10 Versailles Facts You Should Know To Impress Your Friends


 

Getting to Versailles from Paris is easy; there are trains departing from the city center every few minutes, getting you through to the royal village in under an hour.

The trains to Versailles will drop you at the Gare de Versailles Château Rive Gauche, or the main Versailles Train Station. From here it’s a short walk east to the palace, or west into town central.

If you’re feeling unfamiliar with this part of France, here are ten interesting facts to spark your interest.

by Stephanie LeBlanc – Unsplash

1. The Palace of Versailles Cost Billions to Construct

Taking inflation and economy into consideration, today’s experts strongly believe that the Palace of Versailles would have cost between two and three hundred billion dollars to build in contemporary money.

To give you some perspective on what was done with this unthinkable amount of money: the Palace of Versailles boasts 700 rooms, 67 staircases, and 1,200 fireplaces.

King Louis XIV dedicated a third of this total budget to just the fountains in the gardens.

2. Versailles Residents Are Currently Deciding if a Luxury Hotel Should be Built

Paris keeps things classy, so there are very few “unusual” places to stay when visiting both the city and Versailles. This looks to change in the next few years, with residents of Versailles having been recently approached with the prospect of part of the palace being transformed into a luxury hotel.

Apparently most residents are on board, and believe that this attraction would bring more annual revenue into the town.

This hotel is expected to cost between eight and fourteen million euros to complete; chump change compared to what Louis XIV did to the place!

Napoleon’s Chamber – by Kallgan – Wikimedia Commons

3. Versailles’ Grand Canal Used to be a Stinking Swamp

It is thought that a lot of the budget went into preparing the land of Versailles to be suitable for palace grounds. At the time, Versailles was nothing more than a swamp land… a sticking one at that.

The high levels of rotten, murky water had been left stagnant for centuries, and the swamps were so smelly that for the first few years visitors to the palace often got physically ill.

The Grand Canal – by A very private gentleman – Wikimedia Commons

4. The Hall of Mirrors in Versailles…

…has a tale that needs to be told.

Inside you’ll find 357 exquisite, handcrafted mirrors quite literally fit for a king. They were brought into the palace to give the illusion of more light, because it was risky business subjecting the walls to too many candles.

At the time of the palace’s construction, the Venetians were known as the top mirror makers in Europe, with a monopoly on the industry. A few Venetian artists were brought over to France and commissioned to design each mirror for the palace.

Once the job was done, each of these artists was assassinated by people from their homeland for giving trade secrets to the French.

Hall of Mirrors – by Myrabella – Wikimedia Commons

5. The Palace of Versailles Was Always Open to the Public

King Louis was a personable man. The palace was never off limits to any member of the public, both inside and outside.

The only condition for entry, however, was that you had suitable attire to wear. If not, clothing could be rented upon arrival at the palace, so that everyone inside seemed to fit into the royal atmosphere.

6. Just About Everything in the Palace was Made to the Peak of Luxury

Anything in the Palace of Versailles that resembles silver or gold, is probably genuine silver or gold.

As we know, no expenses were spared in the constriction of this grand space, and everything from the teaspoons to the window latches would have been made of fine, French silver.

Even the chamber pots (yes, the toilets) were pure moulded silver.

by Stephanie LeBlanc – Unsplash

7. The Palace’s Chamber Pots had to be Melted Down in 1689

Ironically, when 1689 rolled around Louis XIV found himself strapped for cash.

He had declared war against Britain and a few other European nations, but had insufficient funds to carry the battle through.

The chamber pots throughout the Palace of Versailles were removed and melted down, to be sold as silver for cash. Replacement chamber pots made from cheaper metals were brought in as replacements.

8. The Garden Spans Over 30,000 Acres

It’s hard to imagine this amount of space without seeing it in front of you, and even then you’ll find your mind questioning where it starts and where it ends.

The gardens of Versailles hold 400 sculptures and 1400 fountains. None of them are in close proximity to one another; which should give you an idea of just how much space is needed to properly display each one.

As mentioned, a third of that outrageous budget was spent just on these 1400 garden fountains.

9. Marie Antionette Built her own Estate in Versailles, Called The Petit Trianon

In need of some space from that cramped palace, Marie Antionette had a separate estate built in Versailles for herself.

It was called the Petit Trianon, and was rumored to be a bit of a ‘love shack’ of sorts.

On the estate was a chateau, a theatre and even a vegetable farmland. What really drew people’s attention was her private grotto, also on the estate.

This was a cave-like feature overgrown by moss and plants, rumored to contain just a bed and heated water-source of sorts. Good for you, Marie.

by Andrew Shiva – Wikimedia Commons

10. On Average, 27000 People Visit Versailles Each Day

This number fluctuates deepening on the season, but on average there are 27,000 individuals making their way to Versailles every single day either from Paris or cities nearby.

Queues to get into the palace are to be expected. Queues to get home from the Versailles train station are also to be expected. I always recommend buying your return ticket the morning that you leave Paris, eliminating the need for you to stand in line when you’re ready to leave.

Versailles is a splendorous, historic land, easily explored in under a day. Check out the guided walking tours on offer before your go!

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