What is the significance of versailles

Help preserve sites now! Join the , Members. Search Advanced. By Properties. Cultural Criteria: i ii iii iv v vi Natural Criteria: vii viii ix x. Category Cultural Natural Mixed. All With videos With photo gallery. Country Region Year Name of the property. Without With. Paleis en park van Versailles Het paleis van Versailles — de Fransen spreken van het kasteel van Versailles — was oorspronkelijk een jachtpaviljoen dat verbouwd werd tot kasteel en voor de koningen vanaf Lodewijk XIV tot Lodewijk XVI functioneerde als hoofdresidentie.

Integrity The Palace and Park of Versailles lost their function with the Revolution, but the ensemble was conserved by the State and transformed into a museum at the beginning of the 19th century.

Authenticity The Revolution and its consequences caused destruction and dispersion at Versailles, while the transformation of the Palace into a museum, in the 19th century, brought about new decorations and new spaces.

It all serves as a constant reminder that he is the king and all power comes from him by the grace of God. The decoration also emphasized the achievements of the king. Victory in battle features prominently in these narratives, with one example showing Louis with his army crossing the Rhine River in He is dressed in Roman clothes, his long hair flows behind him, and he holds a thunderbolt like a projectile.

He sits like a god in a chariot that is being pushed by none other than Hercules himself. She took over a building called the "Petit Trianon" and built a number of structures, including a working farm also called the "hamlet" , which provided the palace with fresh produce, and a nearby house and small theater. She also built a "Temple of Love," which modern-day curators say can be seen from her room in the Petit Trianon.

It features a dome propped up by nearly a dozen columns covering a statue, which shows a depiction of "Cupid cutting his bow from the club of Hercules," Bajou writes. Additionally, she built the charming "grotto," a cave that had a moss bed for Marie Antoinette to lie on.

It had two entrances, prompting much speculation as to what went on in it. Though Marie Antoinette is known for her lavishness, in reality she did not always enjoy being queen. Her estate reflects a desire for a simpler life and homesickness for her native Austria. In the Habsburg Empire, royalty was allotted a far greater sense of privacy and she had a remarkably "normal" upbringing," explained Schmidt. Once she had become Dauphine, her life was constantly in the spotlight.

Etiquette demanded that she dine before a seemingly never-ending crowd of spectators and getting dressed was a court ceremony in itself.

Marie Antoinette attempted to break some etiquette rules but was opposed by the court and the French people. She built the Hamlet and took over the Petit Trianon so that she could escape the many watchful eyes and be herself. It was an attempt to "recreate some of her dearly missed childhood.

Two key events in the American Revolution happened at Versailles. Benjamin Franklin, acting on behalf of a newly independent United States, negotiated a treaty with Louis XVI, which led to America getting critical support from the French military.

Spawforth notes that Louis XVI would have one of his inventions, a "Franklin chimney," installed that produced less smoke than an ordinary fireplace. Several decades later, when King Louis Philippe reign was turning Versailles into a museum, he would include a painting that depicts the siege of Yorktown, a decisive victory in the Revolutionary War in which the Americans and French cooperated against the British.

America would reciprocate in the s when oil millionaire John D. Rockefeller Jr. As a symbol, Versailles can be understood as one of opposites, said Schmidt. It reflects both the beauty and culture of France and its tumultuous history. However, toward the end of the 18th century it became more of a symbol of the aristocracy's wealth, which stood in stark contrast to that of the common people. The entire mindset of society had changed with the Enlightenment, which caused the palace to be seen as a symbol of the old regime.

A raised place on which sacrifices and gifts are offered in some religions. Asia's largest spoken English learning platform. Sign in with Google. Sign in with Facebook. Please Sign up first! This move was designed to neutralize the power of the nobles. This it did, but it also created a hotbed of boredom and extravagance, with hundreds of aristocrats crammed together, many with nothing to do but gossip, spend money and play. May Ball at Versailles during the Carnival of From the start, everything was over the top at Versailles.

The elaborate dress required for the court nearly broke many noble families, while they were also expected to buy large quantities of French goods to support various industries. Amusements—be they concerts, multi-course banquets, balls or parades—packed the calendar. Plays and pageants were favorites of the royal household, and an enormous amount of money was spent on everything from the costumes to the set.

Gambling was also a favorite pastime during the reign of all three kings to rule over Versailles. While most of France lived in poverty, fortunes were made and lost at Versailles on a nightly basis.