How long did versailles take to build

Here he received Queen Victoria for a sumptuous stay in The Palace had become an archetypal seat of power and continued to host the most important events in the history of France, such as the declaration of the German Empire, signed in following France's defeat at war by the Prussians. The Palace took a long time to recover Similarly, the Third Republic was born in Versailles, as the Parliament took refuge here after the Commune. Between and fifteen presidential elections were voted on by Parliament meeting in Versailles.

The arrival of a young curatorial assistant in , and his subsequent appointment as curator in , enabled the Palace to showcase its former role as royal residence. During the horrors of the First World War, Versailles suffered anew. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the First World War, and Versailles also suffered during this conflict which forced the Palace to close and its works to be protected. But, like Paris, Versailles was not invaded and, all in all, life continued.

Even though at a slower rhythm, the museum collections grew and visitors arrived, though fewer than before. The Palace spent the war years mobilising support for the national effort and assisting the wounded and the families of soldiers as much as possible. When it was chosen for the signing of the peace treaty in , Versailles once again became the centre of the world's attention.

Recalling the humiliation of , the Allies had the Germans sign in the same place where the German Empire had been declared Despite this resurgence of attention, the Palace suffered a lack of maintenance for several years, due to a crippling shortage of money to renovate it, and it began to show its age. Salvation came from across the Atlantic in the person of the billionaire John D.

Rockefeller, who made two enormous donations to the Palace for its restoration. Recalling the involvement of France in the American War of Independence, the wealthy businessman inaugurated a custom of philanthropy and patronage that became indispensable for the proper functioning of the site.

Thanks to him, Versailles regained its cosmopolitan character, and the entire political, artistic and cultural world rushed to tour it. The terrible storm of devastated the park of Versailles — 10, trees were lost and the damage was estimated at million francs — but nevertheless allowed the possibility of restoring it to its original condition to be considered once again; the project had been started ten years earlier, after another storm, but had run up against resistance.

The idea received fresh support from an international subscription launched in January The Palace itself also required extensive restoration work, and improvements for the reception of the public were essential.

The projects notably included restoration of the Hall of Mirrors, the Petit Trianon, the roofs on the central section of the palace and the Royal Gate, alongside major works for security and modernisation which are less visible.

The pavilion now constitutes the Palace's new main entrance. All kinds of major exhibitions and guided tours are now available to visitors during their journey of discovery through this major historical site. Numerous events are organised in the Royal Chapel , the Royal Opera House and the Equestrian Academy of Versailles , while the Musical Fountains Shows bring the parterres and groves in the Garden to life each year to the sound of baroque music.

The Palace of Versailles is duty-bound to remain faithful to its vocation of supporting artistic creation since its beginning and preserving some of the finest works by the most gifted painters, sculptors and craftsmen of the time.

This is why, every summer since , it has hosted the work of a famous contemporary artist. Versailles has always been a centre for artistic creation, as testified by the richness of the collections commissioned over the centuries, and, ever faithful to this vocation, the estate welcomes a different contemporary artist every summer.

The Estate The history The collections Resources. Find out more about the origins of the Palace These two small palaces, whose architectural style was neither distinctive nor particularly fashionable, were royal residences of leisure. Find out more about the reign of Louis XIV The residence gradually went from being a hunting lodge to a residence for leisure that saw grand parties and entertainmen t held in the gardens such as the ones in , and The Gardens of Versailles are some of the largest in the world and include statues, 55 water features, fountains, and over 20 miles of canals.

Each year, , flowers and , trees are planted there for visitors to roam through and admire. Apparently, the smell of the gardens was very strong in the 17th century, and it overpowered guests at the Palace. Madame de Maintenon wrote in a letter dated Aug.

The excess of fragrance causes men and women to feel ill. There are mirrors in the Hall of Mirrors. When it was built, Venice had a monopoly on making mirrors, but France was not deterred by this fact and enticed Venetian mirror makers to make some specially for the Palace.

The craftsmen were later ordered to be assassinated by the Italians for giving away their secrets sources vary on whether they went through with this or if it was merely a threat. It ended the war between Germany and the Allied Powers. Louis XIII originally bought the land where the Palace stands today because he loved hunting. Initially, he built a chateau there for an escape from the city — drawn by the area's richness in wild animals. Louis expanded the chateau and bought more land before his death.

He even moved the French government and its court there in When Versailles was completed, over 5, people, including servants, could be accommodated in its large living space. The Gardens' water fountains were pressurized and jetted water high into the air, causing quite a spectacle for guests.

However, due to issues with water supply, they were only turned on during special occasions , according to Tony Spawforth, author of Versailles: A Biography of the Palace. The Gardens included over 50 spectacular fountains with jets.

Today, many of the fountains of which there were originally 1, include the same hydraulic systems from over years ago. The Palace could accommodate over 5, people between its walls — that's a lot of mouths to feed. In order to serve meals to so many people, the kitchens at the Palace were enormous. They — alone — were attended to by hundreds of servants. As a result, his meals were often served cold. In , the gate was recreated and decorated with , gold leaves. Oudry - Palace of Versailles Palace of Versailles.

While there was a bounty of food and drink on constant offer at Versailles, the drink of choice for King Louis XV was hot chocolate. The cocoa drink was a delicacy back then and was thought of as an exotic choice for the royals. Even Marie-Antoinette had a penchant for hot chocolate.

Members of the royal family were lucky enough to have a cupboard in their rooms that housed a sort of a toilet chair, where a chamber pot would be placed under a seat with a hole and be changed by staff when they got round to it.

Not wanting to avoid an opportunity to show off though, even the chamber pots at Versailles were cast in silver. The palace was originally a hunting lodge. The smell of the gardens was so strong, it made visitors ill. The Treaty of Versailles was signed in the Hall of Mirrors. Temple amour Palace of Versailles. Marie Antoinette had a private romantic hideaway on the grounds. Versailles has housed several Royal Menageries. The palace played a crucial role in scientific research.

The royal gate was destroyed during the French Revolution. Hot chocolate was the drink of choice. The chamber pots were made of silver. The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.