No wonder the French beheaded all their royals during the bloody French Revolution. Fed up with thepressures of royal life in Paris, King Louis XIII began building the Palace of Versailles in 1624 and his sons continued with the building for hundred years until it was a huge chateau stretching over 16 acres of statues, gardens, fountains, multiple mansions, and even a full size private hamlet to simulate country life. At a time when most people were simple, poor peasants, and Paris was becoming a dirty, crowded city, this excessive escape was even more egregious.
Today, Versailles is a short train ride from the city and a must-see tourist attraction. Luckily when the last monarchs, King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, were arrested and executed, the state had the foresight to preserve the palace as a museum and property of the government. For this, the estate remains in beautiful condition and offers an incredible peak into the lives of decadence enjoyed by absolute monarchs and their close ties.
Half of the front of the entrance to the Palace of Versailles and below, an even more pulled back view. It was hard to capture how truly enormous this place is.
Below is the king's bedroom. Dig that wallpaper!
One of the most magnificent buildings on the property is the Fourth Chapel, which is connected to the main estate. Noted for its high ceilings with impressive murals, it was where King Louis the XIV and select members of the royal family attended daily mass. King Louis XIV sat on the balcony of the second floor in the rear of the church and faced the alter, while the attendees below sat in pews facing the bak of the church to look up at King Louis while he worshipped... And we think our modern politicians are arrogant and self-serving!
Above is the Fourth Chapel. The photo is taken from underneath the balcony where the king would be seated. This chapel also served as the entryway to the royal cabinet area and meeting halls, this it is home to many important events in French history.
Above is the Hall of Mirrors, considered one of the most opulent rooms in the Palace of Versailles. At the time, mirrors were an expensive luxury for only the wealthiest in society. The full size mirrors on the interior wall that lined the entire hall were extraordinary for their time. The view out the windows overlooking the gardens wasn't too bad either...
We spent many hours wandering the gardens and grounds of the palace.
Below is the path to the Grand Trianon, another huge mansion on the property where the royal family could further escape reality.
Checking out the Grand Trianon. The King had servants change the flowers in the surrounding garden daily according to his whims.
The last royals to live at the Palace of Versailles were King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette in the late 18th century. Marie-Antoinette always longed for the simple life of a country person, of course, without all the dirt, grime and disease that accompanied real rural France in the those days. For that reason, the King commissioned the construction of a tiny hamlet surrounding a small pond so that she could live out her misguided dream.
Versailles was an incredible place to marvel royal wealth and interesting juxtaposition to my experiences in Peru. People always marvel at the construction of Macchu Picchu and while I agree the setting, difficult access and materials of construction make it an impressive feat of architecture, it seems incredibly primitive compared to Versailles and the Louvre, both of which were constructed during the same era.
My opinion above might be controversial but I think everyone can agree that compared to the absolute authority and wasteful corruption and wealth of the royal families of 18th century Europe, our politicians don't seem so bad...
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