Page 256 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Paris

254  P ARIS AREA B Y AREA

Inside the Château of Versailles

The sumptuous main apartments are on the
first floor of the vast château complex.
Around the Marble Courtyard are the private
apartments of the king and the queen. On
the garden side are the state apartments
where official court life took place. These
were richly decorated by Charles Le Brun with
coloured marbles, stone and wood carvings,
murals, velvet, silver and gilded furniture.
Beginning with the Salon d’Hercule, each
state room is dedicated to an Olympian deity.
The climax is the Hall of Mirrors, where 357
great mirrors face 17 tall arched windows.
. Queen’s Bedroom
In this room, the queens of
Key to Floorplan
France gave birth to the royal
South wing children in full public view.
Coronation room
Madame de Maintenon’s
apartments
Queen’s apartments and
private suite
State apartments
King’s apartments and
private suite
North wing
Non-exhibition space

Exit to
The Salon du Sacre is adorned Cour des Princes; gardens
with huge paintings of Napoleon access to gardens
by Jacques-Louis David.
Entrance
Pursuit of the Queen Stairs to ground floor
reception area
On 6 October 1789, a Parisian n 9 d -m
mob invaded the palace
seeking the despised Marie-
Antoinette. The queen, roused Dufour Pavillion
in alarm from her bed, fled Entrance
towards the king’s rooms
through the anteroom known
as the Oeil-de-Boeuf. As the
mob tried to break into the
room, the queen beat on the
door of the king’s bedroom.
Once admitted, she was safe,
at least until morning, when
she and the king were remov-
ed to Paris by the cheering
and triumphant mob.

. Chapelle Royale
The chapel’s first floor was reserved
for the royal family and the ground
floor for the court. The interior is
richly decorated in white marble,
gilding and Baroque murals.

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