Palace of Versailles chapel. Royal Chapel, Versailles, France. Monarchs' private quarters

Royal Palace at Versailles- This main gem France, which is only 20 km from Paris in small town. Exactly big Versailles castle served as a model for many European castles. The architectural and landscape masterpiece includes luxurious palace buildings and exquisite gardens with artificial and natural lakes. Versailles became a symbol of the power and authority of the French monarch Louis XIV.

Reasons for the construction of the royal palace in Versailles:

1. Due to the revolutionary movement, living in the royal family was dangerous.
2. ambition. In the 17th century, France was actively developing, becoming a new superpower. A powerful state needed a worthy political center that became Versailles . Paris at that time was a provincial city.
3. Envy of the young king, which arose after Louis XIV saw the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte Nicolas Fouquet. By the way, the owner of the castle was soon executed.

The palace at Versailles could simultaneously accommodate 10,000 people - of which 5,000 courtiers and 5,000 servants. The domestic policy of Louis XIV was the vigilant control of the aristocracy. Those courtiers who left the Palace of Versailles were forever deprived of royal grace and, as a result, property and ranks.

The best French masters were involved in the construction of the architectural and landscape complex: Louis Levo, Andre Le Nôtre, Charles Le Brun. In total, 25 million livres or 259.56 billion modern euros were spent from the state treasury. This despite the fact that the construction of a large palace in France was carried out under extremely austerity, due to which some windows did not open and fireplaces did not work. In winter, living in the Palace of Versailles was uncomfortable.

Mirror Gallery, Palace of Versailles, France.

The Hall of Mirrors is rightly considered the most grandiose and impressive sight of the Palace of Versailles. The brilliant masters of the Renaissance embodied in him the ideas of absolutism. The hall amazes and delights with wealth and luxury. Every detail of the interior is generously decorated with gold. Huge mirrors, sculptures and numerous crystal chandeliers are harmoniously combined in a single ensemble.

Interestingly, it was in the Mirror Gallery that the famous Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919.

Royal Chapel, Versailles, France.

The Royal Chapel is on the right side palace complex at Versailles. The gilded royal altar contrasts with the snow-white columns decorated with stucco. Exquisite bronze figures Greek gods immediately catch the eye. The chapel consists of 2 floors. Only monarchs had the right to climb to the upper tier.

An interesting fact: every second court lady dreamed of becoming the favorite of the loving Louis XIV. That is why the fair sex never missed a service.

Hall of Apollo, palace in Versailles, France.

The throne room was intended for ceremonial receptions of foreign delegations. In the evening, holidays were sometimes arranged here.

Salon of War, palace in Versailles, France.

Salon War is dedicated to the military triumph of France. The walls of the hall are decorated with canvases glorifying the legendary victories of the French.

Salon of Diana, palace in Versailles, France.

The interior of this salon is decorated with golden vaults and painted walls, antique sculptures and busts. Once in this hall there was a large billiard table, at which monarchs and courtiers had fun.

Queen's bedroom, Palace of Versailles, France.

The queen's bedroom is decorated with woven portraits, picturesque panels, stucco, and crystal chandeliers. Every detail of the decor is covered with the purest gold.

Interesting: in the 17th century, queens gave birth in public.

Bedroom of the king, palace in Versailles, France.

The extravagant king of France loved pomp and luxury most of all. This is exactly what his bedchamber is, located in the heart of the Palace of Versailles. The royal box is decorated with scarlet silk canopy.

The narcissistic monarch Louis XIV adored the theatre. And so he turned his whole life into a pompous performance, which was given with dignity on a magnificent stage - V royal palace in Versailles!

Previous photo Next photo

The word "Versailles" from a proper name has long turned into a household name and has become a symbol of brilliance, luxury and impeccable taste. The Palace of Versailles today is one of the most visited attractions in France. And this is quite understandable - after all, there are imitations of this masterpiece of the era of absolutism in the world, but no equal has ever been created for him.

Louis XIV wanted to make a miracle; ordered - and among the desert, wild, sandy, were the Tempe valleys and a palace, which in Europe has no similar splendor.

