And you can tell ,love the history of the places I go, not just for a pretty picture or nice walk but to know their history and meaning in our world. A complete world traveler and or road warrior indeed.None the least in my dear old home of Versailles,in the Yvelines dept 78 of the Île de France region of my belle France. Therefore, let me tell you again always more of my dear Versailles !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
I like to bring you back to my dear Versailles , memories forever, they were 9+ wonderful years spent in this marvelous royal city that we will remember forever. I have written plenty on it in my blog, but there is always more more of the City. This is from a new visit last week just love it !!!
The Avenue de Sceaux is a very much used traffic street in Versailles, one of the three streets which radiate in a fan from the place d’Armes, in front of the Palace/museum of Versailles, with the Avenue de Paris and the Avenue de Saint-Cloud. The Avenue de Sceaux borders some of m y favorite buildings in the city such as the Petite Écurie, Court of Scents, the Square des Francine, also called Louis XIV abreuvoir or watering place, at no. 10: Hôtel de la Marine et des Galères; and Jardin des étangs Gobert or pond garden of Gobert. You can, also, walk from the parking above on Avenue de Sceaux directly into the left hand side of the palace/museum or commonly call the Château de Versailles! The Avenue de Sceaux in the district of Saint-Louis created in 1710. A nice convenient parking is at the end, by the RER C train station.
Avenue de Paris ,is the old royal road that connected the palace of Versailles with the palace of the Louvre in Paris, In fact as you go by car as I, you come into Versailles on the Avenue de Paris and come into Paris on the Avenue de Versailles ; the now D910 or D10 road !! The Avenue de Paris was created in 1682, the central axis of the Trident set up by Jules Hardouin-Mansart (avenues of Sceaux, Paris, Saint Cloud). One of the widest avenues of France at 97 meters. Many nice monuments to see on it see posts,
The Place de la Loi, built from 1938, completed in 1945, it was officially handed over to the city on November 12, 1941, by General Pacault. The city then took the opportunity to baptize the circular square that surrounds it as Place-de-la-Loi. It will be necessary to wait until July 7, 1946 for it to be inaugurated. This monument has two pillars 12 meters high by 3 meters wide in the form of vertical cobblestones. One represents the gendarmerie and the other the Republican Guard. They frame a statue which symbolizes Force in the service of the Law. This does not interfere with the view of the Saint-Antoine de Padoue Church, located just above in neighboring Le Chesnay-Roquencourt.
The Place d’Armes located in front of the Palace of Versailles. It is about 300 meters long and 150 meters wide. On its side opposite the castle, three lanes radiate the avenue de Saint-Cloud; the avenue de Paris, and the avenue de Sceaux. In 1660, when Louis XIV decided to extend his palace ,it was decided to level and to enlarge the Place d’Armes and radiate from it three wide avenues planted with trees. The Place d’Armes borders the following buildings: the Château de Versailles where the Grille d’Honneur separates it from the Cour d’Honneur; the Grande Ecurie, and the Petite Ecurie. Since 2009, the square has also been home to the equestrian statue of Louis XIV, which previously stood in the Cour d’Honneur.
