On May 14, 1643, Louis XIV was proclaimed king of France . The era of his reign went down in history as a time of military power, political consciousness and cultural upsurge. The great monarch is especially known as the customer of the most beautiful palace in the world. The merit of the king is that today everyone knows where Versailles is and what it is. But what is known about this monumental structure? It will be interesting to get acquainted with his story and touch those legends that he witnessed. Moreover, France was famous for intrigues and palace secrets throughout Europe.
From an unknown village to the center of the country
The Louvre is now one of the most prestigious museums in the world, and once it served as a home for the French monarchs. It was within its walls that important treaties were signed and complex interstate issues were resolved. There partially passed the childhood of Louis XIV. But the man never had a special love for either Paris or the Louvre.
The official reason for the transfer of the residence was the king's fear of his life. He stated that he felt in constant danger in the capital, so the suburb of Paris would become the new palace. Then, in 1661, no one had a clue where Versailles was located. But after a few years, the fame of the brilliant residence of the Sun King spread throughout Europe.
For the first time these lands are mentioned in 1038. For more than five hundred years, the place was just a tiny settlement, overgrown with forests and covered with impassable swamps. There was a lot of game on these lands, and there the father of Louis XIV liked to hunt. On his initiative in 1623 a hunting house was built on one of the glades. There, Louis XIII, nicknamed the Just, often rested with his son.
The first stone is laid - envy
Despite the statements about the danger posed by the Louvre, the courtiers knew very well the true reason for the construction of a new residence.
The history of Versailles began on August 17, 1661. It was on this evening, 55 kilometers from Paris, the Minister of Finance Nicolas Fouquet organized a reception in honor of the housewarming party. Vaud-le-Viscount Castle with gardens of unprecedented beauty became the new home. The palace immediately took the leadership position and ... overtook the Louvre. Unheard of insolence!
The celebration was attended by Louis XIV. He was struck by the grandeur and wealth of the estate, moreover, it aroused envy. Another unpleasant moment was the pride of the owner. That same evening, without waiting for the feast to end, the king informed the architects Louis Levo, Jules Arduin-Mansard and the park planner Andre Lenotre, who worked on the Vaux-le-Viscount project, that from that moment they were under his leadership. Their mission is to create an object that will be worthy of His Majesty. It was these three people who became the first to find out where Versailles is.
First obstacles
Masters were friends and understood each other perfectly. The claim put forward by the king was a great honor and ... considerable risk. The first wish of the customer: to leave a modest hunting lodge, which was laid by his father. A building measuring 24 by 6 meters has become a big problem for architects.
The garden projector also ran into trouble. Wetlands, dense forests required outstanding forces to create from them parks that look like paradise. But the king became the main obstacle. He demanded to do everything efficiently and as soon as possible. It was supposed that this would be not just a palace, but a chic ensemble, so beautiful that it would never occur to anyone to ask: “And where is Versailles?” According to Louis, this was supposed to be a place where the sky meets the earth.
The work began with the fact that in the village houses were set up for thousands of builders. Louis XIV himself, meanwhile, was buying up the surrounding lands.
Heart of france
For the magnificent castle, Baroque and Classicism styles were chosen. The main facade of the palace is a mirror gallery. Its windows overlooked the park, and a parallel wall, hung with Venetian glass, which was considered to be the cleanest at that time, which was fashionable at that time, reflected the layout of the garden.
The main palace housed ballrooms and bedrooms of the nobility. Each centimeter was decorated with taste. The walls were decorated with wooden carvings, frescoes, paintings, sculptures in niches. Not uncommon - silver and gold in the rooms. In the front palace was the bedroom of the king himself. On both sides were the halls of Versailles.
Another reason for the construction of such a huge complex was the obsession of Louis XIV. The supporter of an absolute monarchy wanted to keep all subjects under control. In such a grand palace, which could fit 20,000 subjects, the goal became real. But here it is worth noting that the spacious apartments were provided to noble nobles, favorites and favorites, the servant lived in tiny closets.