Nikolai Karamzin

Symbol of the French monarchy

It is interesting that the reason for the creation of the palace was ordinary human envy. Having once seen the Vaux-le-Vicomte palace, which belonged to the then finance minister Fouquet, Louis XIV could no longer sleep peacefully: he convened the same team of architects that created the minister’s palace, and set the difficult task of doing “the same thing, but 100 times better". The wish of the monarch was fulfilled: the architect Louis Leveau began construction in 1661, and 21 years later Versailles became official royal residence- an unprecedentedly short construction time for a grandiose building with an area of ​​​​more than 6 hectares, consisting of 3500 rooms! When creating the palace and its decor were used Newest technologies of that time: for example, Italian masters were invited to decorate the famous Hall of Mirrors, who at that time alone mastered the technique of amalgamation. For major construction work, masons from Flanders were ordered along with their secrets - the professional reputation of the Flemings in those years was the best in the world.

Although the project is striking in scale, during the construction of the palace they tried to maintain austerity: for all the splendor of the decoration, not a single toilet was provided in the building, and half of the fireplaces were pure decoration.

Gravedigger of the French Monarchy

If the French were building the Palace of Versailles today, the construction would cost them a quarter of a trillion euros (the Americans launched 15 spacecraft to the moon for half the amount). Add to this the costs of expanding and rebuilding the palace, maintaining a crowd of thousands of courtiers and lackeys, grandiose spending on balls and celebrations - and it becomes clear how heavy a burden the palace was for the economy. While Versailles was prettier, France was impoverished, and less than a century after the "Sun King" his kingdom fell, and armed sans-culottes ruled in the halls of the palace.

Palace of Versailles today

Although Versailles became one of the reasons for the death of monarchical France, today it paradoxically saves France: thanks to the multimillion-dollar flow of tourists, Versailles became a donor to the national economy - and so significant that the Republic allocated 400 million EUR for its reconstruction. Currently, more than 1000 rooms of the palace are open to the public, including the world-famous Hall of Mirrors, the Large and Small Royal Chambers, the Hall of Battles and the Royal Opera.

Practical information

The easiest way to get to Versailles from Paris is to take the RER line C (any city pass with zones 1-4 will do). Also from eiffel tower there are special buses.

Opening hours: the palace is open to the public from April to October on all days except Mondays. Ticket offices are open from 9:00 to 17:50, the ticket price for an adult is 20 EUR. Prices on the page are for July 2018.

Until the end of the 16th century, Versailles was a small village near Paris. Louis XIII built there first hunting lodge, then a small castle, and in 1632 he bought the whole village. His son, Louis XIV, the Sun King, erected a huge palace complex in Versailles and turned it into main residence French monarchs.

The history of the emergence of Versailles as one of the symbols of France

In 1682, the royal court moved to Versailles, which became not only the de facto capital of France, but also a symbol of absolutism. From that moment on, all European rulers, wanting to emphasize their greatness, build palaces in the "Versailles" manner.

Louis XIV had reason to rush out of Paris. The capital looked too provincial for the mighty European power that France had become in these years. In addition, the king could not forgive the Parisians of the Fronde, he did not trust them and wanted to protect himself from the rebellious crowd for the future.

The arrangement of Versailles began in 1661, lasted for more than a dozen years and required huge costs, the country was practically ruined.

Description of Versailles - severity in everything

The complex was planned around three roads leading to Paris and to the royal estates of Saint-Cloud and Sault. At the point of their connection in front of the main entrance to Grand Palace Versailles has an equestrian statue of Louis XIV.

Parks of Versailles - geometric rigor of lines and proportions

On the other side of the palace, as if continuing the middle road, stretches the main alley with pools and the Grand Canal (1520 m). It clearly divides the huge park into two symmetrical halves.

The geometric rigor of lines and proportions is a distinctive feature Versailles Ensemble. It reflected the fascination of French architects with utopian architecture, originating from the fantastic "ideal cities" of the Renaissance.

It seems that the park is drawn according to the ruler, but at the same time it does not look boring or monotonous. It is enlivened by flower beds, sculptural groups, cascades, grottoes and especially fountains, the device of which was the pinnacle of engineering thought of its time. Particularly impressive visitors are the fountain of Apollo (sculptor Tyubi), depicting the chariot of the ancient god.

