Versailles in Paris. Tickets to Versailles

Is it possible to find another place as aesthetically harmonious as the Palace of Versailles?! Its external design, the elegance of the interior and the park area are made in the same style; the entire complex deserves to be strolled by representatives of the aristocracy. Every tourist will certainly feel the spirit of the times of the reign of kings, since on the palace and park grounds it is easy to try on the role of a powerful autocrat, in whose power the whole country is in power. Not a single photo can convey true grace, since every meter of this ensemble is thought out to the smallest detail.

Briefly about the Palace of Versailles

There are probably no people who do not know where the unique structure is located. The famous palace is the pride of France and the most recognizable royal residence in the world. It is located near Paris and was previously a separate building with a park area. With the growing popularity of this place among the aristocracy, numerous houses appeared around Versailles, in which lived builders, servants, retinues and other people admitted to the court.

The idea of ​​creating a palace ensemble belonged to Louis XIV, known as the “Sun King”. He himself studied all the plans and pictures with sketches and made adjustments to them. The ruler identified the Palace of Versailles with a symbol of power, the most powerful and indestructible. Only the king could personify complete abundance, so luxury and wealth are felt in every detail of the palace. Its main facade stretches over 640 meters, and the park occupies more than one hundred hectares.

Classicism, which was at the peak of popularity in the 17th century, was chosen as the main style. Several of the best architects were involved in the creation of this large-scale project, which went through several stages of construction. Only the most famous masters worked on the decoration inside the palace, creating engravings, sculptures and other art treasures that still decorate it.

The history of the construction of the famous palace complex

It is difficult to say when the Palace of Versailles was built, since work on the ensemble continued even after the king settled in the new residence and held balls in elegant halls. The building officially received the status of a royal residence in 1682, but it is better to mention the history of the creation of the cultural monument in order.

Initially, since 1623, on the site of Versailles there was a small feudal castle, where the royals and a small retinue stayed while hunting in the local forests. In 1632, the French kings' possessions in this part of the country expanded through the purchase of a nearby estate. Small construction work was carried out near a village called Versailles, but global reconstruction began only with the rise to power of Louis XIV.

The Sun King early became the ruler of France and forever remembered the rebellion of the Fronde, which was partly the reason why the residence in Paris evoked unpleasant memories for Louis. Moreover, being young, the ruler admired the luxury of the castle of the Minister of Finance Nicolas Fouquet and wished to create the Palace of Versailles, surpassing in beauty all existing castles, so that no one in the country would doubt the king’s wealth. Louis Levo, who had already proven himself in other large-scale projects, was invited to play the role of architect.

Throughout the life of Louis XIV, work was carried out on the palace ensemble. In addition to Louis Leveau, Charles Lebrun and Jules Hardouin-Mansart worked on the architecture; the park and gardens belong to the hand of Andre Le Nôtre. The main asset of the Palace of Versailles at this stage of construction is the Mirror Gallery, in which paintings alternate with hundreds of mirrors. Also during the reign of the Sun King, the Gallery of Battles and the Grand Trianon appeared, and a chapel was erected.

In 1715, power passed to the five-year-old Louis XV, who, together with his retinue, returned to Paris and did not rebuild Versailles for a long time. During the years of his reign, the Salon of Hercules was completed and the Small Apartments of the King were created. The construction of the Petit Trianon and the completion of the Opera Hall are considered a great achievement at this stage of construction.

Components of the palace and park area

It is simply impossible to describe the sights of the Palace of Versailles, since everything in the ensemble is so harmonious and elegant that every detail is a real work of art. During your excursions you should definitely visit the following places:

• Grand Trianon (used for outdoor recreation);
  
• Petit Trianon (was the home of the favorite of Louis XV);
  


• Marie Antoinette's farm;
  
• The King's Chambers;
  
• Mirror gallery.
  

At the main entrance to the palace complex there are gates made of gold, decorated with a coat of arms and a crown. The square in front of the palace is decorated with sculptures, which are also found inside the main room and throughout the park. You can even find a statue of Caesar, whose cult was valued by French masters.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the Park of Versailles, as it is an exceptional place, enchanting with its diversity, beauty and integrity. Here you can find amazingly decorated fountains with musical arrangements, botanical gardens, greenhouses, and swimming pools. Flowers are collected in unusual flower beds, and shrubs are given certain shapes every year.

Significant episodes in the history of Versailles

Although the Palace of Versailles was used as a residence for a short time, it played a significant role for the country - in the 19th century it received the status of a national museum, where numerous engravings, portraits, and paintings were transported.

