A trip to Château de Versailles!
14 Avril 2023
Only about an hour outside of Paris is the Château de Versailles. My trip to the Gardens of Versailles was as dreamy as I thought it would be.
But first, some history…
Surrounded by forests, meadows, wild game, and blue skies, Louis XIII fell in love with Versailles at first sight. The young dauphin first saw the lush landscape of Versailles on a hunting trip. Crowned king in 1610, Louisʻs love and appreciation for Versailles only grew stronger. It was thought to be the ideal location, situated between Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Paris. First starting off as a small hunting residence in 1623 Louis began to rebuild in 1631, having the construction of the grounds continue into 1634 and becoming the foundation of the palace we see today.
Fast forward to the reign of Louis XIV, he too was in love with the serene environment and decided to expand the chateau beyond measure. Taking the role of an architect he worked alongside famous artists to build the masterpiece. The beloved Sun King often used Versailles as an escape from reality and a place to meet his lovers. He quickly upgraded the grounds, transforming them into a romantic escape both interior and exterior. The construction of Versailles would continue for the entirety of his life and even beyond. The idea of superiority and opulence he had in mind was certainly achieved. Through the reign of Louis XV, modest upgrades were made but its grounds were often vacated for Vincesses during this time. Next Luis XVI was in reign. As a ruler, he had much respect for the vision of Louis XIV and decided to have significant work done to the palace. He married the infamous Marie Antoinette. As rulers, they did not pay close attention to the livelihood of their people and would eventually experience its consequences.
Work on the gardens was thought to be as important and significant as the palace itself. Fountains, glassy water, reflections, shrubs, sculptures, and trees are what surround you as you walk through the gardens of Versailles. I often placed myself in a fairytale while walking through the property…
Shutting my eyes I would visualize myself, as royalty, roaming through these gardens in a gown that would hug my body just right, heels fit for a princess, and elegant jewelry so shiny that it would look like pure water droplets dripping off my skin. I would wander, fan in hand, with my maidens and discuss meaningless gossip circulating throughout the court. I would care little for the menial duties of life and instead focus on the beautiful weather and scenery that surrounded me.
Like the Louvre and any other château in Paris, this is just a reminder of the extreme amount of wealth the monarchy had and how they chose to spend their fortune. Everything from size, space, and capacity to elegance, structure, and variety of the fountains and sculptures in the gardens prove insight into how these monarchs chose to present themselves, their status, and their culture to their own people and to others.
