And of course, great pleasure to update/revise this older post for you and me! This is in my beloved former home of Versailles. Needless, to say more about this wonderful royal town of my belle France, just read the monuments that have proven essential in the history of France. Let me tell you a bit more on the Grande Ecurie of Versailles!!!
And yes indeed, its been a while not written anything on my wonderful Royal and Imperial city of Versailles. The city of Versailles once did a survey on visitor and found out that to their surprise not me, 98% of visitors only see the Palace/Museum of Versailles. Pity when the Domaine of Versailles outside its walls of the palace, hameau, trianons, orangerie etc is much larger and with wonderful things to see. And of course, great pleasure to update/revise this older post for you and me! This is in my beloved former home of Versailles. Needless, to say more about this wonderful royal town of my belle France, just read the monuments that have proven essential in the history of France. Let me tell you a bit more on the Grande Ecurie of Versailles!!!
I like to tell you a bit more on two classic buildings that are outside the Domaine physical location but administrative part of it. The Royal Stables are the Great Stable or in French, the Grande Ecuries.
The Grande Ecurie (stables) are right in the Place d’Armes, in front of the castle, between the avenues of Saint-Cloud and Paris. Constituting with the Petite Ecuries , the Royal stables that gave work to over 1000 persons under king Louis XIV. They were built under the direction of the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart and completed in 1682. With a merry-go-round, it sheltered the king’s hunting and war horses.
Same as the Petite ecurie, which is separated by the Avenue de Paris, under the monarchy, it was under the command of the Great squire of France and housed the school of the pages of the King, reserved for the sons of the families of the military nobility until 1550 . It also welcomed in its walls, between 1680 and 1830, the cradle of French horse riding: the School of Versailles. Between 1793 and 1794, the emblem at the pediment was removed. From 1854, the stable was occupied by the Army.
In 1978, the collection at the Museum of the Carriages (see post) or wagons of Trianon, built in 1851, was moved to the Grande Ecuries. In 1985, the Museum was opened to the public. In 2007, the Museum closed its doors for the expansion work. In 2016, the museum is open again to the public. The official château de Versailles on the gallery museum webpage: https://en.chateauversailles.fr/coach-gallery
In 2002, the Château de Versailles returned to these places their initial function by choosing Bartabas, squire and founder of the equestrian show Zingaro. In 2003, the National Equestrian Academy of the Domaine de Versailles was inaugurated. The academy webpage: http://bartabas.fr/academie-equestre-de-versailles/the-place/?lang=en
Establishments located at the Grande Ecurie are: Gallery museum of Carriages or wagons, Equestrian Show Academy of Bartabas, and the city Archives of Versailles. The buildings are organized around five courses: The large courtyard bordered by a colonnade in the hemicycle and two symmetrical wings;the two middle courses framed at the rear; the two small lateral courses say les manages.
Behind the large gate, there was a rectangular carousel, which is now the theater of the National Equestrian Academy of the Domaine de Versailles. The Académie du spectacle équestre led by its director Bartabas. If you love horses with themes of history you will love it. It is located at the Grande Ecurie of the castle right across the street from pl d’Armes the building to your left. You will see lusitanians horses, high above riders, fencing on a horse, choreographies of many actions and jockey changes by the master Bartabas. There are seances in the mornings call Matinales des Ecuyers with baroque music , you can visit the stables or ecuries or a visit to just the building done by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the architect of the court in 1683, which was renovated for this spectacle in 2003. The stables keep about 40 horses today.
The galleries are simple to the Grande Ecurie while the Petite Ecurie has double galleries separated by the Colonnades. The ceilings of the galleries are vaulted. The visible walls of the castle are of stone, the other less visible are red brick with stone siding. The rectangular crusaders upstairs and skylights at the attic; The sculptures are presented at the pediment, eardrum and jambs of the Grand portal. The side entrances are on the Avenue de Saint-Cloud and the Avenue de Paris. In 2016, on the occasion of the opening of the gallery/museum of carriages, the sign Ecuries du Roi or King’s stables was installed on the wrough iron grille gate.
Since 2008, as part of the castle’s rescue campaign, several statues are housed in the sculpture gallery and replaced with copies. The statue of Latone of the basin of the Latone in 2015 or the-groups of sculptures in the Bosquet des Bains d’Apollon in 2010. There is a vast campaign to adopt a statue or a bust in the Domaine de Versailles with donations, more info in French at the castle webpage: https://www.chateauversailles.fr/actualites/actualites-mecenat/adoptez-statue-jardins-versailles#devenez-mecene
The official Château de Versailles on the Grande Ecurie: https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/great-stables
Another fascinating page on my beautiful and good city of Versailles , you ought to spent more time here. Even if crowds , of course, it is very popular place after all for the Palace/Museum, but do walk out and see much more in Royal and Imperial Versailles.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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