Versailles: Louis Le Vau opened up the interior court to create the expansive entrance cour d'honneur, later copied all over Europe

Versailles: Garden front

The Château de Versailles — often called the Palace of Versailles, or simply Versailles — is a royal château, outside the gates of which the village of Versailles, France, has grown to become a full-fledged city. Download high resolution version (1278x542, 182 KB)Versailles, the Cour dHonneur Source: French Wikipedia: Image:Chateau-de-versailles-cour. ... Download high resolution version (1278x542, 182 KB)Versailles, the Cour dHonneur Source: French Wikipedia: Image:Chateau-de-versailles-cour. ... Louis Le Vau (1612 – 1670) was a French architect who worked for Louis XIV of France. ... Castle of Versailles (from de-Wikipedia) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Castle of Versailles (from de-Wikipedia) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A château ( French for castle; plural châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of gentry, usually French, with or without fortifications. ... Versailles, formerly the capital city of the kingdom of France, is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and is still an important administrative and judicial center. ...

History

Versailles in 1789

Louis XIII often hunted in the woods of Versailles, and had a hunting lodge built there in 1624. In 1627 he entrusted Jacques Lemercier with the plan of a château. Louis XIII (September 27, 1601 – May 14, 1643), called the Just (French: le Juste), was King of France from 1610 to 1643. ... Events January 24 - Alfonso Mendez, appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa. ... Events A Dutch ship makes the first recorded sighting of the coast of South Australia. ... Jacques Lemercier (c. ...

In 1660, Louis XIV, coming to majority and taking on full royal powers, was casting about for a site near Paris but away from the tumults of the city. He had grown up in the disorders of the civil war between rival bands of aristocrats called the Fronde and wanted a site where he could organize and completely control a government of France centered upon his person. He settled on the lodge and decided to convert it into a palace. In 1661 Louis Le Vau made some additions which were further developed by him in 1668. In 1678 Mansart took over the work, the Galerie des Glaces, the chapel and the two wings being due to him. On May 6, 1682 Louis XIV took up his residence in the château. Events Expulsion of the Carib indigenous people from Martinique by French occupying forces. ... Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638 – September 1, 1715) reigned as King of France and King of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... For the French feminist newspaper, see La Fronde The Fronde (1648–1653) was a civil war in France, followed by the Franco-Spanish War with Spain (1653–1659). ... The quintessential medieval European palace: Palais de la Cité, in Paris, the royal palace of France. ... Events January 6 - The fifth monarchy men unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of London. ... Louis Le Vau (1612 – 1670) was a French architect who worked for Louis XIV of France. ... Events January - The Triple Alliance of 1668 is formed. ... Events August 10 - Treaty of Nijmegen ends the Dutch War. ... Jules Hardouin-Mansart, marble bust by Jean-Louis Lemoyne: a full-dress Baroque portrait bust demonstrates that the Kings architect is no mere craftsman Jules Hardouin-Mansart (Paris, April 16, 1646 – Marly, France, May 11, 1708) was a French architect whose work is generally considered to be the apex... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... Events March 11 – Chelsea hospital for soldiers is founded in England May 6 - Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles. ...

The château was largely completed by 1688. The team of architect Louis Le Vau, decorator Charles Le Brun and garden designer André Le Nôtre had been assembled by Louis' own finance minister Nicolas Fouquet at Vaux-le-Vicomte, whose grand success there was his undoing. Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... Architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person licensed in the art of planning, designing and overseeing the construction of buildings, or more generally, the designer of a scheme or plan. ... Charles Le Brun Charles Le Brun (February 24, 1619 - February 22, 1690) was a French painter and art theorist, one of the dominant artists in 17th century France. ... Painting of André Le Nôtre by Carlo Maratti André Le Nôtre (March 12, 1613 - September 15, 1700) was a landscape architect and the gardener of king Louis XIV of France from 1645 to 1700. ... Nicolas Fouquet (1615 — March 23, 1680) was viscount of Melun and of Vaux, marquis of Belle-Isle, superintendent of finance in France under Louis XIV. Born in Paris, he belonged to an influential family of the noblesse de robe, and after some preliminary schooling with the Jesuits, at the age... Vaux-le-vicomte was in many ways the most important work built before Louis XIV came to power. ...