With the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, the mansions became the property of the Germans. They chose the Hall of Mirrors to declare themselves the German Empire in 1871. The French were offended by the chosen location, so after Germany's defeat in World War I, when Versailles was returned to France, the peace treaty was signed in the same premises.

Since the 50s of the 20th century, a tradition has emerged in France according to which all visiting heads of state had to meet with the president in Versailles. Only in the 90s it was decided to move away from this tradition due to the great popularity of the Palace of Versailles among tourists.

Monarchs of other countries who visited the French landmark marveled at the elegance and luxury of the royal residence and often, upon returning home, tried to recreate no less elegant palaces with similar architecture. Of course, you will not find a similar creation anywhere in the world, but many castles in Italy, Austria and Germany have some similarities. Even the palaces in Peterhof and Gatchina are made in the same classicism, borrowing a number of ideas.

From historical descriptions it is known that it was very difficult to keep secrets in the palace, since Louis XIV preferred to know what was on the minds of his courtiers in order to avoid conspiracies and uprisings. The castle has many hidden doors and secret passages that were known only to the king and the architects who designed them.

During the reign of the Sun King, almost all decisions were made in the Palace of Versailles, because government officials and close associates of the autocrat were present here around the clock. To become part of the retinue, one had to live in Versailles regularly and attend daily ceremonies, during which Louis often distributed privileges.

Located 20 km southwest of Paris, the royal town of Versailles, better known as the Palace of Versailles, is a huge palace built by Louis XIV and now one of the most visited tourist destinations in France.

The idea of ​​building a new castle came to the king because of the envy he felt when he saw the castle of his finance minister in Vaux-le-Vicomte. As a result, the king made a firm decision that his palace should certainly surpass the minister's palace in luxury. He hired the same team of craftsmen that built Vaux-le-Vicomte, the architect Louis LeVaux, the artist Charles Lebrun and the landscape architect Andre Le Nôtre, and ordered them to build something that would be a hundred times larger than the Vaux-le-Vicomte palace. The Palace of Versailles became the apotheosis of indulgence in the whims of French monarchs, and although you may not entirely like the environment in which the extravagant and self-aggrandizing “Sun King” chose to live, the historical significance of this palace is enormous, the stories associated with it are truly are fascinating, and the park around the palace is simply charming.

Regular park Palace of Versailles- one of the largest and most significant in Europe. It consists of many terraces, which decrease as they move away from the palace. Flower beds, lawns, a greenhouse, swimming pools, fountains, as well as numerous sculptures are a continuation of the palace architecture. The park of Versailles also contains several small palace-like structures.

The Versailles palace and park ensemble is distinguished by its unique integrity of design and harmony between architectural forms and redesigned landscape. Since the end of the 17th century, Versailles has been a model for the ceremonial country residences of European monarchs and aristocracy. In 1979, the Palace of Versailles and its park were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The history of the Palace of Versailles begins in 1623 with a very modest hunting castle, similar to a feudal one, built at the request of Louis XIII from brick, stone and slate roofing on the territory purchased from Jean de Soisy, whose family owned the lands since the 14th century. The hunting castle was located in the place where the marble courtyard is now. Its dimensions were 24 by 6 meters. In 1632, the territory was expanded through the purchase of the Versailles estate from the Archbishop of Paris from the Gondi family, and a two-year reconstruction was undertaken.

From 1661, Louis XIV began to expand the palace in order to use it as his permanent residence, since after the Fronde uprising, living in the Louvre began to seem unsafe to him. Architects Andre Le Nôtre and Charles Lebrun renovated and expanded the palace in Baroque and Classicism styles. The entire facade of the palace from the garden side is occupied by a large Mirror Gallery, which with its paintings, mirrors and columns makes a stunning impression. In addition to it, the Battle Gallery, the palace chapel and the palace theater also deserve mention.

A city gradually arose around the palace, in which artisans who supplied the royal court settled. Louis XV and Louis XVI also lived at the Palace of Versailles. During this time the population Versailles and the surrounding city reached 100 thousand people, however, it quickly decreased after the king was forced to move to Paris. On May 5, 1789, representatives of the nobility, clergy and bourgeoisie gathered at the Palace of Versailles. After the king, who by law was given the right to convene and dissolve such events, closed the meeting for political reasons, the deputies from the bourgeoisie declared themselves the National Assembly and retired to the Ball House. After 1789, it was possible to maintain the Palace of Versailles only with difficulty. Since the time of Louis Philippe, many halls and rooms began to be restored, and the palace itself became an outstanding national historical museum, which exhibited busts, portraits, battle paintings and other works of art mainly of historical value.

