And here I go again with my memorable moments and new pictures found in my vault and not yet in my blog, and they should, I have been to the palace of Versailles many times, lost count ,and always marvel of its beauty, history, architecture, However, some of the sights overlook with so much opulence around are the stairs,,,I like to tell you about my fav Château de Versailles stairs !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The château and gardens of Versailles, which count amongst the most illustrious monuments of the world heritage, represent the most beautiful and complete achievement of the 17C french arts. The former hunting lodge of King Louis XIII was transformed and enlarged by his son Louis XIV. Versailles became the siege of the Court and of the French government. The palace was embellished with new appartments decorated in the 18C under the reigns of Louix XV and XVI. In the 19C, the palace was dedicated to all the glories of France and partly transformed in an historical museum.
After the French revolution, the palace of Versailles was left empty, indeed it was actively emptied of all its furnishings, until King of the French, Louis-Philippe decided to turn it into a museum. His interventions were destructive. Most of the apartments of the princes and courtiers were demolished to make way for the history galleries of the new museum. Fortunately, the state apartments and the king’s and queen’s rooms were largely spared Louis-Philippe’s attentions. He did, however, make one useful addition: he built the last of the staircases of the King’s private apartments. In his honor, it’s still known as the escalier de Louis Philippe or staircase It was constructed in 1837, the same year that the museum opened , Today the Louis-Philippe Staircase is the main staircase on the north side of the Cour de marbre, and it’s the one that you exit the King’s private apartments from at the end of your tour of them. Otherwise, it remains roped off.
The Escalier de Provence or Queen’s staircase built in 1680, this staircase quickly became the most frequented staircase in the palace, as it leads to the apartments of the Queen and the King. It was a counterpart to the former Grand Degré du Roi, or Ambassadors’ staircase. The vestibule giving access to it is decorated with a statue of Apollo, commissioned by the Marquise de Pompadour , Entirely decorated in polychrome marble, with the exception of the stone steps, the Queen’s staircase is adorned with a perspective of a palace with characters dressed in the Oriental style, The golden lead sculpture placed on the first floor landing symbolizes the marriage of Louis XIV and Marie-Thérèse of Austria. The escutcheon supported by Cupids, on which the intertwined figures of the King and Queen once appeared, is surmounted by two doves and torches of the Hymen. The first door, on the right, gives access to the Queen’s Guard Room, the second opens onto the large Guard Room or Coronation Room. The door placed to the left of the sculpted group gives access to the stucco staircase which leads to the rooms of the revolution, the consulate and the empire. The last door opens into the vestibule of the King’s apartment, also paneled in marble.
The Princes’ staircase has preserved most of its 17C decoration, connects the ground floor and the first floor of the wing of the South, or wing of the Princes, in which some members of the royal family, children of France and princes of the blood. Louis-Philippe will replace the original vault with a coffered ceiling. The entrance to the Grand Apartments of the King to climb the Gabriel staircase and admire the Gabriel chandelier which illuminates it , The Gabriel staircase, designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1772, had never been completed due to lack of sufficient funds . The project was resumed and completed in the 1980s. At the top of the stairs, we arrive in the Salon d’Hercule which gives access to the Grand Appartement du Roi.
The official Château de Versailles: https://en.chateauversailles.fr/
The Versailles tourist office on the palace: https://en.versailles-tourisme.com/visit-and-explore-versailles-the-royal-town/palace-of-versailles-visits
There you go folks, a hugely wonderful awesome palace right in the middle of the City of Versailles, A must to visit while in or planned coming to France, My beautiful Versailles and its wonderful palace/museum, Glad to tell you more and again hope you enjoy the post as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 