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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Île de France
  4. Yvelines
  5. 78000 Versailles

  6. National domain of Versailles

 National domain of Versailles dans les Yvelines

Patrimoine classé
Musée d'histoire de France
Demeure seigneuriale
Château de style Classique
Yvelines

National domain of Versailles

    Place d'Armes
    78000 Versailles
National domain of Versailles
Château de Versailles vue aérienne
Crédit photo : Ferme de Gally - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1623
Construction of hunting lodge
1632
Purchase of property by Louis XIII
1664-1684
Construction campaigns of Louis XIV
6 mai 1682
Installation of the court in Versailles
1837
Creation of the Versailles Museum
28 juin 1919
Signature of the Treaty of Versailles
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

This building is part of the National Estate of the Palace of Versailles established by Decree No. 2024-472 of 24 May 2024. The interior parts were classified as historic monuments in full and automatically by this decree.

Key figures

Louis XIV - King of France (1643-1715) Transforma Versailles into a royal residence.
Louis Le Vau - Architect Directed the first enlargements of the castle.
Jules Hardouin-Mansart - Architect Designed the Glaces gallery and chapel.
André Le Nôtre - Landscape Created the French gardens.
Louis-Philippe Ier - King of the French (1830-1848) Transforma Versailles into a historical museum.
Pierre de Nolhac - Museum curator (1892-1920) Restaura and documented the history of the castle.

Origin and history

The Versailles National Estate, located in Versailles in the Yvelines, is an emblematic historical monument of the 17th and 18th centuries. Originally a simple hunting lodge built under Louis XIII in 1623, it was transformed by Louis XIV into a sumptuous palace, symbol of monarchy power. The Sun King installed his court there in 1682, making Versailles the political and cultural centre of France until the Revolution.

Louis XIV entrusted the works to renowned architects such as Louis Le Vau, Jules Hardouin-Mansart and André Le Nôtre for the gardens. The castle grew in several countryside (1664-1668, 1669-1672, 1678-1684), with major achievements such as the Glaces Gallery, the Royal Chapel and the Grand Apartments. The gardens, covering 815 hectares, were fitted out with fountains, groves and the Grand Canal, requiring innovative hydraulic systems.

Under Louis XV, the castle underwent interior changes, such as the Salon d'Hercules and the Royal Opera, while Louis XVI added a library. The French Revolution marked a turning point: the royal family left Versailles in 1789, and the castle became a museum in 1837 under Louis-Philippe, dedicated to "all the glories of France". In the 19th century it was restored and transformed into a place of national memory.

The twentieth century saw major restorations, especially after the two world wars, and arrangements to welcome visitors. Today, the UNESCO World Heritage Site attracts millions of tourists every year. It remains a symbol of French art and a place of diplomacy, having hosted historical events such as the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

The castle is organized around three courtyards (place d'Armes, Cour d'Honneur, Cour Royale) and a central body framed by the wings of the North and Midi. The interiors house masterpieces such as the Glaces Gallery, the Grand Apartments of the King and Queen, and the Royal Chapel. The gardens, designed by Le Nôtre, are famous for their gardens, groves and fountains.

Versailles has inspired European architecture, such as Schönbrunn's castles or Herrenchiemsee, and remains a cultural place, hosting exhibitions and shows. Its history, marked by figures such as Louis XIV, Le Brun or Mansart, makes it a must-see monument of French heritage.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum
Page Monumentum