Nestled in the heart of France, a short distance from the bustling streets of Paris, lies a symbol of royal grandeur and architectural marvel - the Palace of Versailles. Once a humble hunting lodge, it was transformed into , a dazzling center of power and a beacon of absolute monarchy, witnessing the . rise and fall of kings and empires, including the tumultuous reign of Louis XVI. Hi , everyone, Ken here, Hit that subscribe button and Let's embark on a journey through . time to uncover the story of This House! Long before heads would roll, Our story begins in . 1623, with King Louis XIII laying the foundation for a simple hunting lodge amidst the lush forests . of Versailles. Little did he know that his modest retreat would set the stage for his son, Louis XIV, to create an emblem of royal opulence. Louis XIV, known as the Sun King, envisioned a palace that reflected his glory and power. Under his reign, Versailles underwent an extraordinary . transformation becoming a symbol of France's cultural zenith. The sprawling gardens v were not just a feast for the eyes but a testament to man's triumph over nature. Lavish gardens . stretched towards the horizon with fountains and statues dotting the landscape. From hedge . mazes to parterre gardens, no plant was left in its natural state, being completely dominated by the efforts of man, a testament to the culmination of innovations and a king who ruled not only the , people, but the very land upon which civilization was built. Overshadowing the landscape was perhaps the most decadent home ever constructed, the palace of Versailles, boasting 721,000 . square feet for 67,000 square meters. More than just a residence, Versailles was . a carefully crafted stage where the Sun King orchestrated the rhythm of French politics. By moving the court and government to Versailles in 1682, Louis XIV centralized power and . kept the nobility under his watchful eye, a move that profoundly shaped French history. Life at Versailles was a spectacle of , ceremonies and etiquette. From the King's grand lever to opulent feasts, every day was . a carefully choreographed show of power and prestige. The palace buzzed with whispers of court . intrigues and romantic escapades, painting a vivid picture of the era's social dynamics, detached , completely from the world beyond its walls. Mostly completed by 1715, the original house had all but disappeared behind an envelope of neoclassical architectural elements boasting . walls clad in marble and red brick. Adjoining the palace, and adding nearly 1 million square feet , to the structure, the ministers wings bring the palace’s total size to nearly 1.8 million , square feet, over 167,000 square meters. Approaching the palace from the street, we . enter the area known as the Cour d’honneur. From here we can see the palace in its entirety , spreading its wings across the landscape. We can pass through the gate to arrive in the , Cour Royale, where the King’s court would have been busy with only the highest ranking . members of government conducting business. And to enter the palace proper, we ascend the marble staircase, finding ourselves in the deepest interior court, the Cour de Marbre, ready dive into the domain of royals. Inside the palace we will find many ornate . rooms, including The Hall of Mirrors, a grand gallery stretching 240 feet or 73 meters long situated in the western part of the Palace of Versailles, offers a . breathtaking view of the gardens. Constructed between 1678 and 1681 on the former site of a terrace by Le Vau, this hall is a masterpiece of interior design. Its walls are adorned with marble and a modified Corinthian order, creating a majestic atmosphere. The hall's . most striking feature is its 578 mirrors, which stand opposite 17 expansive windows, . ingeniously reflecting and amplifying the natural light. Above, a magnificent ceiling fresco, , completed over four years by the artist Le Brun, narrates the first 18 years of King Louis . XIV's rule through 30 vivid scenes. Notably, 17 of these scenes depict military triumphs , over the Dutch, showcasing the king's prowess. The Royal Opera of Versailles, a project initially , envisioned by Louis XIV in 1682, was intended to grace the end of the North Wing, with designs by Mansart and Vigarani. However, the financial burdens of the King's continental wars forced .