Luxurious halls of the Palace of Versailles

Inside, the Grand Palace consists of a suite of luxuriously decorated rooms filled with exquisite furniture, jewelry, and works of art. Separately, it is worth noting the Mirror Gallery 73 m long. Its 17 mirror panels reflect the light of 17 huge windows overlooking the park. Solemn ceremonies, balls, receptions and royal weddings took place in this sparkling hall.

It is also necessary to visit the Royal Chapel, the Venes Salon, the Apollo Salon, the Royal Opera, the Grand and Petit Trianon palaces.

The architect André Le Nôtre created absolutely new type park landscape, called the French regular (i.e., correct) garden. Such a garden, embodying the ideals of harmony, grandeur and unchanging order, became a model for the famous imperial ensembles of Peterhof and Sanssouci (Potsdam).

Like Versailles, these parks have one characteristic feature: from certain points in them one can observe a “clear linear perspective” of a properly organized space.

Gardens and parks of Versailles

The gardens and parks of Versailles with a total area of ​​101 hectares served as a grand stage for the court nobility: holidays, festivities, masquerades and other amusements took place here, in the shadow of which intrigues and palace intrigues were woven.

Louis, who turned his life into a magnificent performance, patronized the classical theater - operas by Lully, plays by Racine and Moliere were staged in Versailles. This tradition was continued by the successors, especially the wife of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, who built her own theater and played in it herself.

The main palace complex, created in the style of French classicism, is striking in its scope. The ensemble consists of three consecutive courtyards - the Ministers, the Royal Court, where only the carriages of the monarch could enter, and the Marble Court, where the buildings of the hunting castle of Louis XIII have been preserved.

Versailles is the history of France

The history of Versailles is not limited to the lives of kings. It was here that in June 1789 the deputies of the third estate proclaimed themselves the National Assembly, and later the Constituent Assembly. In the same year, on August 26, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was adopted at Versailles.

Here, six years earlier, a document was signed that approved the independence of the United States. On June 28, 1919, a peace treaty was signed in Versailles, which ended the First World War.

Since 1837, Versailles has been officially the Museum of the History of France.

Ten years ago, the Palace of Versailles became part of a large-scale restoration project of the palace, under the patronage of Jacques Chirac. According to the plan, within 20 years, the interior of the Opera and the facade were to be updated, the original layout of the gardens was restored, the gilded King's Grid was returned to the inner Marble Court, etc.

However, life makes its own adjustments and today the restoration work is limited to maintaining the palace in working order.

Palace of Versailles – VIDEO tour

Versailles - a palace and park ensemble in France, a former residence French kings in the city of Versailles, now a suburb of Paris. total area the entire territory with gardens, fountains, pools, cascades, grottoes, sculptures and elegant palaces, truly royal, more than one hundred hectares.

http://youtu.be/gnbpr0en38M

Versailles of Louis XIII

How could Louis XIII, who built a modest hunting lodge in Versailles, know that his son and successor, the great Sun King, would turn this place so dear to him into a symbol of absolute monarchy, into a miracle of architecture, the luxury and splendor of which no palace in the world can surpass?

Louis XIII built a hunting lodge near the village of Versailles, pursuing completely different goals. Louis XIII was not even six years old when, on August 24, 1607, being only a dauphin, he arrived for the first time in Versailles with his father Henry IV for falconry. Hunting trips with his father to Versailles were not erased from the memory of the Dauphin; when he becomes king, he will prefer the lands of Versailles and Saint-Germain to all other hunting grounds.

At that time, the village of Versailles included about 500 people, a modest church was dedicated to Saint Julien, a windmill towered on a hill, and tired hunters, including Henry IV, stopped for the night at four inns. The domain of Versailles was ruled by Henri de Gondi, Bishop of Paris, whose nephew later, on coming of age, ceded the land to another of his uncles, Jean-Francois de Gondi, Archbishop of Paris and the last master of Versailles from the Gondi family.

