Located in the wealthy Parisien suburb of Versailles, the enormous and exquisite Chateau de Versailles began life as a humble brick and stone hunting lodge. Built for Louis XIII and his gentry during the early 1600s, the lodge was soon extended to accommodate larger parties. His son, Louis XIV, extended it still further; but still dissatisfied, he embarked upon an abitious construction programme that transformed the original building into the vast palace existing today. Not only did the King want to create a royal residence that would intimidate every other king in Europe, he had become disillusioned with his life in Paris and feared for his safety there. By creating such a palace he could accommodate his entire court (at the time over 5000 people), as well as keep any eye on his mischievous, plotting nobles, whose unexplained absences and intrigues could be noticed much more easily in the country.
In its entirety, the project, which consisted of four distinct phases, took 35 000 men more than 20 years to complete. A significant proportion of the workforce was dedicated solely to the draining of marshes, removal of thousands of acres of forest and levelling the hills that obstructed the creation of the palace's elaborate grounds. Above all, the Chateau of Versailles remains an evocative symbol of the blatant self-glorification and never ceasing apetite for boundless luxury that was Louis XIV. His father's original hunting lodge still exists today, hidden among a number of other structures flanking the palace's great marble courtyard.
Transport from Paris to Versailles
