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The Palace of Versailles - A symbol of Europe's greatest wealth and power.
The Palace of Versailles (French: Château de Versailles) is located about 20 km west of Paris. It was once the residence of the French kings (and queens) Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. With its massive scale, exquisite architecture, and lavish decorations, the Palace of Versailles is a symbol of the supreme power of the French feudal dynasties and is considered the most magnificent palace in Europe.
King Louis XIV decided to build the palace in 1666, and it was completed in 1682. He is often called "Louis the Great," "Louis the Great," or "Le Roi-Soleil" (The Sun King), as these names reflect the supreme political power of a monarch and the achievements he brought to world art history. Under the reign of Louis XIV, France was at the forefront of Europe and the world, with a brilliant and glorious literary and artistic tradition, and the authority to govern the country.
Versailles is a masterpiece of architecture, combining 17th and 18th-century French architectural styles with Baroque elements. The palace comprises 2,300 rooms situated on a plot of land covering over 63,000 square meters.2With numerous auxiliary architectural structures harmoniously integrated into a single complex, the palace's architecture adheres to the standard rules of classicism, such as the symmetry of the buildings and the colonnaded corridors. What is unique about the Palace of Versailles is that it sits in the middle of an open field, without surrounding ramparts, as King Louis XIV wanted to demonstrate his power and influence as a monarch who did not need high walls or moats for protection.
Inside are large rooms including: the King's Grand Chamber, the Queen's Grand Chamber, and the Mirror Room,... Among them, the Mirror Room is considered the largest room in the castle, measuring 73 meters in length and covered with 17 enormous mirrors.
More than just a residence for kings and nobles, the Palace of Versailles is also a historical museum housing and displaying 6,123 paintings, 1,500 sketches, 15,034 carvings, and 2,102 sculptures. To create the magnificent Versailles we see today, the king had to spend a considerable amount of money, along with a huge workforce of approximately 3,600 people and 6,000 horses to transport construction materials.
The first hotel on the Versailles grounds.
In 1979, the Palace of Versailles was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts millions of tourists every year. And when the Le Grand Contrôle hotel opens early next year, visitors will no longer need to leave the palace at night.
Plans for the Le Grand Contrôle hotel date back to 2015. "To match the royal setting of the Palace of Versailles, the hotel will lean towards an 18th-century style, with architect and interior designer Christophe Tollemer responsible for the design."
Le Grand Contrôle, built by the Airelles hotel group, comprises 14 rooms and apartments, an Alain Ducasse restaurant, a wellness center, and an indoor swimming pool. Room rates have not yet been announced, but reservations will begin this coming December. It is the only hotel located within the grounds of the Palace of Versailles.
While staying at the hotel, guests can look out over the Orangery, a building filled with various trees such as oranges, lemons, bamboo, palms, and pomegranate trees, along with the large swimming pool area, Pièce d'Eau des Suisses.
The Airelles Group – the contractor for the Le Grand Contrôle hotel – currently owns three other hotels: Les Airelles, a renovated version of the historic Courchevel Palace in Les Trois Vallées (France); La Bastide de Gordes, an 18th-century castle in southeastern Provence (France); and Mademoiselle Val d'Isere, a ski resort hotel in the French Alps (France).
