed") of the monarch, which were attended by a crowd of courtiers. Object history: Ancienne collection ; entré à Versailles, 3 novembre 1833 ; mentionné dans la salle du Maroc ( n°102 ), 1er étage, aile du Nord, 21 février 1963 ; puis dans la salle de Constantine ( n°103 ), 10 septembre 1964 ; exposé dans les salles du XVIIème siècle ( salle n°11 ), rez-de-chaussée, aile du Nord, mai 1965 ; puis dans la salle n°10 des salles du XVIIème siècle, 29 mai 1970 ; exposé dans … This water feature, with a surface area of more than 15 hectares, is the second largest – after the Grand Canal – at Versailles. The Salon of Abundance was the antechamber to the Cabinet of Curios (now the Games Room), which displayed Louis XIV's collection of precious jewels and rare objects. [26] The museum project largely came to a halt when Louis Philippe was overthrown in 1848, though the paintings of French heroes and great battles still remain in the south wing. … The increasing demand for water and the stress placed on existing systems of water supply necessitated newer measures to increase the water supplied to Versailles. [111], Clearly, the silver furniture alone represented a significant outlay in the finances of Versailles. The grotto would be completed during the second building campaign. Between 9,000–10,000 troops were pressed in service in 1685; the next year, more than 20,000 soldiers were engaged in construction. With the exception of the state visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1855, at which time the gardens were a setting for a gala fête that recalled the fêtes of Louis XIV, Napoléon III ignored the château, preferring instead the château of Compiègne (Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985). Additionally, it is known to include Thalia (the muse of Comedy), Melpomene, Calliope, and Apollo (Louis XIV's emblem)[55] and the twelve months of the year. See 9 photos and 1 tip from 105 visitors to Bosquet de la Salle de Bal. [31], In 1815, with the final downfall of Napoleon, Louis XVIII, the younger brother of Louis XVI, became King, and considered returning the royal residence to Versailles, where he had been born. [69], Fountain of Latona, with the Grand Canal in the background. Etna, being consumed by volcanic lava. His spoon, fork, and knife were brought to him in a golden box. 1688, "Le théâtre d'eau-vue de a scène" by Jean Cotelle, ca. Chateau; Floor Plans; Chantilly Chambers; WakeCo Jardin; East Jardin; Salle de Valencay; Salle de Versailles; Salle De Pierrefonds; Verona Foyer; Outdoor Gazebo; … Subsequent rulers mostly carried out interior remodeling, to meet the demands of changing taste, although Louis XV did install an opera house at the north end of the north wing for the wedding of the Dauphin and Marie Antoinette in 1770. Tour directions for the official guides have survived; they are discussed by Robert W. Berger and Thomas P. Hedin, For the relation of the imagery of the garden and the decor of the, Period sources include: (Anonymous, 1685); (Dangeau, 1854-60); (Félibien, 1703); (, The Clagny pond, which was located near the, Last edited on 19 December 2020, at 21:10, Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum and National Estate of Versailles, "Versailles / Les bosquets : scènes du pouvoir", scan of Perrault's book at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, "Mazes and Labyrinths: Chapter XIV. With the completion of the Grand Canal in 1671, which served as drainage for the fountains of the garden, water, via a system of windmills, was pumped back to the reservoir on top of the Grotte de Thétys. (Nolhac 1901; Thompson 2006). He did not reside at Versailles, but began the creation of the Museum of the History of France, dedicated to "all the glories of France", which had been used to house some members of the royal family. The Île du Roi was separated from the Miroir d'Eau by a causeway that featured twenty-four water jets. The palace was largely completed by the death of Louis XIV in 1715. Between 1668 and 1674, a project was undertaken to divert the water of the Bièvre river to Versailles. This presented the daunting problem to Louis XIV's engineers of how to transport water uphill over such a distance. With a length of 1,500 metres and a width of 62 metres, the Grand Canal,[14] which was built between 1668 and 1671, physically and visually prolongs the east–west axis to the walls of the Grand Parc. In 1674, as a result of a series of diplomatic arrangements that benefited Louis XIV, the king ordered the construction of Petite Venise (Little Venice). The following year, construction began on the Salle de Bal. [65], The Royal Chapel has been under renovation for 767 days. ", Nolhac, Pierre de. [79], The thickness of the walls combined with the southern exposure and double glazing of the windows was designed according to the theories of Jean Baptiste de la Quintinie, the head gardener of the Potager du roi, to provide a frost-free environment year round for the tender subtropical plants, primarily Orange trees, beloved by Louis XIV. Bosquet du Théâtre d'Eau - Bosquet du Rond-Vert (Marie 1984; Verlet 1985), Rather than expend resources on modifying the gardens at Versailles, Louis XV – an avid botanist – directed his efforts at Trianon. In 1793, the Convention declared the abolition of the monarchy, and ordered all of the royal property in the Palace to be sold at auction. The bosquet was completely remodeled in 1704 at which time it was rechristened Bosquet de l'Étoile (Marie 1968, 1972, 1976, 1984; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985). While the design used for the chambre du roi was, in fact, from the original design to decorate the chambre de la reine, it nevertheless represents a great achievement in the ongoing restoration at Versailles. Flanking the Royal Court are two enormous asymmetrical wings that result in a façade of 402 metres (1,319 ft) in length. (Verlet 1985), By 1664, the gardens had evolved to the point that Louis XIV inaugurated the gardens with the fête galante called "Les Plaisirs de l'Île Enchantée". The palace is now a historical monument and UNESCO World Heritage site, notable especially for the ceremonial Hall of Mirrors, the jewel-like Royal Opera, and the royal apartments; for the more intimate royal residences, the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon located within the park; the small rustic Hameau (Hamlet) created for Marie Antoinette; and the vast Gardens of Versailles with fountains, canals, and geometric flower beds and groves, laid out by André le Nôtre. The construction of the room began in 1678 and finished in 1684. The decoration of the walls and ceiling depicts scenes from the life of the goddess Diana. Occupying the site of the Galerie d'Eau (1678), the Galerie des Antiques was designed in 1680 to house the collection of antique statues and copies of antique statues acquired by the Académie de France in Rome. Excavated in 1678, the Pièce d'eau des Suisses[31] – named for the Swiss Guards who constructed the lake – occupied an area of marshes and ponds, some of which had been used to supply water for the fountains in the garden. Between 1704 and 1709, bosquets were modified, some quite radically, with new names suggesting the new austerity that characterized the latter years of Louis XIV's reign. ", Waltisperger, Chantal. [99] For example, the Parliament met in joint session at Versailles to pass constitutional amendments in June 1999 (for domestic applicability of International Criminal Court decisions and for gender equality in candidate lists), in January 2000 (ratifying the Treaty of Amsterdam), and in March 2003 (specifying the "decentralized organization" of the French Republic). The creation of the German Empire, combining Prussia and the surrounding German states under William I, was formally proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors on January 18, 1871. It was also used for large events, such as full-dress and masked balls. ", Hedin, Thomas. The project was revived and rushed ahead for the planned celebration of the marriage of the Dauphin, the future Louis XVI, and Marie-Antoinette. From Sotheby's, Robert Polidori, Salle de Crimée Sud, (99) ANR.02.036, Salles de l'Afrique, Aile du Nord - 1er etage, Versailles, Digital chromogenic print… The current Chairperson of the Public Establishment is Catherine Pégard. As the only remnant of the rooms that Louis-Philippe devoted to the French Revolution, the 1792 Room offers the keys to understanding the king’s political and historic project. [70] They are the finest example of the jardin à la française, or the French formal garden. [80] Over one thousand citrus trees, palms, Oleanders, Pomegranate and Olive trees, along with other tender plants, are housed inside the walls of the Orangerie during the winter; they are taken out onto the parterre bas from mid-May until mid-October. Louis XV's care for hygiene led him to install an early water closet, imported from England, in 1738. Located at the junction of the Grand Canal and the junction of the northern transversal branch, Little Venice housed the caravels and yachts that were received from The Netherlands and the gondolas and gondoliers received as gifts from the Doge of Venice, hence the name. To meet the needs of the early expansions of the gardens under Louis XIV, water was pumped to gardens from ponds near the château, with the Clagny pond serving as the principal source. In its place, an arboretum of exotic trees was planted as an English-styled garden. After he became King in 1610, Louis XIII returned to the village, bought some land, and in 1623-24 built a modest two-story hunting lodge on the site of the current marble courtyard. 1693, "Bassin de l'Encélade" Jean Cotelle, ca. While Venice in the 17th century had the monopoly on the manufacture of mirrors, Colbert succeeded in enticing a number of artisans from Venice to make the mirrors for Versailles. ", Mâle, Émile. [16] Forming a transitional element from the château to the gardens below and placed on the north–south axis of the gardens, the Parterre d'Eau provided a setting in which the imagery and symbolism of the decors of the grands appartements synthesized with the iconography of the gardens. 