Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Salle du Jeu de palme, located at No 1 rue du Jeu de palme in Versailles, was built in 1686 by Nicolas Creté during the reign of Louis XIV. This place, called "tripot" at the time, was dedicated to the practice of the palm game, ancestor of tennis, reserved for the nobility and the court. The king played there regularly, reflecting the enthusiasm of the aristocracy for this sport.

The monument is especially famous for the oath of the Jeu de palme, pronounced on 20 June 1789 by the deputies of the Third State. Faced with the closure of the Hôtel des Menus-Plaisirs by Louis XVI, the latter, led by Jean-Sylvain Bailly, gathered in this room to swear not to separate themselves until they had given France a constitution. The event, immortalized by Jacques-Louis David in an unfinished picture, marked a decisive turning point in the French Revolution.

After the Revolution, the hall became a republican symbol. Transformed into a museum in 1883 for the centenary of the Revolution, it was restored by Edmond Guillaume, who added commemorative elements such as a statue of Bailly and a reinterpretation of David's painting by Luc-Olivier Merson. Ranked a historic monument in 1848, it was the first in France to enjoy such protection.

The hall had several uses in the 19th century: a workshop for Horace Vernet under the July monarchy, a civic banquet in 1848, then a tripot under the Second Empire. Abandoned, it was finally preserved as a museum and renovated several times, notably in 1988 for the bicentenary of the Revolution and in 2021 to restore its original decor.

Today, managed by the public establishment of the Palace of Versailles, the room of the Palm Game is open to the public. It preserves its 19th century decor, including a frieze of the names of the signatories of the oath and busts of the actors of 1789. The place remains a major testimony of the revolutionary heritage and French political history.

External links