Halls of the gods
The pride of the residence was the Mirror Gallery. Its length reached 73 meters, width - 11 m. 357 mirrors created a visual illusion. It seemed that the park was divided on both sides of the palace. The hall was decorated with paintings and murals, statues with gilding and crystal chandeliers.
Then every poor man knew where Versailles was. The king allowed everyone to visit him, because he was sure that it was the pride of all France. Each commoner could turn to the monarch within the walls of the palace.
The halls, which were named after the Greek and
Roman gods , were very popular
. So, Diana’s Hall was used as a billiard room at receptions. All tables were covered with expensive raspberry velor with gold fringe at the edges.
The Apollo Hall served for diplomatic negotiations. In the evenings, sketches were shown in it, in which the Sun King himself took part. There was also a room of military glory of France.
Paradise-like park
Andre Lenotre was designing the royal gardens. Researchers believe that the magnificence of the park is associated with the person of Louis XIV. Fields occupied 8300 hectares. Each composition harmoniously fit into the ensemble. The monarch did not want to wait for years until the trees and bushes grow, so they were partially transported from other lands, including clean ones and from Vaux-le-Viscount.
Versailles scheme resembles the rays of the sun, diverging from the center of the alleys and squares. So the main gardener wanted to magnify the Sun King Louis XIV.
Thousands of soldiers worked on the canals and fountains, which became known as the “Little Venice”. There was not enough water for such a mass of pools, so they made special straits from neighboring rivers.
Financial side
The monarch's favorite phrase was the saying: “The state is me!” It was for these reasons that the treasury immediately found money for construction. But with the continuation of work, the question of where to get the funds arose more and more often. Initially, a thousand peasants worked at a construction site. Subsequently, more than 30,000 builders were involved. In times of peace, the king’s soldiers took up the tools.
Of course, not without sacrifices. Hundreds were smashed to death on the foundation of the castle. Even more accidents became when the brigades began to work on schedule. People worked day and night. Building in the dark has become fatal for many.
For a long time, the truth was hidden from the king. When the information surfaced, he, sparing no budget, began to pay compensation to the victims and their families.
Nevertheless, they tried to save on everything. Dozens of fireplaces did not work. Doors and windows did not fit snugly. This created inconvenience for residents in the winter. The castle was very cold.
For a long time, every inhabitant of the palace could rebuild their apartments to their taste. But during the Nine Years War, all the costs of the repair fell on the shoulders of the nobles.
Today, after several centuries, it is difficult to assess the full cost of the palace. But documentary evidence has not been preserved.
The fate of the residence after Louis XIV
The project was a favorite brainchild of the king, because he himself participated in his planning. The palace is not only the court secrets of Versailles, but also events of world significance. There were conspiracies and intrigues, close associates of the monarch, and even the members of the royal family laughed and cried, loved and hated, they ruled the fate of ordinary mortals and entire states ...
In Versailles lived two subsequent rulers. But, in connection with political and economic upheavals, already in 1789 it was difficult to maintain the palace. The halls were used only as museum rooms.
After losing the Franco-German War, the German Empire was proclaimed in the Mirror Hall . A few decades later, this same building witnessed the truce and the loss of the Triple Alliance.
You can’t visit France and not visit Versailles. This is not just architecture, it is a dream come true. A symbol that a person can do absolutely everything. The main thing is to have a firm faith in the future and very little determination to use your chance. If you ever find yourself in France, be sure to visit Versailles. Reviews of tourists about this miracle of architecture are simply enthusiastic. This palace and park ensemble is the most luxurious royal residence in Europe. Huge buildings, spacious areas, large terraces with direct access to the park, galleries, ideal lawns, symmetrical paths, hedges, rainbow flower beds, sparkling fountains - all this was created in Versailles for the fun of the king, his family, favorites and courtiers.