Versailles Palace © Versailles
Versailles
The Château de Versailles stands 15 miles (24km) southwest
of Paris and is one of France's noted attractions. Most of the
palace was built between 1664 and 1715 by Louis XIV (known as the
Sun King), who turned his father's hunting lodge into the grandest
palace ever built. The 'Old Château' still exists but is
enveloped by the vast white stone façade of the New
Château. This lavish statement of monarchical power was to
become a symbol of the excess that would lead to the revolution of
1789. Perhaps the most famous room in the palace is the Hall of
Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces) where the Treaty of Versailles was
signed, signifying the end of the Great War. Within the palace
visitors can also see the former Royal bedchambers, the grand
staircase and other staterooms, and within the vast landscaped park
and gardens are many wonderfully ornate fountains and ponds. There
is a small train that ferries visitors from the palace to the Grand
Trianon and Petit Trianon, former love nests where both the Sun
King and Napoleon enjoyed the company of their mistresses.
Telephone: (01) 3083 7800;
E-mail: cirquededemain@cirquededemain.com;
Website: www.chateauversailles.fr;
Transport: Buses, trains and the métro all go to Versailles from Paris;
Opening time: 9am - 6.30pm (3 April to 31 October); 9am - 5.30pm (1 November to 2 April). Closed Mondays;
Admission: The Palace (includes state apartments, Museum of the History of France and the Coach Museum) : €20 one day pass on weekdays. €25 from 7 April to 30 September and some public holidays. Under 18 free.
Fontainbleau
Fontainebleau
In the 16th century, Henry II and Catherine de Medici
commissioned architects Philibert Delorme and Jean Bullant to build
a new palace here within the Fontainebleau forest 40 miles (64km)
south of Paris. Italian Mannerist artists Rosso Fiorentino and
Primaticcio came to assist in the interior decoration, helping to
found the School of Fontainebleau. Visitors will see the long
Gallery of François I, which the artists adorned with scenes
like The Rape of Europa and the monarch holding a
pomegranate, a symbol of unity, as well as the richly adorned Louis
XV Staircase and the Ballroom with its monumental fireplace and
frescoes. The palace was a refuge for French monarchs from the days
of the Renaissance; they valued it because of its distance from the
slums of Paris and for the rich hunting grounds that surrounded it.
Many important events have occurred here, perhaps none more
memorable than when Napoleon stood on the grand steps in front of
the palace and bade farewell to his shattered army before departing
for Elba. Compared to the glories of Versailles, however,
Fontainebleau can be a bit of an anticlimax; it is best to see it
before Versailles.
Address: 4 Rue Royale;
Telephone: (0)1 6074 9999;
E-mail: info@fontainebleau-tourisme.com;
Website: www.fontainebleau.fr;
Opening time: Daily except Tuesdays 9.30am to 6pm (until 5pm from October to May);
Admission: €5.50, €4 for 18-25s, free for under 18s