The Palace of Versailles was of great importance in German-French history. After the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War, it was the residence of the main headquarters of the German army from October 5, 1870 to March 13, 1871. On January 18, 1871, the German Empire was proclaimed in the Mirror Gallery, and its Kaiser was Wilhelm I. This place was deliberately chosen to humiliate the French. A peace treaty with France was signed on February 26, also at Versailles. In March, the evacuated French government moved the capital from Bordeaux to Versailles, and only in 1879 again to Paris.

At the end of the First World War, a preliminary truce was concluded at the Palace of Versailles, as well as the Treaty of Versailles, which the defeated German Empire was forced to sign. This time, the historical site was chosen by the French to humiliate the Germans. The harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles (including huge indemnity payments and admission of sole guilt) were a great burden on the young Weimar Republic. Because of this, it is widely believed that the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles were the basis for the future rise of Nazism in Germany.

After World War II, the Palace of Versailles became the site of German-French reconciliation. This is evidenced by the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Elysee Treaty, which took place in 2003.

Many palaces in Europe were built under the undoubted influence of Versailles. These include the castles of Sanssouci in Potsdam, Schönbrunn in Vienna, the Great Palaces in Peterhof and Gatchina, as well as other palaces in Germany, Austria and Italy.

Since 2003 Palace of Versailles became the object of one of the projects under the patronage of Jacques Chirac - a large-scale restoration plan for the palace, comparable only to Mitterrand’s project to renovate the Louvre. The project, with a total budget of 400 million euros, is designed over a period of 20 years, during which the façade and interior of the Opera will be renovated, the original layout of the gardens will be restored, and the three-metre gilded King's Grille will be returned to the inner Marble Court. In addition, after the restoration, tourists will be able to visit for free those parts of the castle that today can only be accessed with an organized tour. However, over the next few years, work will be limited to only the most urgent tasks: so that the roof does not leak, so that there is no short circuit in the electrical wiring, and so that interruptions in the central heating system do not allow the palace to fly into the air, because at one time even revolutionaries.

The Palace of Versailles is the largest palace and park ensemble in Europe. The main tourist destination in France and the former residence of French kings. Located in the city of Versailles, a suburb of Paris (20 km from it). Nowadays it is mainly a tourist area, but in the 18th century Versailles was considered the most modern city in Europe, a kind of standard for planning Washington in the USA.

Versailles is two centuries of French history and a little bit of world history. It was here that the world treaty was signed, which ended the First World War and unleashed the Second.

Surely, even if you have never been to, you have heard about the palace in Versailles. Many palaces in Russia, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Austria were built under the influence of the architecture of the Palace of Versailles. He has no direct imitations. If you visit palaces in different countries, you will see how many details have something in common with Versailles.

The park of the Palace of Versailles is another pride of those places. It consists of many terraces, which become lower as they move away from the palace. Beautiful sculptures, numerous fountains (unlike our Peterhof, they are open only on weekends), flower beds, hedges, intricately trimmed lawns, a greenhouse, a bizarre landscape - this is the only reason you can love Versailles Park. There is no such magnificence and scale anywhere.

History of the palace

The Palace of Versailles began as a modest hunting castle for Louis XIII. In the middle of the 17th century, a series of anti-government uprisings took place in Paris, and living in the Louvre became unsafe. The king decided to build a permanent residence on this site.

To prepare the construction site, more than 800 hectares of swamps were drained and neighboring lands were purchased from the Parisian archbishop.

The reconstruction of the hunting castle was undertaken by famous architects of that time: Charles Leburn and Andre Lenor. The architects of the Palace of Versailles turned it into a real masterpiece of classicism! The main masterpiece was the Mirror Gallery (the main “postcard” view of the palace), it occupies the entire façade of the palace.

Construction was rapidly depleting the state treasury. Without taking into account interior decoration, when transferring to the current course it took approximately 260 billion euros . To reduce labor costs, peasants and military personnel (in peacetime) were forced to become builders, and private construction in the surrounding area was prohibited.

Orders for interior decoration were carried out through tenders. The work of performers who exceeded the budget was not paid.

Versailles became the political and cultural center of the country. 6,000 courtiers lived in it. Louis was frightened by the political intrigues of Paris, he feared for his power. The Palace of Versailles is where the entire aristocracy was under his watchful eye. The aristocracy and nobles who left the palace and began to live elsewhere instantly lost all their ranks and privileges.

After 1798 it was difficult to maintain the palace.

