Versailles
When the château was built, Versailles was a country village,
but it is now a suburb of Paris. From 1682, when King Louis
XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return
to the capital in 1789, the Court of Versailles was the center of
power in Ancien Régime France.
When the château was built, Versailles was a country village,
but it is now a suburb of Paris. From 1682, when King Louis
XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return
to the capital in 1789, the Court of Versailles was the center of
power in Ancien Régime France.
Brent In The Hall Of Mirrors (Being Renovated)
In the 17th century, mirrors were one of the most
expensive items to possess and at the time, the Venetian
Republic held the monopoly on the manufacture of
mirrors. In order to maintain the integrity of his philosophy
of mercantilism, which required that all items used in the
decoration of Versailles be made in France, Jean-Baptiste
Colbert enticed several workers from Venice to make
mirrors at the Gobelins Factory for use in Versailles.
In the 17th century, mirrors were one of the most
expensive items to possess and at the time, the Venetian
Republic held the monopoly on the manufacture of
mirrors. In order to maintain the integrity of his philosophy
of mercantilism, which required that all items used in the
decoration of Versailles be made in France, Jean-Baptiste
Colbert enticed several workers from Venice to make
mirrors at the Gobelins Factory for use in Versailles.
Opera
Built entirely of wood, which is painted in faux marble to
represent stone, the Opéra has excellent acoustics and
the floor of the orchestra level can be raised to the level of
the stage, thus doubling the floor space.
Built entirely of wood, which is painted in faux marble to
represent stone, the Opéra has excellent acoustics and
the floor of the orchestra level can be raised to the level of
the stage, thus doubling the floor space.
Journeys
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| May 2007 |
Palace (or Chateau) of Versailles
A Heck Of A Large Painting
Kate In The Chapel
Versaille's chapel is one of the palace's
grandest interiors.
Versaille's chapel is one of the palace's
grandest interiors.