After Louis XIV, several smaller buildings were added to the Versailles area by Louis XV and Louis XVI including the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and the Hamlet of Marie Antoinette known as Petit hameau, which, in a way, is one of the world's first open air museums. Louis XV King of France and Navarre Louis XV (February 15, 1710 - May 10, 1774), called the Well-Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was king of France from 1715 to 1774. ... Louis XVI Louis XVI (August 23, 1754 - January 21, 1793), was King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then King of the French in 1791-1792. ... Categories: Stub ... Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and Archduchess of Austria (born November 1755 – executed 16 October 1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, wife of Louis XVI and mother of Louis XVII. She was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. ... Petit hameau, Versailles Petit hameau the English translation of which is Little hamlet sometimes called Le Hameau de la Reine was part of the private area of Queen Marie Antoinette at Verailles in France. ... An open air museum is a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors. ...

The politics of display

The Grand Trianon, 1678, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, architect

The Petit Trianon

The magnificence of Versailles is so blatant that modern tourists are moved to inquire, "How much did this cost", a question they are never inspired to ask at Chartres. At Ulm, the townspeople built a cathedral so vast the entire population could stand inside it. The question asked at Versailles is not a genuine historical question, for its subtext, often spoken, is "Was it worth it?" Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 493 KB)Grand Trianon, Chateau of Versailles From French Wikipedia: peronal photo at Image:Trianon1. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 493 KB)Grand Trianon, Chateau of Versailles From French Wikipedia: peronal photo at Image:Trianon1. ... Jules Hardouin-Mansart, marble bust by Jean-Louis Lemoyne: a full-dress Baroque portrait bust demonstrates that the Kings architect is no mere craftsman Jules Hardouin-Mansart (Paris, April 16, 1646 – Marly, France, May 11, 1708) was a French architect whose work is generally considered to be the apex... Chateau of the Petit Trianon, Versailles, Ange-Jacques Gabriel, architect File links The following pages link to this file: Marie Antoinette Palace of Versailles Ange-Jacques Gabriel ... Chateau of the Petit Trianon, Versailles, Ange-Jacques Gabriel, architect File links The following pages link to this file: Marie Antoinette Palace of Versailles Ange-Jacques Gabriel ... Chartres is a city and commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Eure-et-Loir département. ... Ulm is a city in Germany, part of the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg (about 100 km south-east of Stuttgart). ...

The anachronistic assumption in the "cost" of Versailles lies in perceiving it as a greatly expanded house on a royal scale. This is not the case: Louis XIV, in building the palace, was intent on more than merely outdoing Vaux-le-Vicomte. Versailles became the home of the French nobility and the location of the royal court. Louis XIV himself lived there, and symbolically the central room of the long extensive symmetrical range of buildings was the King's Bedroom (the Chambre du Roi), which itself was centered on the lavish and symbolic state bed, set behind a rich railing not unlike a communion rail. All the power of France emanated from this centre: there were government offices here; as well as the homes of thousands of individuals. By insisting that nobles spend time at Versailles, Louis kept them from countering his efforts to centralize the French government in an absolute monarchy. The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... Royal court (as distinguished from a court of law) may refer to a number of institutions: A noble court - the household or entourage of a monarch or other ruler The Royal Court of Jersey - the main court of justice of Jersey The Royal Court of Guernsey - the main court of... This article is about traditional meanings of the word office. ... Centralization is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those regarding decision-making, become concentrated within a particular location and/or group. ... Absolute monarchy is an idealized form of government, a monarchy where the ruler has the power to rule his or her country and citizens freely with no laws or legally-organized direct opposition telling him or her what to do, although some religious authority may be able to discourage the...