The village was surrounded by the magnificent forests of Ile-de-France, full of game, endless fields and swamps - perfect place for hunting at any time of the year. Located 17 kilometers from Paris, it was located quite close to Saint-Germain, one of the most beloved residences of Louis XIII. When the hunt dragged on until late and it was not possible to return to Paris, the king rode to Saint-Germain or stopped at one of the inns of Versailles or in a dilapidated old castle belonging to the Gondi family, where he slept without undressing on an armful of straw. Often he spent the night at the windmill.

Soon this state of affairs bothered the king, and he bought 40 hectares of land from 16 different owners, in the winter of 1623-1624. deciding that the time had come to build a small hunting lodge in Versailles. An unknown architect erected on a hill a U-shaped building 24 meters long and 6 meters wide from pink brick, white stone and blue tiles. Louis XIII constantly came to Versailles to oversee the progress of the work.

By summer, the house became inhabited, and the king lived there from June 28 to July 5. On August 2, he arrived at Versailles from Saint-Germain at 8:30 am to oversee the delivery of furniture and kitchen utensils, bought especially for him by M. de Blainville, the first nobleman of the chamber.

The king occupied 4 rooms in the house; Ludovic's apartment consisted of a bedroom, an office, a dressing room and a reception room. Later, these rooms will be occupied by Louis XIV, who wants to live in his father's apartments.

The furnishings of the bedroom were rather modest. There was only the bare necessities: a bed, two chairs, six benches, a table. In the evening, candles were lit in silver and crystal candlesticks. Five tapestries decorated the walls; the curtains of the bed, the carpet, the curtains and the upholstery of the furniture were made of green damask. In the office, eight tapestries reproduced the story of Mark Antony. A little later, the gallery leading to the king's bedroom will be decorated with a large painting depicting the capture of La Rochelle.

The king tried to come to Versailles as often as possible. The retinue that accompanied him was always extremely small. Of the courtiers, Louis occasionally invited only Claude de Rouvroy, the future duc de Saint-Simon, the duc de Montbazon, M. Soissons and the Duke de Mortemart. The last two usually slept on the first floor, in the room of the captain of the guards.

I must say that the courtiers considered it a great honor to be invited by the king to hunt in Versailles, but such trips were associated with great inconvenience for them. Louis XIII was a tireless and fearless hunter; for seventeen hours in a row, in any weather, he could gallop through the fields and forests, which was extremely tiring for his companions. Moreover, it is often the difficulties caused by bad weather conditions, could force him to go hunting, and no amount of persuasion could force the king to change his mind. In addition, in the hunting lodge in Versailles, amenities were minimal and could not satisfy the exacting nobles, who were faced with the need to share them with the king, indifferent to comfort.

Neither the queen mother nor the reigning queen were provided with rooms. However, several times they still came for one day to Versailles, never once spending the night there.

The usual day of the king in Versailles is described by his doctor Hérouard: “On October 12, 1624, I woke up at 6 o’clock in the morning, had breakfast at 7 o’clock and went hunting for deer. At 10 o'clock he returned, soaked through, changed his clothes and changed his shoes. At 11 o'clock I had lunch, mounted a horse and again chased the deer, reaching Porchefontaine. Returned to Versailles at 6 pm.

Versailles became for the king not only a place where one could find shelter after the hunt. The king hid in a hunting lodge when life in the Louvre became completely unbearable for him. Under the pretext of hunting, he tried to go there as often as possible in order to take a break from the court and hide his emotions from outside witnesses.

Meanwhile, in 1631, Louis XIII decided to expand his holdings in Versailles and enlarge the house. On April 8, 1632, he bought from Jean-Francois de Gondi for 70,000 livres the entire seigneury of Versailles, along with the ruins of the old castle of Gondi, which he wanted to completely demolish in order to expand the park.

August 15, 1634 construction was completed. The main building, in which the king's apartments were located, had five windows on the first and second floors overlooking the courtyard; there were also five windows in two parallel wings, which now limit the Marble Court. The four outer corners of the castle were decorated with four identical pavilions. From the side of the courtyard, a portico with seven arches, covered with bars, connected the two wings. The house was surrounded by a moat without water; the gardens were enlarged by Jacques de Ménère to include an orchard and a ballroom. In 1639 the gardens were redesigned by Claude Mollet and Hilaire Masson.

