Versailles : in the footsteps of kings

en anglais

Résumé du livre

Versailles

Discover the fascinating secrets of Versailles in this boxed set of lavishly illustrated book and facsimile documents

The history of Versailles is inextricably bound up with the kings and queens who created it. From its origins as a hunting lodge to the magnificent palace visited by millions every year. Versailles has witnessed some of the most fascinating and turbulent times in French history. Wealth and power, scandal and intrigue... from Sun King Louis XIV to the ill-fated Marie-Antoinette, and from Richelieu and Colbert to John F. Kennedy and de Gaulle.

Versailles has been centre stage for over three centuries.

Yet the story of Versailles is much more than a series of snapshots of pivotal moments in history. It is also the everyday life of the court with its complex hierarchy and rigid etiquette, the cultured life of the salon, extravagant fêtes and entertainments, all played out in a sumptuous setting created by the most brilliant artists and architects of the time. The chateau's opulent rooms and apartments represent highpoints in French artistic creation that set the standard for the rest of the world, while its elegant gardens are epitome of formal French garden style.