Île-de-France Region

What started as a hunting location for King Louis XIII, grew to become one of the most opulent and iconic locations in the world. Over its 400 year history, it has served as a part time hunting lodge and a royal residence for French kings and their courtiers. It was the epicenter of the French Revolution and provided the location for the signing of some of the world’s most significant treaties. In addition to being a favorite destination for tourists from both near and far, the palace and gardens still play host to visiting dignitaries from all over the world.

Palace of Versailles History

As a young dauphin (heir apparent to the French throne), the future King Louis XIII visited Versailles for the first time in 1607 on a hunting trip. He and his father, King Henry IV, both fell in love with the beautiful landscape and its plentiful game. When the young prince became king, he returned to Versailles and decided to build a small hunting lodge where he could stay the night. He loved this country residence so much that he directed Jacques Lemercier to construct a château on the site in 1623. That original structure’s walls are preserved today as the exterior facade overlooking the Marble Courtyard.

A generation later, his son Louis XIV would go on to be the longest ruling monarch in the world, occupying the throne for over 72 years. He was quite a character! (To understand his personality, you need only refer to the quote at the top of this post.) He eventually made Versailles his principal residence and began a seemingly never-ending cycle of building and decorating at the palace. Some of the country’s most famous artists added their touches to the property. André Le Nôtre, landscape designer, laid the foundation for the vast gardens that surround the estate. (You may remember him from our Le Château d’Ussé post a few weeks ago.) Louis Le Vau and Jules Hadouin-Mansart were the architects favored by the king. Charles Le Brun was trusted to decorate in the opulent style the king demanded. The palace’s location in Versailles gave the king a comfortable distance from the noble lords in Paris, enabling him to control everything about his kingdom. In 1678, work commenced on the Hall of Mirrors which was meant to be a statement of the king’s supreme power.

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By the time of King Louis XIV’s death, he had outlived all of his legitimate children and the throne passed to his 5 year old great grandson who became Louis XV. Due to his young age, the Duke of Orléans acted as regent and moved the young prince to the Tuileries Palace in Paris. Once he came of age, King Louis XV moved the seat of government back to Versailles which had been abandoned after Louis XIV’s death. The young king was a passionate student of science. His passion for botany led to enhancements of the Palace’s gardens. He also commissioned the construction of the Petit Trianon, which is a small palace on the estate. It was here that the king experienced the first symptoms of smallpox which would claim his life in 1774. His son, King Louis XVI, ascended to the throne, and gifted the Petit Trianon to his wife, Marie Antionette, who made it her own.

Known as “Louis the Last”, King Louis XVI inherited a troubled kingdom that was already in a downward spiral. The 20 year old king was notoriously indecisive. As a result, his wife, Marie Antoinette, had extraordinary influence. Their marriage was an attempt to create a peaceful union between France and Austria which were at the brink of war. It was during these days that the King and Queen, along with their courtiers, lived lives of remarkable abundance while the country was experiencing financial depletion and its citizens were in abject poverty. Eventually, Versailles became the symbol of royal opulence and a despised reminder to the starving citizens of France of their monarch’s apathy for their situation. The people rose up in defiance and deposed their king and queen, resulting in their executions.

Abandoned after the French Revolution, the property fell into disrepair. King Louis Philippe I endeavored to make Versailles a monument for the people. He turned it into a museum “dedicated to the glories of France” in 1837. It continued to attract interest until the early 20th century. The Palace of Versailles emerged weakened from WWI. Many employees had been sent to the front and wartime meant that the public no longer visited the estate. The Palace hosted the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28th, 1919 in the Hall of Mirrors, effectively ending the war, but then fell into disrepair once again.

In June of 1923, American philanthropist John D. Rockefeller attended a party organized at the Palace of Versailles to raise funds for the restoration of the Estate. He was shocked to discover the historic royal residence in such bad shape. He went on to donate huge sums of money to renovate the château and the surrounding 800 hectares of land.

Today, the Palace of Versailles contains over 60,000 works of art. The collections span a very broad period and are treasured by both the French and the more than 10 million visitors who tour the palace each year. The gardens are impeccably maintained and provide a beautiful place for visitors to wander and admire the landscapes, sculptures, and fountains.

Ties to America

Before traveling to France, we were treated to so many warnings from friends here in the US that the French “don’t like Americans.” Time after time, we found that to be a complete misrepresentation. While, I suspect, the French have a healthy disdain for some of the behaviors that have come to define Americans (loud, rude, entitled, etc.), every person we met was welcoming, friendly, and helpful.

