Paris1972-Versailles2003

In my dear gorgeous Versailles ; there are many places other than the castle. The city needs to be seen more, my kind of town, actually did lived there for 9+ glorious years! Very nice family memories. I found me older paper pictures that again should be in my blog, Walk it back way back and see natural beauty of the once Domaine de Versailles ! Therefore, here is my take again on the bedrooms of kings/queens of the Château de Versailles !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I

Thanks to king of the French Louis Philippe I that seeing history goes to nothing, had the brilliant idea of converting it into a museum! as he said, FOR THE GLORY OF FRANCE, So in 1837, the castle became the museum, and the story began for all of us. I got caught up in this museum magna, the most beautiful of them all. A bit of stories, compiled from my time as living there and Friends of the Castle.

The chambre du Roi or king’s bedroom goes that in 1701, Louis XIV transferred his bedroom to the vast lounge nearly 80 m2, located in the center of the eastern facade of the castle. We then condemned the three high doors of the background which gave on the galerie des Glacesand above which Nicolas Coustou performed the allegory in stucco of France watching over the sleep of the king overlooking the bed. The most important and most symbolic room of the royal apartment, the room serves at several times of the day: the king holds the ceremonies of “ease” and “bedtime”, dinner to his “little cover” and can receive certain courtiers or ambassadors there. It was in this room that Louis XIV died on September 1, 1715, after 72 years of reign. The sumptuous decor of gold and silver brocade on the crimson background of the room is embellished with paintings, chosen by Louis XIV himself: four paintings representing the evangelists and the denier of César, by Valentin de Boulogne, French painter of the caravagesque style. Five portraits ;Agar and the angel by Giovanni Lanfranco; Above door, Saint Jean-Baptiste by Giovanni Battista Caracciolo aka Battistello, Italian painter. Marie-Madeleine by Dominico Zampieri , baroque Italian painter. two portraits from Van Dyck , painter, assistant of Rubens, then large portrait painter. On chimneys, a bust of Louis XIV by Antoine Coysevox, a pendulum and four candelabras that belonged to the Count of Provence, brother of Louis XVI.

The chambre de la Reine or Queen’s bedroom is the main room of the apartment, the one where the queen was most often held. She was sleeping there, often joined by the king. In the morning, she received there during and after her toilet, It is here again that the public deliveries took place: nineteen ” children of France ” were born there. The decor retains the memory of the three queens who occupied the part: the compartmentalization of the ceiling dates back to Queen Marie-Thérèse, but the paints in greyness by Boucher were made for Marie Leszczinska, as well as the woodwork. All these elements have been kept in the time of Marie-Antoinette for which only the furniture and the fireplace were delivered new. During the invasion of the castle by the rioters on October 6, 1789 led to the great departure of the king and his family, a major event of the French Revolution…, Marie-Antoinette managed to escape them by the small left door of the alcove opening on a corridor giving access to the interior cabinets of the Queen, a dozen small parts reserved for her private life and his service. During the French revolution, the palace was not looted, but its furniture was dispersed during auctions which lasted an entire year. Some have been found, such as Schwerdfeger’s greenhouse, which is on the left of the bed, or like the chimney screen; Others have been replaced by equivalent parts: this is the case of seats delivered in part for the Countess de Provence, the sister-in-law of the Queen, and partly for the visit of the King of Sweden Gustave III. As for the fabrics that tend the bed and the walls, they were removed in Lyon according to the original boxes kept. The bed and the balustrade were rescued according to old documents.

The chambre de la Dauphine or Dauphine bedroom is in this bedroom that the Dauphine Marie-Josèphe de Saxe , daughter of the King of Poland Auguste III, put into the world the three future kings of France: Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X. Nothing remains of the decor made for her in 1747, with the exception of the door-to-door painted by Jean II Restout, French painter.

The official Château de Versailles on the palace: https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/palace

The Versailles tourist office on the apartments: https://www.versailles-tourisme.com/les-grands-appartements.html

There you go folks, one of the must to see in Versailles and worth it. Another masterpiece of my belle France, and hope you have the time to see it while at this huge property that is the Domaine de Versailles. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the bedrooms of kings/queens of the Château de Versailles !!! as I.

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