Versailles was for Louis XIII not only a hunting lodge, but also a place where no one could come without his permission. In April 1637, the king was tormented by the strongest emotional experiences. The tender and sincere love that connected him with Mademoiselle de Lafayette was doomed, and he understood this very well, but, exhausted by constant persecution from the court and remorse, he decided on an act unexpected for him. Madame de Motteville writes in her Memoirs: “This great king, so wise and so constant in his courage, nevertheless experienced moments of weakness during which he hurried her<Луизу де Лафайет>that she agree to his proposal to take her to Versailles, where she would live under his protection. This proposal, so contrary to his usual feelings, forced her to leave the court. Mademoiselle de Lafayette, deeply in love with the king, was afraid that she would not be able to resist her feelings and would destroy her lover's soul by agreeing to his proposal to move to Versailles. Fearing that she would give up if the king kept asking her to do so, nineteen-year-old Louise de Lafayette retired to a convent. To hide his grief, Louis XIII went to Versailles, which never became a haven of love. In 1643, feeling the approach of death, Louis XIII said: “If the Lord restores my health, immediately after my Dauphin can mount a horse and reaches the age of majority, he will take my place, and I will retire to Versailles, and I will think only for the salvation of the soul.

After the death of the king, which occurred on May 14, 1643, Versailles will remain without a master for eighteen years. Louis XIV will order to keep his father's hunting lodge intact, making it the heart of the new ensemble.

Builders of a great masterpiece

Four people assisted the king in the construction of Versailles: Colbert, Levo, Lenotre and Lebrun. Without them, the grandiose project would never have come to fruition; however, despite the numerous and undoubted merits of all four, Louis was still the main inspirer and driving force of the project. He knew exactly what he wanted. Thanks to Mazarin, who surrounded him with beautiful things from childhood, the king developed a good taste. From year to year he became more and more refined, and this left its mark on all his affairs.

After his death, Mazarin left all his possessions to the king: paintings, books, houses, eighteen huge diamonds, known as les Mazarins, and money (and, he might add, nieces). All this was nothing compared to another priceless treasure - Colbert. He was the most remarkable minister in the history of France. He was born in 1619 to a wool merchant in Reims. His emblem was a modest grass snake, in contrast to the Fouquet squirrel, striving to climb higher and higher. Unlike Fouquet, a merry fellow and a rake, Colbert was restrained and strict. He frowned more often than smiled, and never tried to please. But everyone always knew what to expect from him. When someone, in the hope of avoiding any taxation, went straight to the king, bypassing Colbert, then at the end of the courteous reception he could hear from Louis: “Monsieur, you have to pay!” Therefore, most petitioners preferred to communicate with the gloomy-looking Colbert. Still, being at a fairly young age, he realized that the economy is a true, although not very fast track to power; and began his career by putting in order the personal affairs of Mazarin, which were terribly neglected; then, while still in the service of the cardinal, he took up public finances. When the king was a child, Colbert taught him how to keep accounts; Louis became the first king of France who knew how to do this on his own. Colbert hated Versailles, but only he was able to get the money necessary for its construction. Money immediately left, like water in the sand. Having learned that the king was going to settle in Versailles, the financier resigned himself to the inevitable and began to think about how to use this costly structure wisely and for the benefit of the country.

Colbert was an amazing person; he was distinguished by deep knowledge in the field of literature, science and art, although he himself probably considered these areas of human knowledge not the most important in life, something like an application to trade. Contributing to the development of science in France, the financier did this, primarily with the aim of attracting world markets. The minister founded the French school of painting and sculpture in Rome at the Villa Medici, opened an observatory in Paris and invited the astronomer Cassini to work there; he also bought books to replenish royal library and, finally, being the superintendent of construction, he supervised the reconstruction of Versailles.

Although Colbert was twenty years older than the king, he treated his monarch with reverent awe. Leaving the country house of So, this influential and powerful man, who kept the whole of France at bay, took a piece of bread with him to the park and threw it across the canal. If the bread fell on the other side, this meant that Louis XIV would be in a good mood, if the bread fell to the input, Colbert had no doubt that thunderstorms would not pass.