Costs

Park of Versailles seen from the palace

While the Palace was grand and luxurious, it was also expensive to maintain. It has been estimated that maintaining the Palace, including the care and feeding of its staff and the Royal Family, consumed as much as 25% of the entire government income of France. However, this figure is disputed by historians who consider that it has been exaggerated by those who wish to overemphasise the role of royal extravagance in the causation of the French Revolution. Recent estimates would suggest that the figure was much closer to only 6%. view on the park from the chateau in 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... view on the park from the chateau in 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The period of the French Revolution in the history of France covers the years between 1789 and 1799, in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ...

Benefits

Loggia of the Grand Trianon, Robert de Cotte, architect

Another way to look at this controversy over the costs of Versailles, is to consider the benefits that France drew from this royal palace. Versailles, by locking the nobles into a golden cage, effectively ended the periodical aristocratic groups and rebellions that had plagued France for centuries. It also destroyed aristocratic power in the provinces, and enabled a centralization of the state, for which a majority of modern Frenchmen are still thankful to Louis XIV, although French centralization, as further developed during the French Revolution, and later the Third Republic, is currently the subject of much debate and overhauling. Loggia of the Grand Trianon, Robert de Cotte, architect From French Wikipedia Loggia, Grand Trianon, Versailles ; photographie personnelle, prise par lUtilisateur Urban, septembre 2004, GFDL Urban Septembre 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Loggia of the Grand Trianon, Robert de Cotte, architect From French Wikipedia Loggia, Grand Trianon, Versailles ; photographie personnelle, prise par lUtilisateur Urban, septembre 2004, GFDL Urban Septembre 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The period of the French Revolution in the history of France covers the years between 1789 and 1799, in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ... The French Third Republic, (in French, Troisième Republique, sometimes written as IIIème Republique) ( 1870/ 75- 1940/ 46), was the governing body of France between the Second French Empire and the Fourth Republic. ...

Versailles also had a tremendous influence on French architecture and arts, and indeed on European architecture and arts, as the court tastes and culture elaborated in Versailles influenced most of Europe. From the start, Versailles was conceived as much as a showcase of French arts and craftsmanshift as a home for a king. Modern Frenchmen, even the least sympathetic to the former monarchy, are still generally quite proud of the lasting influence that French arts developed in Versailles have had in the world.

Features

The Hall of Mirrors

Proclamation of the German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors, 1871. Bismarck in white.

The Hall of Mirrors (French: Galerie des Glaces) is a large room in the palace. It is generally considered one of the major attractions of the palace and is currently undergoing restoration. The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (April 1, 1815 – July 30, 1898) was one of the most prominent European aristocrats and statesmen of the nineteenth century. ...

The galerie was started in 1678, at the time the château began to be the official residence of Louis XIV. It was completed in 1684. Many references of it are in Marie Antoinette's diary. Events August 10 - Treaty of Nijmegen ends the Dutch War. ... Events France under Louis XIV makes Truce of Ratisbon separately with the Empire and Spain. ... Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and Archduchess of Austria (born November 1755 – executed 16 October 1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, wife of Louis XVI and mother of Louis XVII. She was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. ...

After the signing of the Treaty of Nijmegen (1678), at the high point of his reign, Louis XIV ordered Le Brun to paint the benefits of his government on the ceiling. The painter conceived 30 scenes, framed with stucco: the king appears as a Roman Emperor, as great administrator of his kingdom, and as victorious over foreign powers. The Treaty of Nijmegen (1678) was signed in Nijmegen, and ended the Dutch War. ... Events August 10 - Treaty of Nijmegen ends the Dutch War. ... Charles Le Brun Charles Le Brun (February 24, 1619 - February 22, 1690) was a French painter and art theorist, one of the dominant artists in 17th century France. ... Stucco is a fine plaster or cement used as a coating for walls or for decoration. ... Roman Emperor is the title historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the Roman Republic. ...

