Versailles: Interior

Royal chapel

It was difficult job for me to choose photos for the posts of Versailles Palace. It is so elaborate and rich, so many artefacts and paintings and statues are there, I clicked around 800 photos in the palace and  it is difficult which one should I share and which one I won’t ! Anyway, from the interior I loved the Royal chapel, the fifth and final chapel in the palace’s history.You cannot enter the chapel , but can see from the front door. The Chapel and Opera were built in the17th century under Louis XV, but evolved during Louis XVI. The ceiling has beautiful frescoes on Old and New Testament themes .The floor of the chapel itself is inlaid with polychromatic marbles, and at the foot of the steps leading to the altar is the crowned monogram of an interlaced double “L” alluding to Saint Louis and Louis XIV

  

Apart from the chapel, I chose to share the King’s and Queen’s bed room here, the Hercules room, the Library and few artefacts amongst the thousands.  I have already separately shown you the Hall of mirror ,as it is the most famous room of the palace. I think the paintings of Versailles are worth showing discretely, so I am posting them next separately .

so 

 

 

King’s chamber

King Louis XIV moved his bedroom to the previous drawing room to enjoy the direct sunlight. It was decorated with  gold and silver brocade on a crimson ground. The king must have quite a taste on art, he chose the background paintings with precision: The Four Evangelists and Paying Caesar’s Taxes by Le Valentin and Giovanni Lanfranco on the upper walls, Saint John the Baptist by Giovanni Battista Caracciolo above the door, Mary Magdalene by Le Dominiquin and two portraits of Antoon Van Dyck. In this room, the rising and retiring ceremonies of the King were held.

 

 

  

  

  

Adjacent to the King’s bedroom, there is the council study. The present room was combined by the next king, King Louis XV , the King’s ministerial council room and the inner study room. The study was decorated in sumptuous wood panelling featuring new decorative motifs  carved by Antoine Rousseau from drawings by Ange-Jacques Gabriel;  Two vases depicting Mars and Minerva in Sèvres porcelain and chased bronze by Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1787) along with the rococo clock needs special mention.

Council study

 

Though the hall of Mirror hosts the most elaborate lamps of the palace, but all over the palace there are many lamps of different size and shape. I have a weakness on the old lamps , so here are some I caught .

  

Then we visited the Queen’s grand apartment, where the queen used to spend most of her time. Surprisingly, It was here, too, that births took place in public: nineteen “Children of France” were born here. The palace was invaded on 6 October 1789, Marie-Antoinette managed to escape from them through the little door on the left of the alcove, giving onto a corridor which gave access to the Queen’s internal apartments, a dozen small rooms reserved for her private life and her servants. I am always surprised by the lavish lifestyle of these kings and queens , living in such a elaborate place and busy decorating it, perhaps they had really no idea that anyone who do not have bread, cannot afford cakes either !

Queen’s bedroom

  

 

During the Revolution the palace was not looted, however the furniture was sold at auctions through a whole year.Later  some artefacts were found, this applies to the chairs, partly supplied to the Countess of Provence, the Queen’s sister-in-law and partly for the visit of the King of Sweden, Gustav III. As for the fabrics which covered the bed and walls, they were re-woven in Lyon from the original cartoons. The bed and balustrade were resculpted from the old documents.

 

 

 

 

 

Hercules room

 

  

  

Royal library

 

One of my reader friend asked me, if I want to live like that or not! I said, and I think most of you would also say , “NO” ! It is preserved, and people are seeing it, is good enough. But how clumsy will be life, if waking up and going to bed are turned into extravagant ceremonies? How   pathetic will it be, if I had to depend on another human being for getting dressed, going to toilette and so on! I am happy that I am free 😀

I had to exclude the statues of Versailles in this post as already it is heavy.. I am not sure I should post them, I am waiting for you guys’ opinion 😀

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