What is Versailles France known for?
The Palace of Versailles is an opulent complex and former royal residence outside of Paris. It has held sway in the public imagination for years because of its architectural grandeur and political history.
What are 3 facts about the Palace of Versailles?
Facts about the Palace of Versailles
- Versailles is not the world’s largest palace.
- Versailles was the center of power for only 100 years.
- It is now the museum of the history of France.
- Royal Opera of Versailles was once the largest in Europe.
- Hall of Mirrors is the best room in Palace of Versailles.
How tall is Versailles?
The hall is 73 meters (239.5 feet) long, 10.5 meters (34.4 feet) wide, and 12.3 meters (40.4 feet) high. The ceilings of the hall have intricate paintings and the borders of the wall are decorated with gilded statues. The several glass chandeliers that hang from its ceiling, are another beautiful aspect of the hall.
What is interesting about the Palace of Versailles?
In French, it’s known as Château de Versailles. The Hall of Mirrors within the palace has a total of 357 mirrors. Everything used to construct and decorate the Palace was created in France. At the time of the palace’s construction, Venice had a monopoly on making mirrors.
Who lived in Versailles?
In 1979, the entire Palace of Versailles domain was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The organization sums up its significance: “The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI.
How old is the Palace of Versailles?
388Palace of Versailles / Age (c. 1634)
Why was Versailles built?
The court was officially established there on 6 May 1682. By moving his court and government to Versailles, Louis XIV hoped to extract more control of the government from the nobility and to distance himself from the population of Paris.
How many years did it take to build Versailles?
In 1661, Louis XIV commissioned André Le Nôtre to design and layout the intricate grounds – a project that took forty years to complete. Just 20km from the centre of Paris, the Palace has become a UNESCO World Heritage site and for good reason – in 2017 alone, the Versailles received an incredible 7,700,000 visitors.
How many rooms are in Versailles?
2,300Palace of Versailles / Number of rooms
Today the Palace contains 2,300 rooms spread over 63,154 m2. In 1789, the French Revolution forced Louis XVI to leave Versailles for Paris.
What was life like in Versailles?
In its heyday, life at Versailles was a mix of power politics, hierarchy, etiquette and fashion. Courtiers lived in their own bubble of luxury and were focused on pleasing the king and following his rules. Louis XIV’s social structure and etiquette practices were both the doing and undoing of Versailles.
What did they eat at Versailles?
Oysters, salmon, and sardines were popular. One of the most popular dishes was potage. Typically a large dish of meat boiled with vegetables, potage was so loved that there were more than one hundred and fifty recipes for it at the time.