Lebrun was born in the same year as Colbert, and worked with him most of his life: They were similar in that they did not shun any work. Lebrun was found by Chancellor Séguier when he was ten years old, and he drew scenes from the Apocalypse on tracing paper. He received his first serious commission in 1649; he was to decorate the Hotel Lambert, the Parisian home of a wealthy government official. He then worked for Fouquet at Vaux-le-Vicomte; in 1662 the king made him chief court painter and commissioned the decorative work of Versailles. In addition, Lebrun was the director of a large tapestry factory, which was engaged not only in the production of woven carpets, but also in almost all the furniture for Versailles. Lebrun, although he does not belong to the number of first-class painters, was an excellent designer. Almost all the furnishings and decoration of the palace: chairs, tables, carpets, trim, decorative wall panels, silver, tapestries and even keyholes are made according to his original sketches; he painted the ceilings in the Mirror Gallery, as well as in the halls of War and Peace, the facade of the small royal house in Marly. Lebrun created bow decorations for galleys and scenery for holidays. In addition, he managed to paint huge canvases on religious and mythological themes. He loved allegories and battle scenes, but was rather indifferent to nature.

Rebuilding the castle from 1661 to 1668 was the architect Levo. Lebrun and Leveaux worked in perfect harmony. The most famous buildings of Le Vaux are Vaux-le-Viscount, the Hotel Lambert and the Institute de France, built by the architect after his death. Much of his work at Versailles in later times was covered by the work of the architect Mansart. Levo left the eastern facade of brick and stone in its original form, but attached two wings to it; on the way to the building, he erected a number of pavilions intended for ministers.

Le Nôtre was born into a gardener's family and was to become a royal gardener himself. His grandfather looked after Marie de Medici parks; his father was chief gardener at the Tuileries; the husband of one of his sisters grew a young garden for Anne of Austria, and the husband of the second looked after her orange trees. Le Nôtre dreamed of becoming an artist and began life in the studio of Vouet, but soon returned to gardening. He succeeded his father at the Tuileries and gave the parks there a new look. He was noticed by Fouquet and invited to Vaud, where the result of his work did not leave the Sun King indifferent, who immediately appointed him the general manager of all his parks. We owe him not only the gardens of Versailles, but also the parks of Chantilly, Saint-Cloud, Marly, So; the famous terrace in Saint-Germain-aux-Laye, as well as numerous private parks and gardens, and a magnificent wide avenue are the creation of his hands. Champs Elysees originating from the Louvre. The city of Versailles was also built according to his design.

Le Nôtre carried an interest in painting and art throughout his life. His home at the Tuileries abounded with beautiful things, including Chinese porcelain. When he left home, he left the keys on a carnation so that art connoisseurs who came in his absence would not be disappointed and could admire the magnificent collection.

Quentini played an equally significant role in the arrangement of Versailles. He planted a garden. At first he worked as a lawyer in Poitiers, but his real passion was vegetables and fruits. His book on gardening and horticulture can be ranked among the best publications on this subject; she awakens in the reader a passion for gardening; his advice is detailed and simple enough that even a child can understand them.

The king adored Quentini. He raised him to the nobility and gave him a house in the garden, where he often visited for a walk. Today, the garden and vegetable garden remain almost unchanged, including the gate marked "Public" through which the people of Versailles entered to take free vegetables.

Quentini pears existed in Versailles until 1963, when the last two trees had to be dug up. In the 19th century, many of them were still bearing fruit and endured well the winters that killed other fruit trees.

So, after 1661, Louis XIV wished own palace, which in its splendor and luxury would surpass other castles in France and even Europe. The king chose Versailles as the place of construction, a small village with a population of five hundred, where there was a small hunting castle of Louis XIII. The best architects, sculptors, artists of the 17th century worked on the construction, huge sums of money were spent on the construction of the castle. But the Sun King spares nothing. Led to the construction of Versailles, as we see, the desire of Louis to have his own, unique palace, which was supposed to be proof of the glory and power of the king.

