Versailles appartments

"Madame victoire" and "Adelaïde" had somptuous appartments in the palace of Versailles. Their  appartments owned a somptuous furniture. Unfortunately a lot of this furniture disappeared . Does someone informations about this furniture??thank you!!

"Madame victoire" and "Adelaïde" had somptuous appartments in the palace of Versailles. Their  appartments owned a somptuous furniture. Unfortunately a lot of this furniture disappeared . Does someone informations about this furniture??thank you!!

Hi Remio. Do you mean there original apartments which were designed by Gabriel in the late 1750s? They moved out of these about 1770 to make way for the Dubarry.
They got new apartments a bit further away from the King where they stayed until the early 1780s. After the death of Mme Sophie, Adelaide and Victoire moved to Bellevue, between St Cloud and Meudon. I guess they may have taken furniture from Versailles to furnish their new home.

I don't know how much furniture they were able to take out of the country with them in 1791- I know they had to sell some pieces to make ends meet when their pension from the king of Spain stopped, and again later when they were forced to flee Rome!

So I expect the collection is pretty dispersed!

Sorry, I speak about appartments in Versailles that Mesdames had just before the French Revolution.

Sorry, I speak about appartments in Versailles that Mesdames had just before the French Revolution.

Anyone know?  :-/

Cataloguing collections became very popular in the 19th century probably because of the aftermath of the French revolution.  Mesdames Adelaide and Victoire abandoned all their material wealth and made haste to the border where their carriage was actually stopped.  The border guards took pity on what appeared to be two old frightened women and let them subsequently pass.  The only known material wealth they carried was jewellery which they had successfully hidden within secret compartments.

All the furniture was sold in the revolutionary auctions.  Remember, the country was bankrupt and also fighting a war with Austria.  Monarch's and affluent foreign aristocrats sent their agents to Paris to bid at the sales.  Some of the furniture went to Russia and in particular, the Yussupov family were known to possess some exquisite pieces which Stalin later auctioned off again in the 1930's in Berlin.  George IV purchased furniture which made its way into the Royal Collection and Baron Rothschild also acquired some magnificant pieces.  The celebrated ebeniste du roi (Cabinetmaker to the King), Jean-Henri Riesener believing the monarchy would be reinstated used much of his fortune to buy back his own masterpieces.  He however died in obscurity and the furniture was sold once again.  The Wallace collection at Hertford House exhibits various pieces which may have belonged to one these aunts of Louis XVI.

Occasionally private collectors auction off items at either Christie's or Sotheby's but the provenance is sometimes hard to establish because inventories were not generally conducted or maintained in the 18th century.  Suppliers such as Sevres did keep good records but without photographs it's nearly impossible to substantiate sometimes which goods belonged to whom.  The French government has tried to wherever possible to buy back some of these pieces when they became available at auction in the 20th century dispersing them throughout many of its museums including the Palais de I'Elysee (formerly the Paris residence of the Marquise de Pompadour which was then known as Hotel de Evreux).


Bellevue was built and sumptuously furnished by Madame de Pompadour.  It is my understanding that Mesdames Adelaide and Victoire only took refuge at Bellevue at the time of the revolution.

good morning. I have never found a plan of Versailles under the reign of Louis XVI, but a lot under the reign of Louis XIV and Louis XV.
Does someone have a plan of the appartments of the "aile du midi" and "aile du nord" under the reign of Louis XVI??thank you.

for the plan under Louis XIV and other informations about Versailles collections :http://www.photo.rmn.fr

Bellevue was built and sumptuously furnished by Madame de Pompadour.  It is my understanding that Mesdames Adelaide and Victoire only took refuge at Bellevue at the time of the revolution.

No, they left Versailles after the death of Madame Sophie in 1782. After that they lived at Bellevue. They had apartments in the Tuileries 1789-1791, but I believe they were still allowed to use Bellevue  (as Louis XVI was allowed to use St Cloud). I don't know if it was Bellevue they fled from or the Tuileries.

["when i die, i hope i go like my grandfather --peacefully in my sleep; not screaming & in terror,like the passengers in his car."]

good morning. I have never found a plan of Versailles under the reign of Louis XVI, but a lot under the reign of Louis XIV and Louis XV.
Does someone have a plan of the appartments of the "aile du midi" and "aile du nord" under the reign of Louis XVI??thank you.

for the plan under Louis XIV and other informations about Versailles collections :http://www.photo.rmn.fr

my apologies for the crease in the pages.....
(they're also not in order.....sorry bout that.)











are these the areas you wanted?    i tried to make sure to get the ground floor & 1st floor apartments where the Ambassador's Staircase used to be -- mesdames Adelhaïd & Victoire's apartments --(as well as Marie Antionette's state/parade apartments -- 1st floor -- & her private apartments -- ground floor.

am i correct in thinking that madame Sophie's apartments were on the ground floor at the front of the palace....under the Hall of Mirrors?    or have i gotten the names mixed-up?

I wonder when Marie Antoinette used to use the private apartment on the ground floor in the Cour de Marbre instead of her formal apartment on the bel etage.  It is to be noted that it is in her formal bedroom where she actually slept for example the night of 5 October when the mob invaded the palace and tried to kill her.  Also her libraries, billiards room, diningroom, octagonal cabinet, etc is right behind the Salon des Nobles de la Reine, the Salon du Grand Couvert and her state bedchamber.

Isn't it round 1785 ? She said her "bad leg" was aching, and needed to move downstairs.
On this October night, she was in her "royal" room, indeed, not in her green one. Actually, between Trianon, Saint Cloud, Fontainebleau, Compiègne... when did she sleep in her green room ?

Thank you for ypur great plans !!!!

What is the green room, where was it! interesting I alwyas thought she slept in her "royal bedrrom", could you tell some more?

Does anyone have the key / labels to each room on the floor plan?  Very interesting to see it, by the way - thanks!

["when i die, i hope i go like my grandfather --peacefully in my sleep; not screaming & in terror,like the passengers in his car."]

Does anyone have the key / labels to each room on the floor plan?  Very interesting to see it, by the way - thanks!

i do, somewhere.....   i'll try to find it.      but if anyone else is able to identify them more quickly, please do  

i do, somewhere.....   i'll try to find it.      but if anyone else is able to identify them more quickly, please do  

Anyone have any luck with identifying the rooms?