1693, "Bosquet des Bains d'Apollon" by Pierre-Denis Martin (Martin le Jeune), ca. [6][9], The first phase of the expansion (c. 1661–1678) was designed and supervised by the architect Louis Le Vau. 18, 22; Michelin Tyre 1989, p. 182. sfn error: no target: CITEREFPérouse_de_Montclos (. At this time, the bosquet was rechristened Jardin du Roi (Marie 1968, 1972, 1976, 1984; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985). The grove was the last made ​​before the installation of Louis XIV at Versailles. The Colonnade, as it was renamed, originally featured thirty-two arches and thirty-one fountains – a single jet of water splashed into a basin center under the arch. [105], One of the most baffling aspects to the study of Versailles is the cost – how much Louis XIV and his successors spent on Versailles. These additions were removed in 1708. The Palace was stripped of all its furnishings after the French Revolution, but many pieces have been returned and many of the palace rooms have been restored. [93], The character of the "piss boy" in Mel Brooks' film History of the World: Part 1 is based on a real job at the palace. Assiduous husbanding of this resource by museum officials prevents tapping into the supply of potable water of the city of Versailles (Thompson, 2006). [46] Water from the pond was pumped to the reservoir on top of the Grotte de Thétys, which fed the fountains in the garden by means of gravitational hydraulics. (Verlet, 1961, 1985), Between 1664 and 1668, a flurry of activity was evidenced in the gardens – especially with regard to fountains and new bosquets; it was during this time that the imagery of the gardens consciously exploited Apollo and solar imagery as metaphors for Louis XIV. The addition was known at the time as the château neuf (new château). However, owing to Venetian proprietary claims on the technology of mirror manufacture, the Venetian government ordered the assassination of the artisans to keep the secrets proprietary to the Venetian Republic. With this new phase of construction, the gardens assumed the topographical and iconological design vocabulary that would remain in force until the 18th century. One of the most costly elements in the furnishing of the grands appartements during the early years of the personal reign of Louis XIV was the silver furniture, which can be taken as a standard – with other criteria – for determining a plausible cost for Versailles. The grotto was a freestanding structure located just north of the château. In 1780, she built a small theater at the Petit Trianon. Between 1686 and 1689, when the Nine Years' War began, one-tenth of France's military was at work on the Canal de l'Eure project. In that year, Louis Le Vau designed the Pompe, a water tower built north of the château. [64], The paintings on the ceiling display scenes depicting the three figures of the trinity. The old Bosquet des Bains d'Apollon was renamed Bosquet des Dômes due to two domed pavilions built in the bosquet (Marie 1968, 1972, 1976, 1984; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985). The new wing was completed in 1780.[25]. Initially, Versailles was planned to be an occasional residence for Louis XIV and was referred to as the "king's house". [24] He commissioned Gabriel to rebuild it in a more neoclassical style. Trees and shrubbery dating from the reign of Louis XIV were felled or uprooted with the intent of transforming the French garden of Le Nôtre and Hardouin-Mansart into an English garden. Open Content images tend to be large in file-size. The War Salon commemorates the victorious campaign of Louis XIV against the Dutch, which ended in 1678. Louis XIV died in 1715, and the young new King, Louis XV, just five years old, and his government were moved temporarily from Versailles to Paris under the regency of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans. "Construction projetée sous Louis XIV à Versailles d'un pavillon d'Apollon. The King purchased the surrounding territory from the Gondi family and in 1631–1634 had the architect Philibert Le Roy replace the hunting lodge with a château of brick and stone with classical pilasters in the doric style and high slate-covered roofs, surrounding the courtyard of the original hunting lodge. "Entrée du Labyrinthe" by Jean Cotelle, ca. [52] At the time of its creation, Versailles was transitioning to reflect governmental power and authority instead of a private home for the crown. 1693, "Bassin de Neptune" by Jean Cotelle, ca. Between 1925 and 1928, the American philanthropist and multi-millionaire John D. Rockefeller gave $2,166,000, the equivalent of about thirty million dollars today, to restore and refurnish the palace. (Marie 1968, 1972, 1976; Nolhac 1899, 1901, 1902, 1925). It is difficult – if not impossible – to give an accurate rate of exchange between 1682 and today. Atop the mansard slate roof are elaborate dormer windows and gilt lead roof dressings that were added by Hardouin-Mansart in 1679–1681. "Le labyrinthe et l'esprit du XVIIe. 