I wrote couple posts on the Versailles property that the world comes there to see. However, in France we make a distinction between the Château or Palace and the Domaine or Domain of Versailles. One is just one building while the latter is the whole property including dependencies. You need to give it more time, its worth it, me think, Let me tell you again on the Domaine de Versailles, part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
For reference, the domaine de Versailles is the set of lands and buildings of 850 Ha. (8000 Ha before the French revolution) dependent on the Palace of Versailles. You do the math as one hectare is equal to 2.471 acres. Besides the castle, it includes 93 ha of gardens and 300 ha of forest. You count 20 km of enclosures, 42 km of alleys, and 372 magnificent statues ! However, also, the Petit and Grand Trianon with a park of 80 ha for the Grand and 50 ha for the Petit. Also, the Hameau de la Reine, the Grand and Petit Canal, Orangerie, and the pièce d’eau des 3 Suisses. It has 55 basins! The biggest are the Grand Canal 23 Ha, and 500 000 M3 of water and the Piéce d’Eau des 3 Suisses with 180 000 M3 of water. A total of 35 km of canals and 600 water jets. The property goes back way back of the Grand Canal into the towns of St Cyr l’école and its many gates or portes that encircle the old Domain of Versailles for 43 km!!
The Grande Perspective imagined by André Le Nôtre on both sides of the castle. starts from the Apollo basin by the Tapis Vert or green carpet, esplanade which descends towards the Grand Canal. Beyond that, the alley leaves the so-called Étoile Royale or Royal Star roundabout and crosses the towns of Versailles, Saint-Cyr-l’école, Fontenay-le-Fleury, Rennemoulin and Villepreux.Sublime ride ! The Allée royale or Royal Alley was the main one of the five alleys leaving in a bundle from the Royal Star, forming a majestic landscaped set which was compared to the king’s hand landing on his territory. Originally, it was a grassy avenue 97 meters wide. unobstructed in its center, it is framed on both sides by two main aisles of 5 meters, bordered by a double alignment of rural elms trees.
One of its gorgeous walks goes by the Allée de l’Accroissement or sort of increasing alley that begins in the south on the avenue de la Division-Leclerc and ends around 1,600 meters north on the allée de la Ceinture or sort of belt aisle. Great walks indeed to dream while seeing the palace afar.
the Allée de Saint-Cyr begins by the allée de l’Accroissement and ends around 1,900 meters on the allée du Rendez-Vous or sort of meeting aisle. At the corner of this alley it offers a real panorama of the domaine/estate. The tall oak trees then the large agricultural plots are stretched afar, perceives the waters of the Ru of Gally stream, and finally the alignments of linden trees which announce the Étoile royale or royal star, more than a km from our point of view.
The Passage de l’Abbé Picard sits between the Allée Pierre de Coubertinet and the avenue de Paris, A nice historical corner of my Versailles for a nice walk in history, Jean Picard, aka Abbé or Father Picard, was a geodesian and a French astronomer. The cadran or solar dial of Jean Picard are on the pediment of the Sorbonne in Paris. The three solar dials that Picard calculated for the “old sorbonne” court of honor in 1676 show his interest in the Gnomonique and allowed him to put his theories into practice.
Something in the City of Versailles, worth the walk to it away from the palace is the hill or butte Montbauron culminating above 150 meters. During the drilling of the 3 large avenues in 1664 (avenue de Saint-Cloud, avenue de Paris and avenue de Sceaux), the Butte Montbauron barred what became avenue de Paris and a part was leveled in 1670 in order to extend the perspective towards the castle. The Montbauron hill was then locked up from a wall fence of around 2000 meters. Five doors gave access to it by different sides. The summit remained unexploited until the realization of Montbauron basins in 1685, intended to supply water to the fountains of the Château of Versailles gardens. The project of the Marly machine (see post) had taken place on June 13, 1684 in the presence of Louis XIV. The Pont-Aqueduc or water bridge) led water to the reservoirs of Louveciennes and Marly, then to Versailles by an underground aqueduct. The water arrived by the Butte de Picardie (now not in service) to finally arrive at the Montbauron basin by a bridge-aqueduc. Of these four tanks, only two remain and only one is still assigned to feed the palace. From the avenue de Saint-Cloud, by the Chemin du Janicule climbs the hill with narrow ramps. At the top of the butte Montbauron hill, you can admire luxurious and imposing houses with millstone facades, as well as a series of pretty villas with facades with colored ceramic friezes. Indeed gorgeous Versailles in the Montreuil neighborhood.
