Chateau de Versailles: Dream for eternity

To supply the work, the king opened marble and stone quaries, created factories producing mirrors, silks,tapasteries and porcelain.

Forty thousand workers were mobilized, sometimes reinforced by the sun king ‘s troops in between military campaign.

Work in chateau was driven by architect Louis le vau,while the garden was managed by Andre le Notre.

The building work lasted almost fifty years ,practically throughout the reign of LouisXIV ,to achieve works most famous chateau.

A residence but also a political center and the court headquarters. A third of Versailles building budget was devoted to transporting water to a site that was previously devoid of garden, ponds and fountain Adequate canal and channels were built along dozens of kilometre to prove water for Versailles and amusements for the king and his court.

The chateau of Versailles and its outbuilding constitute a maze of room with many priceless objects that can only be visited.

Chateau is divided into royal residence and history galleries and museum by Louis phillippe.

Two wings in the forecourt were entirely restructured in order to create a larger enterance area 1.stable wing  2.gabriel wing.

In 1919 ,peace treaty that ended the First world War was signed in the Hall of Mirrors.

The Hercules Room

The Hercules room
The marble casing and the Twin pilasters foreshadow the decor of the hall of mirrors, located at the far end of state apartment, the exceptional quality of marble and the Splendor of bronze work on the chimney piece, drafted by  Antoine Vasse, contribute to making this room one of the most beautiful in the schedule all the painting hold the visitors attention.

This ceiling, one of the largest in the world, also thanks skilled composition, elegant figures, and freshness of the colors, one of the great Masterpiece of French decorative painting. This work by
Francois Lemoyne, it between 1733 and 1736 represented the Apotheosis of Hercules. Having vanquished all the vices and monster, the hero of ascending Mount Olympus on the share you’re drawn by the spirit of virtue, Jupiter and Juno, surrounded by God and Goddesses, introducing him to Hebe, the Goddess of youth who will became his wife. 

Room of ABUNDANCE

This is a small reception room fitted out in 1680, for a long time served as a vestibule to the collection room of real objects was reached by the door. At the end after mounting 5 steps do now open onto the Game Room
The ceiling was painted by Rene Antoine Houasse, who won the surround has represented the most precious object in the room of rare objects, in particular, the king’s ship and the center royal munificence and progress of Fine Arts

The portraits of Louie 15 descendants: On the other side of the door that often his son and the Duc de Bourgogne work on the eldest grandson by Hyacinthe Rigaud. 

The venus room

During the reign of Louis xiv, this reception room was the main entrance to the state apartment
In the recess at the end standard statue of Louis xiv antique attire by Jean Warin. 
The ceiling was painted by Rene Antoine Houasse. In the center represent Venus subjugating divinities and power to her Empire, one either side there are two grilled prawns imitation material depicting the Rape of euphoria and Rape of  Amphitrite. 
In the coronal represented couple of famous lover
Thesis and Ariane, 
Jason and Medea
Anthony and Cleopatra
Titus and Bernice. 

The war room:

This was initially the king’s Council room jupiter room and Louis xiv health Council it was adorned with a painting related to the story of Jupiter and restraint of princess. 
At the time when Mirrors where relativity small extremely expensive it was a manifestation of unheard of lavishness to decorate 3 room measuring almost 100 M in length almost entirely with Mirrors attested to the fat fact that France with Royal manufacturer of Saint gobain at henceforth from Venice of a longstanding monopoly. 

In the center of the cupola the figure of France, bearing on her Shield The Portrait of Louis xiv. Is surrounded by victories, once of the home is presenting the coat of arms of the city of Strasbourg, which was integrated into France in 1681. In the coves are represented Bellona, goddess of War, and the Three powers which United in 16722 combat France: The Empire, spain, and Holland. 

The great gallery or Hall of mirrors:

The gallery, a building 1678 by JULES HARDOUIN MANSART, was covered with Marble in 1679. 

Opposite the 17 arched Windows are 17 corresponding arcades adorn with Mirrors, separated by engraved Guild copper baguettes. The arches are surmounted alternatively with head of Apollo and the skin of Nemean lion. 

The pilasters are in Rance marble, on a background of a white marble. With capitals adorned with Fleur de lys and 
Gallic cocks, evoking the “French order” Imagine by le Brun. 
Gilts bronze trophies decorate the green campan marble pier glasses, 

Gallery is decorated with eight busts of Roman Emperor in porphyry and marble, and eight statues, five of which are antique. 
Bacchus, Modesty, a Vestal virgin, the  Venus of Troas, and Uranus, the other three are cast of antique statue that had on the Hall of Mirrors but now in the louvre:Diane de Versailles, Marcellus, and the Venus of Arles. 