111 25 March – 18 April to Sr. Lois and Sr. de Villers silversmiths who are working on a silver balustrade for the king, for continued work (two payments): 40,000 livres, II. [77] Beyond the fountain, the Grand Canal extends 1800 meters to the south end of the park. [6] After Le Vau's death in 1670, the work was taken over and completed by his assistant François d'Orbay. The empty grand apartments were opened for tours beginning in 1793, and a small museum of French paintings and art school was opened in some of the empty rooms. Owing to the natural cycle of replantations that has occurred at Versailles, it is safe to state that no trees dating from the time of Louis XIV are to be found in the gardens. [109] To meet the demands for decorating and furnishing Versailles, Colbert nationalised the tapestry factory owned by the Gobelin family, to become the Manufacture royale des Gobelins. Dangeau, Philippe de Courcillon, marquis de. These are decorated with smaller works of sculpture, representing the rivers of France, which are placed so as not to interfere with the reflections in the water. It took the place of the rooftop terrace overlooking the gardens which formerly connected the apartments of the King and Queen. At this time the bosquet was rechristened Bosquet des Bains d'Apollon. Both Louis XV and Louis XVI continued to use the bedroom for their official awakening and going to bed. France's Fifth Republic expenditures alone, directed to restoration and maintenance at Versailles, may have surpassed those of the Sun King. (n.d.) Versailles - La Salle du Jeu de Paume. The Peace of Paris (1783) was signed at Versailles, the Proclamation of the German Empire occurred in the vaunted Hall of Mirrors, and World War I was ended in the palace with the Treaty of Versailles, among many other events. Construction for the ruinously expensive Canal de l'Eure was inaugurated in 1685; designed by Vauban it was intended to bring waters of the Eure over 80 kilometres, including aqueducts of heroic scale, but the works were abandoned in 1690: see "The problem of water" below. In 1671, André Le Nôtre conceived a bosquet – originally christened Salle des Festins and later called Salle du Conseil – that featured a quatrefoil island surrounded by a channel that contained fifty water jets. The Labyrinthe contained fourteen water-wheels driving 253 pumps, some of which worked at a distance of three-quarters of a mile. The galerie was completely remodeled in 1704 when the statues were transferred to Marly and the bosquet was replanted with horse chestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum) – hence the current name Salle des Marronniers (Marie 1968, 1972, 1976, 1984; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985). [103] This was the third time since 1848 that a French president addressed a joint session of the French Parliament at Versailles. The water for the elaborate waterworks was conveyed from the Seine by the Machine de Marly. Galerie d'Eau - Galerie des Antiques - Salle des Marronniers [48] The exterior features an arcaded, rusticated ground floor, supporting a main floor with round-headed windows divided by reliefs and pilasters or columns. In 1685, pressure on water supplies led Louis XIV to commission another aqueduct, the Canal de l'Eure, to transport water from the River Eure, 52 miles to the southwest. Also, as the formality of the 17th-century garden had fallen out of fashion, this replantation sought to establish a new informality in the gardens – that would also be less expensive to maintain – of Versailles. When the King promenaded in the gardens, fountains were turned on only when the King was approaching them, and turned off after he departed. [71] The main statuary group of Latona with Diana and Apollo was created between 1668 and 1670 by the sculptor Gaspard Marsy and originally placed on a modest foundation of rocks in the middle of the basin. The corridor and vestibule that connected the Chapel and the State Apartments included later art, commissioned by Louis XV, intended to portray the link between Divinity and the King: a statue of Glory Holding the Medallion of Louis XV, by Antoine Vassé; and Royal Magnanimity by Jacques Bousseau. The storm damage at Versailles and Trianon amounted to the loss of thousands of trees – the worst such damage in the history of Versailles. Versailles, Du Bus plan With Louis XIII's final purchase of lands from Jean-François de Gondi in 1632 and his assumption of the seigneurial role of Versailles in the 1630s, formal gardens were laid out west of the château. During the season from All-Saints Day in November until Easter, these were usually held three times a week, from six to ten in the evening, with various entertainments. Fountains, vases and statues adorned these little parks within the woods, where the kings would often go for walks. 7 18 November to Sieur du Metz, 43,475 livres 5 sols for delivery to Sr. Lois and to Sr. de Villers for payment of 142,196 livres for the silver balustrade that they are making for the king's bedroom and 404 livres for tax: 48,861 livres 5 sol. With this measure of economy, fountains still consumed 12,800 m3 of water per day, far above the capacity of the existing supplies. [5], After this event, Louis XIII decided to make his hunting lodge at Versailles into a château. Common to any long-lived garden is replantation, and Versailles is no exception. Despite the fact that the gardens consumed more water per day than the entire city of Paris, the Machine de Marly remained in operation until 1817 (Thompson, 2006).