View of the palace and gardens of Versailles, seen from the avenue de Paris
Pierre Patel
1668
View of the palace and gardens of Versailles, seen from the avenue de Paris
Pierre Patel
1668
Palace of Versailles
This former hunting lodge of King Louis XIII of France was transformed and extended by his son Louis XIV who installed here the Court and the government of France in 1682. Today, it serves as a museum.
Completed in 1686, the Hall of Mirrors is located in the central block of the palace on the garden side. The 73-meter-long hall was used primarily as a meeting place. In 1745, Marie-Antoinette danced here at a ball celebrating her wedding to the future Louis XVI.
Adjoining the Hall of Mirrors is a sitting room, The War Salon. Its marble walls are decorated with gilded bronze carvings showing emblems of the king, trophies, shields, and thunderbolts.
This room served as Louis XIV's bedchamber. Each morning, a crowd of courtiers would watch as he was washed, shaved, and dressed in a ceremony known as the First Levee. At night, the king’s retirement to bed—the Coucher—was also witnessed.
In 1661, King Louis XIV instructed landscape artist André Le Nôtre to create the gardens of Versailles, which the king considered just as important as the palace.