It was a gorgeous day! Flowers are blooming and it warmed up to 68! We shed our coats and caught the Ligne N to Versailles. The public transit is fairly easy and accessible, which is not to say we haven't also managed to screw up... but we generally get where we're going. We have a lot more trouble walking... signage (French, English, or other) is poor and we do a lot of walking in circles before we find the route we need.
We made the quick trip to Versailles and wandered through town to the Palace. We were a bit early for our tour, so we hung out with Louis XIV while we waited. He was a narcissist, even as 17th century royals go, but there's something about him that makes me want to learn more!
Versailles was originally a hunting lodge under the reign of Louis VIII; the current palace was built up all around it, but the original structure can still be seen directly under the French flag.
Loius XIV became king at 4 years old in 1642, with his mother as regent. Civil conflict from 1648-1653 made life tough for him and he felt both physically vulnerable and betrayed by his noblemen. The result was distrust of his court and everyone else. He expanded the palace of Versailles beginning in 1661 in the plan to have all his court and nobility in one place, where he could watch over and have absolute control. He continued adding on to the palace his whole life, with 2000 rooms, a chappel, and extensive gardens. He died in 1715 just before his 77th birthday, quite old for the era. The two succeeding kings (great grandson Louis XV and great-great-great-great grandson Louis XVI) also lived at Versailles until the French Revolution.
Known as "The Sun King," Louis XIV was on full display throughout his reign (as were the other two kings who lived there). The culture of nobility at the time considered proximity to the monarch to elevate their own statuses, so King Louis held daily ceremonies in which lucky nobility would rim the room to watch him wake, eat, sleep, wash, etcetera... A number of rooms and grounds were also open to commoners. So with the voyeurs and the common folk visiting, Versaillles was always packed, just like today!
Louis lacked no confidence. He considered himself to be the best billiards player, the best hunter, the best dancer... and none challenged him. None dared. He was especially proud of his legs, apparently. The famous portrait of Louis XIV was commissioned for his grandson; after initially posing, a young man was brought in as the model, so those legs are not actually his. Obviously misrepresented, the court was worried he'd be incensed, but he loved it, so much so, he kept it for himself and ordered a copy to be sent to his grandson. For some reason everyone loved it and that pose became the traditional pose for French nobility. It makes me giggle every time I look at it!
The famous Hall of Mirrors was designed for King Louis XIV to receive nobility, and it was intended to show his wealth and power. Visitors would enter and proceed down to greet the king. It is a long room with hinged mirrors along one wall and a wall of windows facing west along the other. This allowed for sunlight to stream in, and the mirrors could be angled to shine on Louis in his throne. The paintings on the ceiling and above the mirrors tell the story of Louis XIV's success, at least according to him.
The private apartments (which weren't really all that private) really show the opulence on display in this palace. The king's bedroom in particular is dripping in gold. Under the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI the excess continued but they also lost popularity, in fact Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were much despised. Hard to believe that as the country was deteriorating and peasants were starving to death, the monarchs continued to live in such luxury... Of course, the French Revolution was coming...
The gardens are a park today, free to the public most days. We packed a picnic to enjoy after our tour. Bread and cheese--what else? Completed with macarons!
French gardens are symmetrical and neatly trimmed. Hats off to the guys trimming by hand.
Through the gardens and a wooded area is Petit Trianon, first built by Louis XV as a chateau and then used by Marie-Antoinette as her private residence once Loius XVI took the throne. She never took to the strict etiquette of French nobility after growing up in the much less structured Austrian nobility, so she sought refuge at the smaller chateau. She had a passion and flair for gardening and spent much of her time redesigning and building up the grounds in a trendy Anglo-Chinese style.
Back in the 14th we had reservations at a well-reviewed bistro. While super friendly and welcoming, our meals were just okay... but the beverages were lovely, and we did get some protein!
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“Let them eat…” although did she really say that?
Indeed she did! “If the people have no bread, let them eat cake!”