We loved finding ties between our two countries as we traveled throughout France. Those ties were found in abundance at Versailles. The Palace of Versailles has long held close ties with the history of the USA. In fact, it was here that the decision was made to recognize the United States of America as a nation in 1777. Here are some of the other things we learned and observed as we visited the Palace of Versailles:

• Benjamin Franklin visited King Louis XVI to ask for France’s assistance in the Revolutionary War vs Britain. The official reception was held at Versailles on March 21, 1778. A treaty of alliance had already been negotiated with the Count of Vergennes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and had been signed on February 6, 1778. This treaty marked France's entry into the war against England.

• The king sent a considerable amount of military assistance in the form of 6,000 men under the command of General Rochambeau. This assistance contributed to the defeat of the English at Yorktown on October 17, 1781. Without this assistance, it is unlikely that the US would have prevailed. Despite George Washington’s skill and experience as a great general, the Continental Army did not have the money, training, men, or equipment necessary to defeat the British.

• Siege of Yorktown, the original 1836 painting that depicts the events at Yorktown, hangs at the Palace of Versailles. The painting, by French artist Louis-Charles-Auguste Couder (or just Auguste Couder), is displayed with honor in the Hall of Battles. Measuring an impressive 14-by-17 feet, the painting depicts the surrender of the British army at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781. This ended the last major campaign of the Revolutionary War. The central figure represented in the painting is French General Rochambeau, who played an instrumental role in the victory for the United States.

• The Treaty of Paris was signed by the U.S. and British Representatives on September 3, 1783, ending the War of the American Revolution. Based on a 1782 preliminary treaty, the agreement recognized U.S. independence and granted the U.S. significant western territory.

• Patron of the Palace of Versailles, American philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. (1874-1960) contributed greatly to the restoration of the Palace of Versailles in the early 20th century. Twice he donated part of his fortune to the restoration of Versailles. Without his generous donations, we might not have this incredible piece of history available now and for future generations.

Our Versailles Experience

Composed of the Palace, the gardens, the park, the Trianon estate, and several other buildings in town, the Estate of Versailles currently spreads over more than 800 hectares. We booked our tickets in advance online and just needed to arrive during our entry time. Our experience began the moment we caught our first glimpse of the estate. The gates, gilded in sparkling gold, speak of the abundance that once defined the monarchy. We were so excited to tour this historic palace and found ourselves a little frustrated trying to figure out which line we should get into for our designated entry time. Once we figured it out, we spent our time in line taking in the exterior features we could see. We also noticed a number of armed police officers maintaining a presence near the front entrance. This is something that we had become accustomed to while in France. The French seem to make a preemptive effort when it comes to security. It is not uncommon to see several armed police officers stationed outside the gates of popular sites throughout the country.

Up to this point in our 3 month tour of France, we had experienced fairly small crowds everywhere we visited. Most of this was due to the Covid protocols that were still in place. We knew as soon as we arrived at Versailles that we would be experiencing a much larger crowd than we’d seen before. Once inside, we wandered through room after room filled with breathtaking art, furniture, and architectural touches. It was sensory overload as we attempted to take in everything around us, including the intricately painted ceilings.

We benefited so much from the audio tour and we highly recommend it. Available in 12 different languages, the audio tour allows visitors to type in the code of the item or room that they want to hear about and get an explanation in their own language. The addition of the audio made this tour so much more interesting for Sophie who might easily have become bored without the extra information to answer her many questions and provide color around the items she was seeing. It also helped a bit to tune out the large crowds around us. For more information on this invaluable tool, including where to pick one up, click here.

Once we were finished with our tour of the interior of the palace, we made our way outside to the vast gardens. We were completely unprepared for just how immense the gardens would be and how easily we could become lost as we wandered through them. We spent hours exploring the gardens and didn’t come close to seeing everything. At times, we found ourselves surrounded by high hedges, feeling completely closed off from the crowds of people and we could gaze upon a sculpture or fountain as though we were the only people around to see it. Other times, we were surrounded by other visitors trying to capture the perfect Instagram moment. For the most part, the gardens were so peaceful and we could imagine royal residents finding solace in the tranquil setting.

Final Thoughts

We thoroughly enjoyed our day trip to Versailles. Seeing the exact place where Marie Antoinette escaped the angry Paris mob to the relative safety of the king’s chambers was quite memorable. It’s also one of those tidbits of information that make a world history class much more enjoyable and relatable for our girls. The gardens were the crowning jewel of our visit. We completely lost ourselves there, enjoying a gorgeous fall day and views that wouldn’t quit. If I have one regret, it’s that we didn’t make it to the Trianon Estate. We will most certainly have to make that a priority on a return visit. Have you been to the Palace of Versailles? What was your favorite thing? Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be posting some Interesting Facts About Versailles and our Tips for Visiting Versailles with Kids. We hope these posts will help you better prepare you for a visit to the beautiful Palace of Versailles.