Finances of France and the Palace of Versailles

When it comes to Money ah, spent on construction sites at Versailles, historians unanimously agree that the palace cost huge sums. And if we take into account the cost of interior decoration, we get colossal numbers. Although the comptroller-general of the finances, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, tried to instill a penchant for frugality in the king, the desire for the king's glory came at a cost.

Before Colbert was yet superintendent of construction, from 1661 to 1663, Versailles was already worth a million and a half (within four years he absorbed what Fontainebleau ate in 17 years). Almost all of this amount was used, apparently without any measure, to create parks. The king bought, increased, expanded, rounded up his possession. He comes up with pools, new parterres, a greenhouse, bosquets. In 1664, Versailles cost the construction administration 781,000 livres; next year - 586,000.

Colbert was undoubtedly concerned about these numerous expenses. He was worried and even angry. In a letter he wrote to the king (September 1665), anxiety sounds. “If Your Majesty wishes to discover traces of glory in Versailles, where more than five hundred thousand crowns have been spent in two years, you will undoubtedly be upset if you do not find it.”

Colbert still believed in the future of the Louvre and the Tuileries. At this time, Lorenzo Bernini, a sculptor, artist, architect, author of the colonnade at the Cathedral of St. Peter, monuments to popes Urban VIII and Alexander VII. He should have done from the Louvre most beautiful palace peace.

But more and more money is spent on Versailles every year. If in 1668 339,000 livres were spent on construction from the budget of the Ministry of Construction, in 1669 spending reaches 676,000 livres, and in 1671 - up to 2,621,000 livres. Beginning in 1670, new furniture appeared in the palace, decorated with silver lining, and His Majesty's bedroom was covered with gold brocade.

To get an idea of ​​what the livre (subdivided into 20 soles and 240 denier) was then at the end of the 17th century, we will give a few examples. In the cities, an unskilled worker could earn between 6 and 10 soles a day when there was work; qualified (cabinet maker, locksmith, stonemason) - 20 soles. Daily laborers in rural areas, when they found work (150 days a year), received 5-6 salts per day. The parish curate, who lived without trouble, could receive from 300 to 400 livres a year, that is, 20 soles for a full day's work. It can also be assumed that a modest family lived on 25 livres a month. Thus, having calculated the average annual income of such a family, we get: per year for the construction of Versailles (data of 1664), not counting the cost of interior decoration, as much money was spent as would be enough for the comfortable living of 3,000 families.

Versailles can be called in the full sense of the word, a peacetime construction site. After all, construction work began to revive and the largest financial investments occurred just at the time when peace was concluded. Let's compare some numbers. During the War of Devolution, Versailles cost the state 536,000 francs in two years. As soon as peace came, expenses immediately increased. In 1671, Versailles cost 676,000 francs. During the five years of war, from 1673 to 1677 inclusive, the amount spent on construction at Versailles amounted to 4,066,000 livres. As soon as the Nimwegen peace was concluded, the monarch no longer saw any reason to save. In 1679, the expenses of Versailles rise to 4,886,000 francs, and in 1680 they reach 5,641,000 francs. With the beginning of the Ten Years' War, the main construction projects stopped. In the documents of the construction ministry, you can see a report on the amounts spent on Versailles (excluding water supply): in 1685 - 6,104,000, in 1686 - 2,520,000, in 1687 - 2,935,000. Preparations for war are in full swing, and therefore costs are sharply reduced in 1688: 1976,000 livres. And then, for nine whole years, from 1689 to 1697 inclusive, Versailles cost France only 2,145,000 livres. Between 1661 and 1715, Versailles, together with the castle and office premises, cost 68,000,000 francs.

We must not forget that Versailles is not the only palace being built at that time. Numerous other construction projects were also underway in Paris. Until 1670, contributions to the construction of Parisian palaces were twice those provided to Versailles. Beginning in 1670, the situation changed.

And in 1684, the Ministry of Finance allocated 34,000 francs for only one housing for workers. The statistics are certainly impressive!

But if you think about it again, these expenses do not seem so astronomical compared with the costs of wars and the degree of political and artistic flourishing of the court during the time of the great king and further, during the whole age of Enlightenment. It is impossible to say better than Pierre Verlet: "Everyone will agree that Louis XIV, having given us Versailles, enriched France ... The spending of the great king gave the world a castle that one cannot but admire."

