Versailles, Palaces and Gardens

Wonderful....would you say that most of these Gardens would be exact as they were in  the Eighteenth Century in the reign of Louis XVI?  I take it the the 2004 remodeling would not be? But most of the others would be!

I think they are Mari. Lots of original drawings and plans have been preserved and the bosquet des Trois Fontaines has been recreated after these drawings. Thanks to them you can also see what bosquets which today have disappeared looked like. Bosquets were sometimes destroyed and new ones rebuilt on their ground as it suited the fancy of the King. Hence the Labyrinth bosquet in the south side gardens which has been replaced by the Queen bosquet for instance.

I don't think the Versailles stories were shown here what did anyone think of them...what about the Marie Antoinette one?

 Versailles Stories is a 6 episode series which takes you behind the scenes of Versailles, one episode was about the tourist guides and their daily lives around  the palace, I missed the first 2 episodes,I hope they repeat it.
The episode on Marketing Marie Antoinette was about trying to recreate the same perfume that MA used during her reign, they show you how they researched this by looking over 18th century records.
Proceeds of the sale of the perfume go to a foundation who looks after the restoration of Versailles, also a special expensive edition was put on the market, not sure if this perfume is sold outside France.

Did they tell what the base of the Perfume was made from. I wonder if they mentioned Lavender. I would like to see the perfume site if I knew the Foundation Name selling it.

Hi.I cannot rememer the exact ingredients of the perfume, I did not tape the episode the foundation might be government run with assistance from the private sector.

 I like to find out what was the status of Versailles during the german occupation 1940 to 1944,did the germans use it as accomadation for their high command,as a tourist attraction for fellow germans or close it down. Also was the Palace going to be on the hit list and blown up and destroyed like Paris on the orders of Hitler in 1944,fortunately the German General in Paris disobeyed Hitlers directions.

The staircase at the Petit Trianon is made of solid silver, non?
I heard it is often dismantled as so they can polish it.

When we went to Versailles we did not get a chance to see the Petit Trianon. Such a pity.

I too am fascinated with floor plans of Versailles while it was still in use as a royal residence.  I've tried to reconstruct a plan of the first floor as it was in 1789, but cannot find any information about the ground floor at the time.  Please send me a message if you'd like to see the plan I've drawn.  Similarly if there are other palace plan buffs out there (not just Versailles, I'm interested in European palaces and castles in general) please get in touch.  I'd be happy to share information.

I am very interested please send them PM unless you feel you can post them! Take a look at this....

http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=4097.525

There are many People interested in Palace floor plans. 

http://gpdhome.typepad.com/royalblognl_news_summary/2009/01/marie-antoinettes-tree-collapses-after-223-years.html


courtesy Royalblog/

Thank you Lucien for the links!
Decadence  I had not heard about the staircase at Trianon being made of silver..now that I must see when I go visit the Petit Trianon! I would love to see a photo of it!

The staircase at the Petit Trianon is made of solid silver, non?
I heard it is often dismantled as so they can polish it.

When we went to Versailles we did not get a chance to see the Petit Trianon. Such a pity.

Never heard about this.. I think thats one of the "old" rumours, stroies about the Trianon...

Grand Escalier vue du rez-de-chaussée vers le premier étage

http://gpdhome.typepad.com/royalblognl_news_summary/2009/03/palace-of-versailles-court-dress-displayed.html

courtesy hja

The desk of Madame Adelaide - by Reisner - is currently in the Royal Collection, London and is placed in the White Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace. It was purchased by George IV.