It was in this hall that the German Empire was proclaimed on January 18, 1871, following the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War. It was also here that Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles (1919) stating that Germany was responsible for World War I. The term German Empire (Deutsches Reich) commonly refers to Germany, from its consolidation as a unified nation-state on January 18, 1871, until the abdication of Kaiser ( Emperor) Wilhelm II on November 9, 1918. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Franco-Prussian War (July 19, 1870 – May 10, 1871) was fought between France and Prussia (backed by the North German Confederation) allied with the south German states of Baden, Bavaria and Württemberg. ... Woodrow Wilson with the American Peace Commissioners The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 is the peace treaty created as a result of six months of negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 which put an official end to World War I between the Allies and Central Powers. ... 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Missing image Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

The galerie is located on the first floor of the building. It contains 578 mirrors. It is 73 m long, 10.50 m wide, and 12.30 m high. It is located between the salon de la Guerre (Hall of War) at its northern end, and by the salon de la Paix (Hall of Peace) at its southern end. A mirror is a reflective surface that is smooth enough to form an image. ...

Seventeen windows, opening onto the gardens, face seventeen arcades lined with mirrors. These mirrors, of an exceptional size for the time, were produced by a Parisian manufacture created by Colbert to compete with the products of Venice. Jean-Baptiste Colbert Jean-Baptiste Colbert (August 29, 1619 – September 6, 1683) served as the French minister of finance for 22 years under King Louis XIV. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing and bringing the economy back from the brink of bankruptcy... Location within Italy Venice is known for its waterways and gondolas Venice (Italian Venezia), the city of canals, is the capital of the region of Veneto, population 271,663 (census estimate 2004-01-01). ...

War Uses

After the French defeat in the Prussian-French war, the castle was the main headquarters of the German army from October 5, 1870 until March 13, 1871, and the German Empire was proclaimed here on January 18. Battle of Gravelotte Main article: Battle of Gravelotte Battle of Sedan Main article: Battle of Sedan The French were soundly defeated in several battles owing to the military superiority of the Prussian forces and their commanders. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... This article or section should include material from German Monarchy The term German Empire (the translation from German of Deutsches Reich) commonly refers to Germany, from its consolidation as a unified nation-state on January 18, 1871, until the abdication of Kaiser (Emperor) Wilhelm II on November 9, 1918. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

The ravages of war and neglect over the centuries have left their mark on the palace and its huge gardens. Modern French governments of the post World War II era have sought to repair these damages. They have on the whole been successful, but some of the more costly items, like the vast array of fountains, have yet to be put back completely in service. As spectacular as they might seem now, they were even more extensive in the 18th century. The 18th century waterworks which fed the fountains was probably the biggest mechanical system of its time. The water came in from afar on monumental stone aqueducts, which have long ago fallen in disrepair or been torn down. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... An ornamental lit fountain photographed at night for about 6 seconds. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman era aqueduct circa 19 BC, it is one of Frances top tourist attractions at over 1. ...

Post-royal: the monument-museum

Marie-Antoinette's pastoral pondside Hameau in the park, built in 1783

At the Revolution the paintings and sculpture, like the crown jewels, were consigned to the new Musée du Louvre as part of the cultural patrimony of France. Other contents went to serve a new and moral public role: books and medals went to the Bibliothèque Nationale, clocks and scientific instruments (Louis XVI was a connoisseur of science) to the École des Arts et Métiers. Versailles was still the most richly-appointed royal palace of Europe, however, until a long series of auction sales on the premises unrolled for months during the Revolution, emptying Versailles slowly of every shred of amenity, at derisory prices, mostly to professional brocanteurs. The immediate purpose was to raise desperately-needed funds for the armies of the people, but the long-range strategy was to ensure that there was no Versailles for any king ever to come back to. The strategy has worked. Though Versailles was declared an Imperial palace, Napoleon never spent a summer's night there. Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 646 KB)Hameau at Versailles . ... Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 646 KB)Hameau at Versailles . ... The main courtyard of the Louvre. ... The new buildings of the library. ...