The Rue du Maréchal Joffre, is awesome, the former rue de Satory named after the hill it crosses to the south, Some of my favorite buildings here are at No. 2: Former small vegetable garden of the king, No. 5: House where Mademoiselle de Romans died in 1808, one of Louis XV’s mistresses, of whom she had a recognized son Louis-Antoine de Bourbon, No. 10: Current entrance to the Potager du Roi or King’s vegetable garden which was created from 1678 to 1683 under the direction of Jean-Baptiste de la Quintinie, No. 12: Parc Balbi former cul-de-sac of Satory giving access to the entrance to Balbi Park, . No. 29: Lycée Jules-Ferry former hotel of the Duc de la Vrillière in 1772, which served as stables for the Countess of Artois, (wife of future king Charles X) , younger sister of the Countess of Provence,(wife of future king Louis XVIII),
The Rue de l’Indépendance Américaine was the former rue Gambetta,then rue de la Superintendance and then rue des Quatre-Fermes. From the name of the treaties signed at Versailles (end of the conflict between France and England/USA) in the current municipal library , Some of my favorite buildings here are at N° 1: Grand Commun du château de Louis XIV, former military hospital The “Grand Carré des Offices” (Commun du King, Queen, Monseigneur and Madame la Dauphine) was built between 1682 and 1684. This functional building in brick and stone has the appearance of a rectangle of 83 meters by 76 meters with a vast interior courtyard. It is now attach to the Domaine de Versailles, No. 3: Hôtel de la Guerre-barracks Carnot , No. 5: Since 1803, the municipal library of Versailles has been located in the former hotel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Navy ,No. 4-6 Hôtel de la Surintendance, occupied successively by Jean-Baptiste Colbert , then by Louvois former Ministry of War under Louis XV built on the site of the king’s first vegetable garden., No. 7: Hôtel d’Orléans, built in 1762 by Anne-Marie-Louise d’Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier, first cousin of Louis XIV and granddaughter of Henri IV, known to the court as S.A.R. Mademoiselle or Miss., No. 9: Former Hôtel de la Superintendance des Bâtiments du Roi built by J. Hardouin-Mansart in 1702, occupied by the brother of Madame de Pompadour and then by the Comte d’Angivillier , It became a minor seminary from 1834 to 1906, then Caserne Vauban: military engineering district (engineering school in 1990) which then abandoned it. No. 12: Hôtel du Grand Contrôle des finances built in 1681 on the plans of J. Hardouin-Mansart, hotel of the Duke of Beauvilliers (Colbert’s son-in-law), then bought by Louis XV for the General Control of Finances, and then housed the military circle before returning to the Domaine de Versailles ,it has become a four-star luxury hotel !!
The Rue Satory, from the name of the hill south of the city to which it gave access. Former rue de la Montagne which united rue du Maréchal-Joffre and the current rue de Satory. An interesting building to see here is at No. 18: Birthplace of General Lazare Hoche, who died at 29 after having “pacified” the Vendée (war of west vs French revolution). Balconies with curved railings. Bought by the city in 1986. The street ends today at the old carrefour or crossroads of Quatre Bornes with rue de l’Orangerie.
You know the Gare Château Rive Gauche train station of the RER C network is the closest to the main entrance of the Château (10 minutes on foot). It is accessible from many stations in Paris (St-Michel Notre-Dame, Invalides, Champ de Mars – Eiffel Tower, etc.). On the way back, all trains go to Paris.
The Avenue Clément Ader is next to Camp de Satory ,i came this time by here passing an old reliable gas station BP, This street connects the Saint-Louis district and the Satory district, via a passage under the national 12 road coming from the A86,
The Guy Môquet covered trench, or Guy Môquet tunnel, is a work of art located on the beltway road A86, in the territories of Vitry-sur-Seine and Thiais in the Val-de-Marne (dept 94) , With a total length 650 meters long, this twin-tube tunnel has 3 traffic lanes per direction, And we take it to go around Paris on our way East/West
The N186, or RN186, is a road which was the second ring of Paris before being gradually replaced by the A86 highway, The A13 begins in Paris, more precisely on the peripheral boulevard at the height of the Porte d’Auteuil. It is then cut and covered on certain sections, before meeting the A12 at the Triangle de Rocquencourt. A connection A13 to A12 and vice versa taken zillions of times
The famous CC Parly 2 shopping center with nearly 200 shops on 3 floors with white, gold and warm and refined wood decor. We shopped here to death, our favorite by far while living in Versailles, It is at 2 Av. Charles de Gaulle, Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt (former Le Chesnay) on the road D186 becomes N186 at A13 dir Rouen or go over the bridge to St Germain en Laye etc, This was on our way out to A13 and new home !
The Versailles tourist office: https://en.versailles-tourisme.com/
The city of Versailles on its heritage: https://www.versailles.fr/65/decouvrir-versailles.htm#
There you go folks, a dandy small stories of my dear Versailles, as said, a lot more than the palace to be seen and enjoy. A nice town good for the whole family, heck it was great for mine. Again, hope you enjoy this post on my always more of my dear Versailles as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health,and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 