The vaulted ceiling is Charles le Bruns Masterpiece. 
He gave free rein to inventive genius, 
By creating a whole series of allegories, trompe – l’oeil effects, fake perspective, and real or imitation stucco work. 


The large picture evokes the most glorious episode from the dutch war (1672-78), while the painted or imitation bronze medallion on a gold ground evoke the victories of War of devolution(1667-68), as well as the mean administrative and economic reforms carried out during the early years of reign. Hence, the painting on the vaulted ceiling illustrates all the Civil and military achievement accomplished by the king in less than 20 years.

The general composition evolves around the large central painting, which is the main focus point and should be viewed as first. It represents, confronting the great powers, the young King turning away from pleasure and exports to contemplate the Crown of immortality proffered refer to him by glory, to which Mars, the God of War, pointing. After viewing this, what I returned to the war rooms entrance, in order to follow the events depicted in chronological order up until the Arcade of Peace Room. 

One can just imagine how this creates a gallery look at the height of its Splendor. The windows where cut and invite The Mask with the king’s monogram embroidered in gold, and the furniture was made of silver: There was chandeliers, pedestal tables bearing crystal girandoles, table Laden with precious vases, and tops with orange trees placed on barrows. Moreover, whenever a foreign ambassador was received at the court, the Silver Throne was placed before The Arcade of peace room, under the canopy and on a platform covered with a Persian rug with gold background. 
“The great gallery truly become a sort of Royal beauty unique in this world” as the Marquise de Sevigne declared.

Queen state Apartment :

largest room in the Queen’s state apartment and where she spend most of her time. Each morning she was from her bed, she received the ladies for the court, she gave private audience here.

King apartment

This room was originally the central Stallone separating the king’s private Apartment from that of Queen. In this case it had three French Windows that open on to the terrace, doors when the hall of the mirror was built. The decoration of the gilded pilasters dates from this modification.
In 1684, the room became the kings dressing room, but in 1701  Louis 14 decided to make it his bedchamber.

In Louis 14 days, the furniture in the room was incredibly sumptuous. In winter, the alcove what lined with Crimson velvet embroidered in gold, on which song various pictures
In summer there was gold and silver brocket on a ground of Crimson daMask.

The material was used to cover the bed and the chairs. The painting adorning this bedroom is with one exception those chosen by Louis xiv: In the attic, the four evangelists,  Cesar’s Denarius by Valentin de Boulogne;

It was in this bedroom that Louis xiv sometime give the audience and where he in private. The ceremonies of Kings getting up in the morning and going to the bed at night(lever and coucher) also held here, there succession of entrance and strict rites. And it was here that he died after a 72-year reign, 14 September 17 15 serenity and nobility that even his Enemies admired.G

The Chateau Gardens and Park
Before the revolution, the Royal Estate of Versailles and come past and area of 8, 600 hectares. Surrounded by 43 km of walls with 24 Gates, it was composed of three distinct areas

The Chateau Garden( 93 hectares) ; the small Park( 900 hectares) including among others the Swiss pool, the Grand Canal, the menagerie, and the Trianon estate ; and the great park, which was reserve for hunting and included several villages.

Partition during the revolution, with a large part of it confiscated, the state has now been reduced to 815 hectares, to the Gardens and part of former small Park.

Instigation and guidance of Louis xiv, the schedules Gardens were designed and laid out by Andre Le Notre, as of  1676 by JULES HARDOUIN MANSART.
The country during the reign of Louis XV and Louis XVI and also in 19th and 20th centuries, they underwent minor changes, in compliance with the original general plan.

Fully open to the general public after the installation of court and government at Versailles in 1682, the king himself is trolled in the garden almost every day. The fountains where then turn on, but in such a way as to save water and to ensure that water Jets had a certain strength: Only the fountains that King could see where turned on, as the hydraulic engineers used a vessel to inform one another of the kings where about enhance on the water supply as he progressed around the garden.
Every year to celebrate feast Day by Saint Louis on 25th August, the Fountain show was heldfor crowds of visitors.

The Gardens are alone with around 500 marble, bronze and lead sculpture, making them the largest outdoor museum of sculpture in the world.

Largely dating back to the time of Louis xiv, dress culture heritage of garden of Versailles represent a Pinnacle in history of European sculpture, term of artist skill and quantity and diversity of works.

During the reign of Louis XV via creation of skirted decoration on the Neptune basin between 1735 and 1741, this Heritage was subsequently damaged replanting of gardens.

Despite this, the collection inherited from Louis xiv main impressive and Versailles still contains the largest collection of the word of French is culture attesting to the earth produced during Louis xiv reign.