The Palace and Gardens of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles and its gardens represent so many things- power, paranoia, beauty, majesty, excess and romance. The gardens in particular made me feel a quote I came across while travelling in France- "lost like an insect when faced with this immensity." The opulence, history and magnificence of the place made my trip to Versailles unforgettable- I would love to go there again.

In 1682, King Louis XIV, the Sun King, moved his court and royal residence to Versailles (which brings me to my point about why Versailles represents power and paranoia)- he was making sure that he could keep a watchful eye over the nobility, lest they rebel against him. You could possibly trace his paranoia to his childhood- he ascended to the throne when he was only four years of age, and when he was in his pre-teens, a civil war known as the Fronde broke out in which the nobility challenged the king. Undoubtedly, such an experience would have left an indelible impression on him.

Louis XIV's statue, in ancient Roman garb, to reflect his power and supremacy

(Interesting side note: Louis XIV was known as the Sun King because he strongly identified with Apollo, the Greek God of the Sun. In fact, there are several rooms named after Greek and Roman deities and you'll find symbols of Apollo, like the lyre or the sun, adorning the palace and gardens)

The Sun King was a patron of the arts, and this is reflected in the beautiful sculptures, paintings, furniture and furnishings I saw in the Palace of Versailles:

The Apotheosis of Hercules by Francois Lemoyne- the largest ceiling painted on canvas in Europe

Venice gifted a painting by Veronese to the French emperor. King Louis XIV built a room (the Hercules Room) specifically to house this painting :O

The "marble" pillars are painted on canvas, but in real life, from a distance, you can barely tell them apart from the genuine marble ones. The skill in painting is astounding

The King's bedroom. Every inch of it is ornately covered

The famous Hall of Mirrors, where Germany's (and rest of Europe's) fate was sealed after the WWI Treaty of Versailles

I liked the candle stands- they look like potted plants, all gilted, with flowers acting as candle holders

The library

All the books were leatherbound and had the crest of "Daughter of France"- This crest was used for the unmarried princesses of the household. These books are from Princess Vittoire's library

Princess Vittoire's bedroom

The first organ chamber I had ever seen in real life. If I had a music room like this I would never get out xD

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Gardens of Versailles

There are things photographs can't capture, so I'll try to do justice to the experience with my words.

Walking in the gardens of Versailles was a feeling like no other. The crunch of gravel and autumn leaves under my feet, the wind blowing and touselling my hair. I could see and feel the light of the sun but not its warmth- the golden sunlight as it filtered through the trees. The rich scents of earth, flowers and oranges (near the orangerie) gave me a sense of freshness I hadn't felt in a while. The gardens of Versailles are truly exquisite. Order and Chaos, winding roads and perfect geometry, French and English landscape art, all blended so delightfully that you could see all you want but not enough. I took a train ride through the gardens of Versailles when I had to return to the Chateau to exit the Palace, and the train hobbled along the cobblestones much like a carriage would. The Baroque music playing in the background only added to this feeling that I was being transported in time. Sometimes I wish I could capture a moment. A Pensieve wouldn't work- it only captures memories. I want to bottle up what I felt when I went to Versailles, to feel the beautiful feeling again.

All the same, here are the photographs:

It was as Louis XIV intended- "gardens of matchless and exquisite beauty"

The gardens are a riot of colours

Walking through the gardens while listening to Baroque music made the whole experience so authentic. I could imagine being in those times.

The Enceladus Grove. I found it strange that Versailles housed rooms dedicated to Venus, Mars, Diana, Apollo and Hercules but none to Athena. In fact, Enceladus is the anti-Athena, and they have an entire grove dedicated to him (Why?)

Apollo's bath grove

Water Theater Grove

Three Fountains Grove

Topiary in the shape of a vase! Versailles has given me all sorts of ideas for my own garden, whenever I have one

Latona's fountain is the famous one, but I was underwhelmed on seeing it

The Ballroom- this is what the movie A Little Chaos was centred on (an Alan Rickman and Kate Winslet starrer which I loved). I was in love!

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Grand Trianon

Of the three major buildings- the Chateau, Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon in the estate of Versailles, Grand Trianon is my favourite. Grand Trianon was built as a family retreat for Louis XIV, so that he could get away from the court and relax (most often with his mistress, Madame de Montespan)

Grand Trianon is constructed using pink marble

It has lovely gardens surrounding it

The former bedroom of Louis XIV in the Grand Trianon

The Mirror Salon in Grand Trianon

I loved the colour scheme and decor of this room! Definitely my favourite in the Grand Trianon

The Malachite Salon (the Malachite in the salon was a gift from Tsar Alexander I of Russia to Napoleon)

I love Grand Trianon because of its unusual architecture. It's a one storey building made of pink marble, and looks almost unassuming when compared to the more imposing Chateau of Versailles. Its interiors are just as opulent, but it feels warmer and more inviting than the Chateau itself. This could be because the Chateau was intended as a seat of power, with its grandeur designed to leave you awestruck, while the Grand Trianon was to be used for not-so-clandestine affairs.

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Petit Trianon and Queen's Hamlet

Just like how Grand Trianon was Louis XIV's escape from the court, Petit Trianon was Marie Antoinette's. Petit Trianon was gifted to her by Louis XVI. I wasn't overly impressed with the building of Petit Trianon, but I loved the surrounding gardens and Queen's Hamlet. The Queen's Hamlet is a charming little village Marie Antoinette built in her estate, so that she could enjoy the countryside within her estate.

Marie Antoinette's bedroom in Petit Trianon was surprisingly small and not as opulently decorated as I expected it to be

Purple breccia marble for the fireplace- it's gorgeous!

Queen's Hamlet looks so quaint and idyllic

Queen's Hamlet was inspired by the paintings of Hubert Robert- I couldn't walk very far in France without coming across Hubert Robert's work or something inspired by his work

An actual mill- her village was quite self-sufficient :O

Marie Antoinette constructed a Temple of Love in her gardens- was it because of or despite her unhappy marriage? Or was it something else altogether?

Marie Antoinette's theatre. It's one of the best preserved theatres in Europe, that's why you aren't allowed access. But you can still see the sumptuous decor. She fell in love with theatre while taking drama lessons to improve her French (!)

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Versailles is stunningly beautiful, not only because of its grandeur but also because it has maintained its identity despite dramatic changes. From Louis XIV's reign (the longest reign of any French emperor) to Napoleon's empire to World War I, it has been the theatre of landmark events. All the famous inhabitants of Versailles left their distinct impact on the estates without entirely erasing the legacies of its former residents, and I found that impressive- it adds layers and layers to the overall character of Versailles, making it even more interesting to explore. I would say that this one of the places you should definitely go to at least once in your life.