Photo TidbitsPalace at Versailles

By Jim and Emmy Humberd

The Palace at Versailles, fourteen miles southwest of Paris, is the greatest Châteaux of them all. Louis XIII bought a manor farm and constructed a brick and stone Châteaux. By 1678, 36,000 workmen and 6,000 horses were kept busy building his palace. After King Louis XVI was executed by the guillotine, Versailles fell into disrepair. Restoration was helped by a munificent gift by John D. Rockefeller.

The Chapel in Versailles is a truly beautiful church. The Royal Chapel is two stories high; the galleries on the upper level were used by the king and the royal family; the ground floor level was where the rest of the court and the general public were admitted.

While the display of hedges and flower beds were precise, Emmy would like more color in the flower beds at Versailles. Jim suggested that if she walked through the garden, they would be much more colorful.

Books by Jim and Emmy Humberd:
Invitation to France
Invitation to Germany
Invitation to Italy

Related Links:
Château de Versailles
Palace of Versailles

Hotels in Paris

French Video Immersion