Château de Versailles or the Palace of Versailles is recognized as the largest historical museum peace.

The palace is listed worldwide cultural heritage UNESCO. Most of it is open to tourists.

Before construction architectural masterpiece, Versailles was considered a village. Today, Versailles is a suburb of Paris, where tourists from different countries. In 1623, Louis XIII built a hunting castle in the village of Versailles. The castle was meant for relaxation. A small building in the form of a hunting castle became the basis for the construction of the most expensive and extravagant building in the world.

The construction of the palace was begun by Louis XIV in 1661. The actions of the king caused some controversy among the starving people, ministers, but no one dared to openly express their discontent. The best architects of that time, Louis Le Vau and Jules Hardouin, took part in the construction. The construction of the gardens was carried out according to the design of Andre Le Notre. ABOUT interior design and park sculptures were cared for by Charles Lebrun. Under construction, erection of gardens, paths, fountains has been cleared huge area in 14970 hectares.

Throughout the palace, there are 1,400 fountains, as well as 400 stunning sculptures. More than 36,000 workers participated in the construction. After the completion of the construction, the Château de Versailles could accommodate up to 5,000 people. However, despite the amount of money, which is more than 250 billion euros (by modern standards), the palace has some drawbacks. It could only be lived in in the summer, in winter period time, living in it was impossible, because. there was no heating most of The fireplaces were out of service.

The construction of the Palace of Versailles was finally completed by the end of the life of Louis XIV. It was the residence of the royal family from 1682 to 1789.

The grandeur of the Palace of Versailles shows how powerful and wealthy the monarch was. The king's apartments were in the center of the palace, which symbolized the absolute power of the monarch. The Sun King was sure that God himself had chosen him to be the ruler of France.

It is worth noting that Peter the Great as a guest had the opportunity to stay at the Palace of Versailles in 1717. The magnificence of buildings and gardens delighted Peter I. Upon his return to Russia, Peter the Great adopted some of the ideas that were applied in the construction of the Peterhof Palace.

During the war, a significant part of the buildings were damaged. But, despite the precarious financial situation in the kingdom, Louis XVI allocated part of the funds for the restoration of the palace and gardens. In 1760 most of the damage was repaired.

After the fall of the monarchy, the Palace of Versailles fell into the hands of the new government. As a result, in 1792 some of the furniture and other luxury goods were sold, and the works of art were transferred to the museum, namely the Louvre.

Among architectural structures of the palace complex are distinguished by the Small and Grand Trianon.

The Grand Trianon was built in 1687 by order of Louis XIV. Now the Grand Trianon is used by the President of France to receive important guests.

The Petit Trianon was built between 1762 and 1768. Louis XV's mistress, Madame de Pompadour, lived in the Petit Trianon. Later, in 1774, Louis XVI gave the building to Queen Marie Antoinette.

The masterpiece of the Palace of Versailles is the Hall of Mirrors, whose area is 73 meters. From the 17 windows of the Hall of Mirrors there is a delightful view of the park. The hall got its name from the presence of seventeen arches with mirrors. Important events and celebrations were held in the hall.

In general, the interior design is luxurious. Everywhere you can see wood and stone carvings, painted ceilings, expensive furniture, the walls are decorated with numerous paintings by famous artists.

Versailles park deserves special attention. It took 10 years to build the park. The park of Versailles is a fine example of French garden design. Flower beds and alleys are made in strict symmetry.

The trees had strict geometric shapes. Crowns were formed in the form of balls, pyramids, squares.

The flowers have always been fragrant. As soon as the flowers withered, they were replaced with new ones. Trees and other plants were brought from all the provinces of France. Thousands of people participated in the creation of the garden.

noteworthy and Grand Canal, the length of which is 1670 meters. Work on the creation of the channel lasted 11 years. The channel was created under the direction of Andre Le Notre. The Grand Canal was the site of numerous water shows during the reign of Louis XIV. Currently, anyone can take a boat ride on the canal at the Palace of Versailles.