After Marie Antoinette and Louis moved to Paris, the Palace of Versailles lost its political role forever.

In the 19th century, the Palace of Versailles was restored and became an outstanding historical museum open to the public. Historical paintings and sculptures telling about the history of France are exhibited in luxurious halls.

Peculiarities

The Grand Palace of Versailles is the main building of the complex. It contains luxurious rooms designed by the famous Charles Lebrun, ostentatious luxury in every room, ceilings and walls covered with detailed carvings and velvet draperies, stained glass and gilded opulence. Most of the halls are dedicated to Roman deities. Venetian workers and glassmakers were invited to decorate the Hall of Mirrors.

To enjoy the luxury and beauty of the park, rent an electric car (don't forget to show your license) or a bicycle (they are very decent here).

It’s almost impossible to get around everything on foot; you’ll have to spend several days here. Most fountains are launched on weekends, some of them are musical. The intensity of the fountain jet follows the musical beat of the piece. When it gets dark, the water fountains are illuminated and images are projected onto the water surface.

On the opposite side of the garden you can see two more palaces: Grand and Petit Trianon. The Grand was built to take a break from the obsessive etiquette of court life, the Petit was built by Louis XV for his infanta, Madame du Barry. Nearby there are tiny rural (almost gingerbread) houses and windmills - Marie Antoinette's idea of ​​village life.

You can visit most of the halls of the Palace of Versailles only as part of an excursion group. The further wing of the palace sometimes hosts impressive exhibitions of contemporary art. We advise you to follow the events, you come across a lot of interesting things.

Helpful information

For 18 euros you can buy a one-day combo ticket (a two-day ticket costs 25 euros), which includes a tour of the Palace of Versailles, entrance to the Petit and Grand Trianon, Marie Antoinette Farm, and a musical fountain show.

For 15 euros you can walk through the halls of the Palace of Versailles (for 7 euros you can purchase a tour if you wish).

Entrance to the park is free.

Working hours: from November to March from 9:00 to 17:30, from April to October from 9:00 to 18:30. The garden is open every day from 8:00 to 20:00.
Tickets can be purchased on the palace website to avoid the long line.

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The word “Versailles” has long been transformed from a proper name into a common noun and has become a symbol of brilliance, luxury and impeccable taste. The Palace of Versailles is one of the most visited attractions in France these days. 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 been created to it.

Louis XIV wanted to make a miracle; ordered - and in the middle of the wild, sandy desert, the Tempean valleys and a palace appeared, which in Europe has no similar splendor.

Nikolay Karamzin

Symbol of the French monarchy

It is interesting that the reason for the creation of the palace was ordinary human envy. Once I saw the palace Vaux-le-Vicomte, which belonged to the then Minister of Finance Fouquet, Louis XIV could no longer sleep peacefully: he convened the same team of architects that created the minister’s palace and set a difficult task - to do “the same thing, but 100 times better.” The monarch's wish was fulfilled: the architect Louis Levo began construction in 1661, and 21 years later Versailles became the official royal residence - an unprecedentedly short construction time for a grandiose building with an area of ​​more than 6 hectares, consisting of 3,500 rooms! When creating the palace and its decoration, the latest technologies of the time were used: for example, to decorate the famous Hall of Mirrors, Italian craftsmen were invited, who at that time alone mastered the technique of amalgamation. For major construction work, masons were hired from Flanders 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 strict economy: despite all the splendor of the decoration, not a single restroom 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, construction would cost them a quarter of a trillion euros (the Americans launched 15 spacecraft to the moon for half that amount). Add here the costs of expanding and rebuilding the palace, maintaining a crowd of thousands of courtiers and lackeys, enormous expenses on balls and celebrations - and it becomes clear how heavy a burden the palace was for the economy. While Versailles was becoming more beautiful, France was becoming poor, and less than a century after the “Sun King” his kingdom fell, and armed sans-culottes ruled 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 multi-million flow of tourists, Versailles has become a donor to the national economy - and so significant that the Republic allocated 400 million EUR for its reconstruction. Currently, more than 1,000 rooms of the palace are open to the public, including the world-famous Hall of Mirrors, the Great and Small Royal Apartments, the Battle Hall and the Royal Opera House.

Practical information

The easiest way to get to Versailles from Paris is to take the RER train line C (any city pass with coverage zones 1-4 will do). There are also special buses from the Eiffel Tower.

Opening hours: the palace is open to the public from April to October on all days except Mondays. The ticket office is open from 9:00 to 17:50, the ticket price for an adult is 20 EUR. Prices on the page are as of March 2019.