Twelve miles southwest of Paris sits the sprawling palace of Versailles. Originally a modest hunting lodge for the Royal Family, Louis XIV transformed Versailles into a gilded cage to house his courtiers. During the 70 year reign of Louis XIV (the oldest reign European history) Versailles became the seat of the French government. The aristocracy of France flocked to the palace, where they took part in intricate daily rituals, all designed to emphasize the absolute power of Louis XIV.
Early Versailles
Versailles was built in 1624 by Louis XIV’s father, Louis XV. When Louis came of age in 1661, he set about building a palace worthy of his power and image as the Sun King. Like the Sun, his court, nobles, and government officials would all revolve around him. For the next 60 years Louis continued to expand on the original structure. In the 1680s 36,000 bricklayers were employed, adding on new wings and outbuildings. In 1682 the seat of French government was officially moved to Versailles.
Inside Versailles
Much care and detail went into the design of Versailles. It is filled with symbolic references, both inside and out. Monarchs from all over Europe came to marvel at the beauty of the palace and then returned home to try to duplicate it. One of the most famous rooms at Versailles is the Hall of Mirrors, which was filled with crystal and used for state visits.
Outside three avenues converged on the Place d’ Armes at the front of the palace. Andre Le Notre designed the expansive grounds of Versailles. Allegorical statuaries were tucked into glades, in the gardens and grounds beyond.
All the glass, tapestries, marble, lace found throughout Versailles was all produced locally. This not only helped boost local economy, it established France’s reputation as the leader of taste and fashion.
Daily Life at Versailles
The rule at Versailles was grandeur rather than comfort. While the royals and their close favorites lived in opulent splendor, everyone else was housed in cramped quarters. In the summer the palace was scorching hot, while in the winter it was freezing. The palace was a city unto itself. Courtiers, civil servants, government officials, household servants, and royal attendants all lived at the palace, hurrying through the days, which adhered to a strict routine set forth by Louis XIV. Versailles was also open to the public. It was considered most fashionable for Parisians to drive to the palace, where they could watch the royal party eat dinner.
Versailles and Absolutism
Louis XIV did not build Versailles just so he could have a nice home. He built it as a way to keep his nobles in line. Throughout Europe pockets of rebellions had many monarchs wary of keeping their crown. In England, the people had actually beheaded their own king (Charles I). Louis wanted to make sure that he had all the most powerful people with him at all times. So he created Versailles and all the rituals of court, to keep courtiers busy and broke. It was not cheap to keep up with Louis XIV and his various mistresses. A great deal of money was needed to buy the most fashionable clothes and host parties for the king.
So long as courtiers were bankrupting themselves on frivolities, they could not plot against their king. This is one reason that Absolutism took such strong hold in France. However, Louis’ unfortunate grandson, Louis XVI lacked his grandfathers political astuteness, and all of Louis XIVs careful plotting and planning could not keep the House of Bourbon from falling during the French Revolution.
Sources:
Editors, Time-Life Books. Powers of the Crown. Alexandria: Time-Life books, 1989.
Lang, Sean. European History For Dummies. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, LTD, 2006.
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