the project to be shelved. The concept was later resurrected by Louis XV, who in 1748 commissioned a new design from Ange-Jacques Gabriel, but this too was set aside amidst other priorities. The . project gained urgency and was rapidly advanced in preparation for the grand celebration of the . marriage of the Dauphin, the future Louis XVI, to Marie-Antoinette. Constructed predominantly from , wood, not only for economic and expedient reasons but also for its exceptional acoustic properties, . the opera house was an architectural marvel. The wooden structure was skillfully painted to mimic . the appearance of marble, creating an illusion of grandeur and permanence. The ceiling became , a canvas for a magnificent painting by Louis Jean-Jacques Durameau, depicting Apollo, the god . of the arts, bestowing crowns upon distinguished artists, symbolizing the patronage and flourishing . of the arts under royal auspices. This splendid new Opera was officially inaugurated on 16 May . 1770, marking a high point in the celebrations of the royal wedding, and showcasing the opulence and cultural richness of the French monarchy. The Royal Chapel of Versailles, an architectural , gem, is situated at the southern extremity of the north wing. This majestic structure . rises to a height of 130 feet or 40 meters. The chapel's design is a harmonious blend of . traditional Gothic architecture and the distinct French Baroque style that characterizes . Versailles. Its layout is rectangular, culminating in a semicircular apse, a testament , to the intricate design principles of the era. The Salon of Apollo, once the royal throne room and setting for formal audiences under Louis XIV, is marked by a central ceiling painting by Charles de la Fosse depicting the Sun Chariot of Apollo. The original eight-foot-high , silver throne, melted down in 1689, was replaced by a gilded wood throne, symbolizing the King's affinity with the sun god and his celestial power As we travel through many long corridors , and galleries, tracing our steps over checkered marble floors, we will encounter , striking displays of artistic expression. With multiple grand staircases, some , finished from floor to ceiling in marble Other staircases are more reserved, , but nonetheless befitting of royalty Though the one we will focuss on is the . Staircase of the Queen. Its gentle rise carries us upward as we ascend its marble stairs. Only the rarest types of marble have been gathered from the furthest regions of . the earth and crafted into a colorful assemblage steeped in royal splendor. . From inlays , of precious materials such as the gilding found along the capitols of pilasters and the glistening cornice to wall murals painted by the greatest artists of the age, we are , now ushered into the queen’s chambers. The petit appartement de la reine, a suite of . exquisite rooms within the Palace of Versailles, was the private sanctuary of the French , queens. Initially designed for Marie-Thérèse, the wife of Louis XIV, these rooms underwent , several transformations to suit the tastes and needs of subsequent queens, notably , Marie-Antoinette. Mirroring the layout of the King's Apartments, the Queen's suite comprised seven elegantly appointed rooms, each a testament to the opulence and , refined aesthetic of the French monarchy. The design of the Queen's apartments was , a harmonious blend of luxury and intimacy, reflecting the dual role of the queen as both . a public figure and a private individual. The ceilings of these rooms were adorned with . magnificent paintings, featuring scenes drawn from mythologycc. The Queen's apartments, thus, , were not just living spaces but also a canvas for artistic expression and royal symbolism, , intricately woven into the fabric of Versailles. Access to the King's apartment was through the , resplendent Hall of Mirrors or alternatively, through the Guardroom. One of the notable rooms within the apartment was the Grand Couvert, the ceremonial space where Louis XIV often , took his evening meals. In this room, the King would dine alone, seated at a table . facing the fireplace, while his utensils, presented in a golden box, symbolized the , opulence of the monarchy. This spectacle of the King dining was a courtly event, with ,

courtiers in attendance observing the ritual. The King's bedchamber, initially a Drawing Room, was transformed into Louis XIV's personal bedroom in 1701. It was in this very room that he , passed away on 1 September 1715. Both Louis XV and Louis XVI continued the tradition of using this bedroom for their official morning and evening routines. A significant historical moment occurred on the 6th of October 1789, when from the balcony of this room, Louis XVI , and Marie-Antoinette, accompanied by the Marquis de Lafayette, faced a hostile crowd in the . courtyard, compelling the royal couple to flee. As the grandeur of Versailles symbolized the zenith of royal absolutism, its opulence stood in stark contrast to the brewing storm of revolution. , The French Revolution, ignited by a confluence of long-term and short-term factors, marked a , seismic shift in the social, economic, financial, and political landscape of late 18th-century . France. The inability of Louis XVI and his ministers to navigate these turbulent waters set the stage for a profound transformation. The population of France swelled from , 21 to 28 million between 1715 and 1789, with a significant shift towards urban living. Paris alone burgeoned to over 600,000 souls. While the peasantry formed the bulk of the , population, the middle classes expanded, yet prosperity was unevenly distributed. Those . linked to agriculture, trade, and colonial goods flourished, whereas wage laborers and tenant farmers faced declining living standards. This growing inequality sowed seeds of social unrest.. The financial and political crisis that enveloped the monarchy was not solely due to the level of debt, but rather the inequities and inefficiencies within the tax system. Attempts at reform were stymied by the regional Parlements, leading to a deadlock that necessitated the calling of the Estates-General. This assembly, last convened in 1614, would become a crucible for revolutionary change. Louis XVI, though not averse to reform, , often retreated in the face of opposition, particularly from conservative elements , within the nobility. The Enlightenment, with its critiques of social institutions, , found a receptive audience among the educated elite. The American Revolution and . European revolts of the 1780s further fueled public debate on liberty, equality, . and the role of the people in governance. The Estates-General of 1789, comprising . the clergy, nobility, and Third Estate, or "commons," became a battleground for , control over France's future. The Third Estate, representing the vast majority of the population, found itself at odds with the privileged first two estates. The , deadlock led to its self-declaration as the National Assembly, challenging the , very foundations of the Ancien Régime. . As the Revolution unfolded, political factions emerged and clashed, with moderates seeking a constitutional monarchy pitted against . radicals advocating for a republic. The storming of the Bastille, a symbol of . royal tyranny, became an iconic moment, celebrated to this day as Bastille Day. The monarchy's attempt to reassert control only led to further escalation, culminating in the establishment of the First Republic in 1792. The Revolution and its aftermath were marked by violence and upheaval, starting with a series of beheadings to purge the likes of the king and queen and their loyalists. The Reign of Terror, led by figures like Robespierre, saw thousands executed in the name of defending the Revolution. The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, a product of the , Revolution's military reforms, would eventually bring an end to the First Republic, ushering , in a new era in French and European history. the French Revolution, much like , the sprawling Palace of Versailles, was a testament to the power of human , ambition and the desire for full control. This video has been one of the most requested over . the years. Let me know if you enjoyed it or had a favorite room down in the comments section. And . while you’re there, make sure you are subscribed with the bell notification turned on so you never miss an exciting episode of This House.

The Palace of Versailles: Unmatched Opulence