A bit of history I like tell us that the first mentioned of Versailles dates from 1038 where monks erect a Church of Saint Julien. By 1472 , the first complete mentioned of the city is as Versailles-aux-Bourg-de-Galie (new French, Versailles in the town of Gally). by 1475 the Lords of Versailles give right to Trianon to the abbey of Sain Germain, first mentioned of Trianon in texts. by 1589 first time king Louis XIII stops by Versailles, which he again will visit in 1604,1607, and 1609 ;while doing his first hunt in 1607. By 1623 ,king Louis XIII has built a modest country manor home in bricks to spent his time hunting and passing by but never sleeps in it. The first castle type construction was done by what is today the cour de marbre or courtyard of marble, being of 24 meters long and 6 meters wide. On April 18, 1632 king Louis XIII buys the lands and domaine of Versailles to Jean-François de Gondi, bishop of Paris. New lands around it are purchased and a bigger castle is built in 1634. King Louis XIII died on May 14 ,1643. His son king Louis XIV lived in Paris at the Louvre, and was born in nearby Saint Germain-en-Laye. By 1651 does his first visit to Versailles and on October 25th, 1660 takes there for the first time his wife queen Maria Teresa (Spain). From 1661-1668 renovations and new constructions takes over the life of the domaine. He brings in the crew that built the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte (seine et marne dept 77) as Le Vau, the architect, Errard and Coypel, the decorators, and Le Notre ,the gardener. By 1664 the first parties are done in the castle including plays by Moliére. First statues place in the gardens done in 1665 , the Grand Canal was built in 1667 . The biggest party is thrown on July 18 1668 to make the castle known to the world.
In the period, 1668-1670 the castle is enlarged again with encircling the old building all done by architect Le Vau, and after his death in 1670 by his successor architect d’Orbay. The Trianon de Porcelain (replace by the Grand Trianon) is built in 1670 , and at this time many hôtel particuliéres or manor houses are built of great richness such as the ones of Luxembourg, Noailles,Guise,Bouillon, and Gesvres. Between 1678-1686 the galerie des glaces or the Hall of mirrors (73 meters long) is built with decorations by Le Brun. By 1682 even before all is finished the king Louix XIV comes to live in the castle.
Meanwhile, more construction is going on between 1685-89 . New Orangerie, (see post) Grand Comun (for servants and lesser officials quarters -see post) , the stables of Petite and Grande Ecuries (see post). 1700 new apartments are done to house the duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV, future king of Spain under Felipe V (the Bourbon line is done, ancestors of today’s king of Spain Felipe VI ,his father king Juan Carlos I was fifth in line to the throne of France). By 1689-1710, the Royal Chapel is built; upon king Louis XIV death in 1715, Louis XV finally comes to live in Versailles in 1722 at the age of 12 years old, and makes his preference to lived at the Grand Trianon later more so the queen Marie Leszczynska . Meanwhile renovations and constructions continues from 1729 on such as the Salon d’Hercules in 1729-1736, the Royal Opéra 1768-1770, and the Petit Trianon 1761-1768. In 1770 the marriage of the dauphin heir future Louis XVI with Marie-Antoinette de Lorraine, archduchess of Austria is held here at the Royal Chapel. Comes king Louis XVI, he builts the library in 1774 done by Gabriel. Cabinet Dorée or golden cabinet built in 1783 to house the collections of Louis XV, his father. then comes the French revolution. The Estates Generaux are held here and from October 6, 1789 the castle is never the same again. All traces of kings is taken down, all objects are spread all over France and abroad. the statues, sculptures and paintings as well as furniture is sold all over Europe. A sad time indeed. Then comes reason in the name of the new monarch of king Louis-Philippe in 1830, he decides for good that the castle can be save if made into a museum ! ” FOR ALL THE GLORIES OF FRANCE”. The museum is open on June 10, 1837, hails greatly by one Victor Hugo. Here the treaty of Versailles ending WWI is done on June 28 1919. The French constitution has it that all changes or amendments to the French constitution as per article 89 needs the National Assembly or Assamblée Générale (house of reps) and the Senate,and the President and his cabinet must move and do those changes debates in Versailles. While here the city of Versailles becomes the de facto Capital of France!!! Like it never has stopped being it !!!!!!!!!! It has welcome celebraties and events such as in 1972 Queen Elisabeth II of England (UK) 1974 the Shah of Iran, 1985 Mickaïl Gorbachev, 1992 Boris Yeltsin, and 1982 served as reunion site for the G7, amongst many more including serving as office of Pres Charles De Gaulle!
The official Château de Versailles on the park: https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/park
The official Versailles tourist office on the domaine’ park : https://www.versailles-tourisme.com/parc-du-chateau-de-versailles.html
The little city newspaper , Le Petit Versaillais to know all about Versailles before coming : http://www.lepetitversaillais.fr/
The Les Amis de Versailles or the friends of Versailles on its future activities (I am in!) : https://www.amisdeversailles.com/activities
The association des Amis du grand Parc de Versailles or assoc of the friends of the grand park of Versailles (domaine): https://grandparcdeversailles.org/accueil-agpv/histoire-grand-parc-versailles-agpv/
There you go folks, as said, this property is huge, you need more than the popularly mention one or two days,these posts will give you some ideas and history to search for more and really enjoy fully my Versailles. If you need further details or information, feel free to post a question or contact me on this blog. I lived there for 9+ glorious years !!! Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Domaine de Versailles, part II !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 