Versailles remained both royal and unused through the Restauration. In 1830, the politic Louis Philippe, the "Citizen King" declared the chäteau a museum dedicated to "all the glories of France," raising it for the first time above a Bourbon dynastic monument. At the same time, boiseries from the private apartments of princes and courtiers were removed and found their way, without provenance, into the incipient art market in Paris and London for such panelling. What remained were 120 rooms, the modern "Galeries Historiques".[1] (http://www.insecula.com/us/musee/M0037.html) Following the ouster of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1814, the Allies restored the Bourbon Dynasty to the French throne. ... Louis-Philippe of France (October 6, 1773–August 26, 1850), served as the Orleanist king of the French from 1830 to 1848. ... Mentmore Towers The boiseries were from from the Hôtel de Villars, Paris, and are inset with paintings and Genoese velvet Boiserie (often used in the plural boiseries) is the term to used to define ornate and intricately carved panelling. ...

In the 1960s, Pierre Verlet, the greatest writer on the history of French furniture managed to get some royal furnishings returned from the museums and ministries and ambassadors' residences where they had become scattered from the central warehouses of the Mobilier National. He conceived the bold scheme of refurnishing Versailles, and the refurnished royal Appartements the tourist views today are due to Verlet's successful initiative, in which textiles were even rewoven to refurbish the state beds.

Today, the wise visitor is standing at the entrance to the Grands appartements du Roi at 8:30, not to spend hours in line. By 11 AM the state rooms are as crushed as a Métro rush hour. Tour guides rally their groups with a handkerchief on a stick for visibility in the mob and project simultaneous commentaries. In the summer months, the royal appartements close at 5:30 PM, and the most knowledgeable visitor arrives shortly before 5, pays a reduced price, and is the last to leave. Paris Art Nouveau Metro sign The Paris Métro is the metro (underground) system in Paris, France. ...

The Would-Be Versailles

The most lasting monuments to the past glories of Versailles are not in France but in the other countries of continental Europe. When Louis XIV had Versailles constructed, France was the most powerful and the richest state on the continent. Versailles ignited a competitive spate of building palaces in fountain-filled gardens among the power elite of Europe, not all of them kings.

Würzburg Residenz: garden front

In the small courts of Germany, echoes of Versailles sprang up, as ambitious as local funding permitted: at Bonn, Schloss Augustusburg, Brühl for the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, at Mannheim, at Ludwigsburg, at Schwetzingen near Heidelberg and at Karlsruhe; both the New Palace (Neues Palais) in Potsdam and the palace in formerly rural Charlottenburg near Berlin; Herrenhausen in Hanover; Neues Schloss Schleißheim near Munich; and the Residenz in Würzburg. Download high resolution version (900x675, 101 KB)Wurzburg Residenze garden front From German Wikipedia: Bild:Wuerzburger Residenz vom Hofgarten. ... Download high resolution version (900x675, 101 KB)Wurzburg Residenze garden front From German Wikipedia: Bild:Wuerzburger Residenz vom Hofgarten. ... Bonn is a city in Germany (Population (2004 est): 313,605 ; the 19th largest city in Germany), in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine. ... Location of Mannheim in Germany The Wasserturm (water tower), Mannheims landmark Coat of Arms of Mannheim Watershed of the Neckar River Mannheim is a city in Germany. ... The Schloss Schwetzingen began as a simple aristocratic fishing retreat (as Versailles began as a hunting retreat) and had an eventful architectural history, in several building campaigns, especially during the reigns of the Electors Palatine Karl III Philip (1716-1742) and Karl IV Theodor (1742-1799) who embellished their answer... Map of Germany showing Karlsruhe Coat of Arms of Karlsruhe Karlsruhe castle at night Karlsruhe (population 282,595 in December 2003) is a city of Germany, in the Baden-Württemberg Bundesland, located near the French-German border. ... (This article is about the German city of Potsdam. ... Charlottenburg is an area in Berlin, formerly a borough now part of Charlottenburg_Wilmersdorf. ... Herrenhausen is a quarter of the German city Hanover which is famous for its Grosser Garten. ... Munich: Frauenkirche and Town Hall steeple Munich (German: München pronunciation) is the state capital of the German Bundesland of Bavaria. ... The entrance front The Wurzburg Residenz is a palace in Wurzburg, Germany. ... Würzburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. ...

