Paris1972-Versailles2003

This is a masterpiece inside the Château de Versailles; it has been recently renovated and better than ever. I like to tell you a bit more on the Royal Chapel as again found me couple pictures of the exterior that needs to be in my blog, See my other post with interior pictures, Hope you enjoy this post on the Chapelle Royale of the Château de Versailles as I.

I came first to the Château de Versailles back in 1990 and was like any tourist hurry up to see all in one day.  I had my family, my parents, and wife’s grandmother with us. The first couple of trips were like this, then they were more routine until finally came to live here in 2003. I took this place as my own, for many reasons and I always enjoy telling something about it whether the domaine or the City all tops, and now the renovated Chapelle Royale is beautiful beyond words. Mind you these are older pictures from different years,

It was designed as a temporary chapel, and the 1682 Royal Chapel will be used for 28 years, It is the sanctuary that Louis XIV will have best known. Great ceremonies took place there, such as the receptions in the order of the Holy Spirit in 1688-1689 or the wedding of the Duke of Burgundy in 1697. The final location of the Royal Chapel was found in 1687. Like that of 1672, the building has a barlong plan. It has an initially rectangular bedside. It stands on two levels. On the first floor, a gallery reserved for the king, facing the altar, borders the entire nerf. The chapel is preceded by two superimposed vestibules, which give access to the north wing. On June 5, 1710, the chapel was blessed by Cardinal de Noailles, Archbishop of Paris.

On the ground floor (1 fl US) are placed two secondary altars dedicated to Saint Louis (Louis IX) and Saint Thérèse, patron saints of the royal couple. A third altar, adorned with a painting by Pierre de Cortona, occupies the gallery. This ancestor of Louis XIV, his patron saint and his model, built the Sainte-Chapelle, an architectural reliquary designed to contain the Crown of Thorns. The Parisian monument will serve as a model for religious architecture. The Royal Chapel of Louis XIV is inspired by it. The Royal Chapel was originally designed not to exceed the height of the roofs of the palace. But from January 1689, it was much higher. 43 meters high, it is surmounted by a cross at its eastern end. A large royal crown, placed on a cushion and a lead carpet, must have crowned the summit. It is a lantern almost 12 meters high, surmounted by a cross, which will top the building. Tt consists of a balustrade of open tracery and eight lead-sheathed wooden columns with composite capitals, heads of cherubs and festoons of flowers on the archivolts, eight consoles and finials surmounted by water leaves, a torus of acanthus leaves and a cross placed on a fleur-de-lysed globe.

In 1705, twenty-eight statues of Apostles and Evangelists, Church Fathers and allegories of the Catholic Virtues were placed on the outer balustrade. The program provided for thirty-four figures: the four Evangelists, the twelve Apostles, the four Fathers of the Latin Church, the four Fathers of the Greek Church, eight Virtues and the patrons of the French monarchy, Saint Louis and Charlemagne. The last two figures and four Virtues were removed.

The Château de Versailles on the Royal Chapel:https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/palace/royal-chapel

The Versailles tourist office on the Royal Chapel :https://www.versailles-tourisme.com/la-chapelle-royale.html

There you go folks, this is a masterpiece and only in glorious Versailles, The Royal Chapel is a must to see in the must to see Palace/ Museum of Versailles to be enjoy by all for generations. This is my Royal Versailles, memories forever. Again, hope you have enjoy this wrap up post on the exterior a bit more as the other post was on history and longer description as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

A wonderful subject for me as lived in the city of Versailles by the Notre Dame Church for 9+ years before moving on to the Morbihan. Versailles will always be in our hearts, it was our first owned home in France!  Go ahead and see the City ,but do not miss the palace/museum for anything as the Domaine of Versailles is awesome ! Let me tell you about the wonderful favorite rooms of mine, this time the Salon de l’Œil-de-Bœuf . Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Salon de l’Œil-de-Bœuf is located south of the Hall of Mirrors. It overlooks the Queen’s Grand Apartment. in the Château de Versailles, located in the dept 78 of Yvelines,in the region of Île-de-France and in my belle France.

The Salon de l’Œil-de-Bœuf or the ox-eye second room of the royal apartment. It is a strategic point of the royal apartment: to the north, it leads to the king’s bedroom; In the West, high mirrors doors open directly to the Hall of Mirrors and allow courtiers to enter or leave the king; On the south wall, to the right of the window, a door leads directly to the Queen, while a staircase, opening on the east wall, leads to the Dauphin’s apartment, located on the ground floor.

The second antechamber of the royal apartment, the Salon de l’Œil-de-Bœuf takes its name from the rounded window that gives light to the room on the south side. Originally, this room contained two, separated by a partition: the antechamber and the King’s bedroom, whose bed was placed in the corner to the left of the current fireplace. Embarrassed by the small size of these rooms, which struggled to contain all the courtiers present when he got up and went to bed, Louis XIV decided in 1701 to have the wall knocked down, to combine the two rooms into one and to move his bedroom. in the next room which was then only a living room. The decoration which reigns in the room testifies, like that of the preceding rooms, to the evolution of the personal taste of the king, who, at the turn of the century, abandons the rich marble decorations and the painted ceilings for the white ceilings and the gilded woodwork. . A frieze of children’s games reigns at the level of the cornice.

It is indeed in this room that the personalities having the privilege of attending the small and large levies of the king waited. They entered the sovereign’s room according to a codified ceremonial, we speak of “entrances”. Each entrance was reserved for members of the King’s entourage according to his rank or function with the Crown. Six entries were thus observed daily. For example, during the first entries, called “familiar”, we welcome the doctor, the surgeon and the royal children or later courtiers chosen at the discretion of the sovereign during the fifth entries. At the Palace of Versailles, a major restoration of one of the most emblematic pieces of the reign of Louis XIV began in February 2023. Built in 1701, the antechamber of the Salon de l‘Œil-de-Bœuf has a unique decor, at the transition between the Louis XIV and Louis XV styles. This complete restoration will last one year.

The official Château de Versailles :https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover

The Versailles tourist office on the palace of Versailles :https://en.versailles-tourisme.com/documentation.html

There you go folks, a magnificent palace that all should see in your lifetime at least once, The history of France is here,and the architecture not the least , a masterpiece for the whole world to see. We shall be back eventually to my former City of glorious memories for all, Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Salon de l‘Œil-de-Bœuf as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!