1. Château de Versailles

2. Dates Importantes  1624 Louis the XIII ordered a hunting lodge built at Versailles.  1632 Louis XIII obtained what was named the Seigneury of Versailles from the Gondi Family and began to build on the existing Château.  1661-1710 Louis XIV transformed it into the lavish Palace that it is today. With some future renovations and updates by other successors.

3. Versailles Louis the XIII During the reign of Louis XIII Versailles went from the Hunting Lodge on the left to the Palace below. You can see the significant changes to the grounds and the expansion out into the property.

4. Versailles under Louis XIV During the reign of Louis the XIV known as the Sun King There was the greatest Expansion and it truly became the Palais Royal we know today. Even during the time of Louis XIV’s 72 year reign it went from the image above to the grand palace to the right.

5. Life at Versailles  Louis XIV moved the entire royal court to Versailles in 1682 and there it stayed until 1789 when the royal family was forced to move back to Paris during the French Revolution.  Versailles became a monument to the monarchy and their absolute power and thus was used to keep the enemies of the state close.

6. Life at Versailles  The citizens of Versailles protected the palace during the French Revolution to make sure it was not looted.  After the revolution in 1791 when Louis XVI was arrested the palace was ordered to be sealed by the Assemblée Nationale Constituante.  Eventually between 1793-1795 the furniture that was not deemed to be of “artistic or intellectual merit” were sold at auction.

7. Life at Versailles  In 1794 the convention decided to save the Palace for “the public good” and they began to use it as a repository for artwork seized from churches and “princely” homes.  In 1797 Versailles became the Musée spécial de l’École française. This is when it’s life changed from that of a live in residence that embodied an absolute monarchy to a museum that embodied a true republic.

8. Life at Versaille  Today Versaille is a must destination if you ever go to France. It is a living museum of life over the centuries in France and as such shows art, culture, and even government throughout history.  If you visit you will find that the chateau is divided into different sections and to go over the whole estate is at least a two day affair.

9. Versailles  The pieces you can see are The Palace The Garden The Grand Trianon Marie Antoinette’s Estate