One of the great German imitations of Versailles is the Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel, built in 1786 by Wilhelm IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. Map of Germany showing Kassel Watershed of the river Weser Kassel [ˈkasl̩] (until 1926 officially Cassel) is a city in central Germany. ... Hesse-Kassel (Hessen-Kassel) was a German principality that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1568 upon the death of Landgrave Philip of Hesse and his eldest son Wilhelm IV inherited the northern portion and established his capital in Kassel. ...

In the north there was Drottningholm, Stockholm. To the east there were Schönbrunn in Vienna; Eszterháza in Hungary. Drottningholm, or literally Queens Islet, is a village on the island Lovön in lake Mälaren on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden. ... Schönbrunn Palace, as seen from the gardens The Schönbrunn Palace near Vienna is one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria and since the 1860s has also been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna. ... Pannonhalma (former Eszterháza) is a village in Hungary near the Austria region and it bounds to Gyor-Sopron province. ...

In Italy, the "would-be Versailles" include Caserta near Naples, (by Luigi Vanvitelli, from 1752 onwards), Colorno and Stupenigi outside Turin, which had begun as a hunting lodge as Versailles had. Caserta, near Naples was certainly the largest palace and probably the largest building erected in Europe in the 18th century. ... Luigi Vanvitelli (Naples, 1700 - Caserta 1773), an engineer as well as the most prominent 18th-century Italian architect, practiced a sober classicizing academic Late Baroque style that made an easy transition to Neoclassicism. ...

In the Iberian peninsula there are two competitors for Versailles stand out:, La Granja near Madrid, and Queluz in Portugal. There are parishes that have the name Queluz: In Brazil: Queluz, São Paulo In Portugal: Queluz, a parish in the district of Sintra This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

That the several "Polish Versailles" are aristocratic as well as royal is a sign of where true power lay where the great aristocrats elected their king. The royal version, Wilanów, begun in the late 17th century as the "New Villa" just south of Warsaw erected for Jan Sobieski, King of Poland, then, as Versailles was, extended in several building campaigns. Wilanow is symmetrically ranged round a cour d'honneur with two patterned parterres on stepped levels. Wilanow was inherited by a series of Polish aristocrats, and it inspired other great Polish magnates to imitation, as at Lazienki so that Italian and French architects and garden planners were drawn to Poland for employment. Area 36,73 km² Population (2003) 14 032 Population density 355/km² Mayor Lech Skowron Notable landmarks Wilanów Palace, Poster Museum, palace park Website Wilanów is a borough of the city of Warsaw, Poland. ... Reign From May 21, 1674, until June 17, 1696 Elected On May 21, 1674 in Wola, today suburb of Warsaw, Poland Coronation On February 2, 1676 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland Nobel Family Sobieski Coat of Arms Janina Parents Jakub Sobieski Zofia Teofillia Daniłowicz Consorts Marie Casimire Louise Children... A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing pattern. ...

Wilanow had a rival in the aristocratic Branicki Palace in Bialystok. Front side of Branicki Palace Branicki Coat of Arms Pałac Branickich (Branicki Palace) in Białystok, northeast Poland, the Versailles of Podlasie, was built for Count Jan Klemens Branicki, Great Crown Hetman and patron of art and science, raised in the French milieu of the Polish aristocracy, who transformed a previous...

