Palace of Versailles

The Château de Versailles — often called the Court 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.

Features

The Hall of Mirrors

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.

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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.

Related Topics:
1678 - 1684 - Marie Antoinette

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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.

Related Topics:
Treaty of Nijmegen - 1678 - Le Brun - Stucco - Roman Emperor

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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.

Related Topics:
German Empire - January 18 - 1871 - Franco-Prussian War - Germany - Treaty of Versailles - 1919 - World War I

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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.

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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.

Related Topics:
Colbert - Venice

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