The Chateau at Versailles is where the king and queen lived, luxuriated, and entertained. Louis XIV believed in the divine right of kings, called himself the Sun King, ruled for 72 years as a Greek god, moved his palace from the Louvre in 1682 to a small village 10 miles from Paris, and turned France into the first modern nation state. His palace at Versailles became the center of culture and power in Europe.

The glory of Versailles almost ended when the wife of the Sun King’s great, great, grandson, Louis XVI, told a crowd of women in 1789 demanding

bread, Let them eat cake!

Soon thereafter Queen Marie–Antoinette’s head fell into a basket, and France slid into revolution. Versailles was raided and abandoned as Napoleon unsuccessfully attempted to become the new Roman Emperor based in Paris.

When Germany conquered France in 1870, they insultingly crowned their new emperor in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. The Germans soon left, and Versailles briefly became capital of the new French monarchy. Democracy prevailed, however, and the capital was moved back to Paris but Versailles’ palace became a popular place for treaties to be signed after World War I. Versailles is now one of the greatest tourist attractions in the world.

Linda poses at the Grand Canal. Behind her are the Gardens and, on the hill, the Chateau. My wife Linda and I took the 30–minute train from the Eiffel Tower station to Versailles early in the morning. We walked from the town to the end of the long and foreboding line in 15 minutes. Luckily, the sun was shining and the restrooms were nearby. After over an hour, we entered the Sun King’s not–so– humble abode.

The place is huge. The Place d’Armes (courtyard) is five football fields long. The three–story Chateau (palace proper) contains an opera house, apartments for the king and queen (each with a chapel, a salon, a drawing room, a bedroom, a dressing room, and a council room), the War Room, Peace Room, Hall of Mirrors, Coronation Room, and all sorts of other rooms.

The gate to the Chateau at Versailles is crowned with the symbols of the kings of France. The seven–football– field–square Gardens have many sections. One may ride trams, rent golfcarts or bicycles, or just walk along the paths through the pruned and carved trees, shrubs, and flowers. Every ten yards or so is a statue to a member of French royalty or some almost naked Greek or Roman god.

At the bottom of the Gardens is the Grand Canal, a cross–shaped replica of Venice complete with fountains, canal boats, and Italian cafés. The French kings didn’t want to waste the time going all the way to Italy to enjoy things Italian.

To the side of the Grand Canal are small palaces for the king and queen, just in case they want to retreat from the much larger palace 1,000 yards up the hill. Marie–Antoinette had her own summer house, peasant house, theater, and even a Temple of Love secreted among cedar trees and frog– filled ponds.

Oh, to have been a friend of King Louis XIV, XV, or XVI. Next week:

More Versailles Beauty