Peterhof (1714-1725) and the Grand Cascade

In England, even more than in Poland, the "would-be Versailles" tell of the final success of an aristocracy in curbing a monarchy. Royal palace projects of Late Stuart kings came to naught: Charles II envisaged a palace at Winchester that never left paper. St James's Palace in London remained a Tudor rabbit-warren. Renovations at Hampton Court for William III could not compare to an all-but-royal Chatsworth, and other Whig magnates built almost as grandly. The direct British answer to Versailles is Blenheim Palace, built as a national monument for Louis' nemesis, the Duke of Marlborough. Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1065 KB)Photograph taken by Smack. ... Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1065 KB)Photograph taken by Smack. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... Location within the British Isles. ... The clock tower straddles the entrance between the inner and outer courts Hampton Court Palace is a former royal place on the north bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames about 12 miles (19 km) southwest and upstream of Central London, nowadays open to... William III and II (14 November 1650–8 March 1702; also known as William Henry and William of Orange) was a Dutch Prince of Orange from his birth, King of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scotland from 11 April 1689, in each case until his... Chatsworth may mean: Chatsworth House Chatsworth, Georgia Chatsworth, California Chatsworth, Illinois Chatsworth, Iowa Chatsworth, New Jersey This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Blenheim Palace, The Great Court. ...

The grandest, most impressive effort was perhaps that made by Peter I of Russia. In addition to Tsarskoe Selo and Pavlovsk, he had the Peterhof complex of buildings in gardens and parks built in the outskirts of Saint Petersburg (small illustration, right). the great palace of the complex is a spectacular building, set atop a hill above a cascade outdoing its model, Louis XIV's cascade at the Chateau of Marly. Portrait of Peter by Paul Delaroche Peter I (Pyotr Alexeevich) (9 June 1672–8 February 1725 [30 May 1672–28 January 1725 O.S.1]) ruled Russia from 7 May (27 April O.S.) 1682 until his death. ... Tsarskoye Selo (Царское Село in Russian, may be translated as “Tsar’s Village”), a former residence of the royal families and visiting nobility 24 km south of St. ... Pavlovsk (Russian: Павловск) is a town situated in the Leningrad oblast, Russia, 30 km from St. ... Peterhof: the Samson Fountain and Sea Channel Peterhof, (originally Piterhof, Dutch: Peters Court) is a series of palaces and gardens, laid out on the orders of Tsar Peter the Great, and sometimes called the Russian Versailles. It is located about 20 km west and 6 km south of St... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... At the Chateau of Marly Louis XIV of France escaped from the formal rigors he had constructed at Versailles. ...

The last shot in this war of sumptous architecture was probably fired by Ludwig II of Bavaria when he asked for a nearly identical copy of Versailles, Herrenchiemsee, to be built on an island on the bucolic Chiemsee lake in the countryside of Bavaria. His funds ran out too soon but the central portion was finished, along with its hall of mirrors, and formal French gardens were planted around it. Architecture (in Greek αρχή = first and τέχνη = craftsmanship) is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. ... Ludwig (Louis) II, King of Bavaria, Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm, also known as Ludwig the Mad, and Mad King Ludwig (August 25, 1845 - June 13, 1886) was king of Bavaria from 1864 until his death. ... Herrenchiemsee is a complex of royal buildings on the Herreninsel, an island in the middle of Bavarias largest lake, the Chiemsee, 60 km south east of Munich. ... With an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ...

See also

• Bureau du Roi

The Bureau du Roi (Kings desk), known in France as the Secrétaire à cylindre de Louis XV (Louis XV roll-top secretary), is the name given to the richly ornamented royal Cylinder desk whose construction was started under Louis XV and finished under France. ...

External link

• The Story of Versailles (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14857) by Francis Loring Payne, from Project Gutenberg