Palace of Versailles

Palace and Park of Versailles *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	France
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, vi
Reference	83
Region **	Europe
Inscription history
Inscription	1979 (3rd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

The Château de Versailles, or simply Versailles, is a royal castle in Versailles, France.

In English one often speaks of the Palace of Versailles. When the castle was built, Versailles was a country village, but it is now a suburb of Paris. From 1682, when King Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in 1789, the Court of Versailles was the centre of power in Ancien Régime France. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy.

See also

• Clock Cabinet
• Fountain of Apollo
• Fountain of Latona
• Hall of Mirrors (Versailles)
• Hameau de la reine
• Hercules Room
• Madame du Barry's apartment
• Petit Théâtre de la Reine
• Queen's apartment at Versailles

Further reading

• Thompson, Ian. The Sun King's Garden: Louis XIV, André Le Nôtre And the Creation of the Gardens of Versailles. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006 (hardcover, ISBN 1-58234-631-3).
  • Reviewed by Peter Parker in the Telegraph, October 1, 2006.
  • Reviewed by John Adamson in the Telegraph, 2006.

Other websites

• Official Site
• Photos of Palace and Gardens of Versailles
• Photos of Versailles
• Extensive photo gallery of Versailles
• Palace of Versailles Independent study article with photographs
• The Story of Versailles by Francis Loring Payne, from Project Gutenberg
• French The Hall of Mirrors Restoration
• French Pictures of : "Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes"
• Palace of Versailles photos
• Visiting information Palace of Versailles
• Comprehensive audio guide covering history and culture of the Chateau.
• Podcasts describing Versailles
• Extensive Images on the Design of Versailles
  • Satellite image from Mapygon
• Article on Versailles Gardens
• Laguiole Corkscrews made with wood from Gardens of Versailles
• Swan Lake at the Palace of Versailles