Versailles

Upon arriving at Versailles, I was amazed at the sheer size of the palace and could not imagine why anyone would ever need such an elaborate residence. I was also astonished to learn that only ¼ of the palace is open to the public because the government does not have enough money to restore and operate the rest of the building. Even more mind blowing was that three thousand people lived here at one point in time. All of this combined with the endless amounts of history made Versailles the most extravagant and beautiful palace that I have ever seen. The French kings certainly knew how to display their wealth, and they made palaces such as Hampton Court seem like small shacks.
The interior of the palace proved to be no less beautiful than the exterior. There were endless amounts of marble, gold, and luxurious fabrics. I was particularly taken back by the Hall of Mirrors, and it may have been one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever seen. The chandeliers, mirrors, and frescos all combined to create a one of a kind atmosphere. I was also impressed by Marie Antoinette’s bedroom. The patterns of the walls, bedding, and furniture all matched to create quite an impressive room. It was very exciting to see the door through which she fled, and I could only imagine the fear she must have had. The Kings apartments were also very grand, but they did not seem very comfortable. I could not imagine living in those quarters or in the entire palace for that matter. While it was very beautiful, it did not exude a ‘homey’ feeling where I would want to spend my days.
One aspect of the palace that I did love and would like to incorporate into my own home one day was the artwork. There were endless frescos, painting, and sculptures with incredible detail, and I could have spent the entire day just seeing these. However, I was taken back by the arrogance of the French royalty. It was almost sad to see how arrogant they were, and I could not understand how someone would commission such paintings of themselves. For example, Marie Antoinette’s elaborate dresses were like none I have ever seen before, and I was disgusted at the stark display of wealth. However, the royals did use their money to commission other great works throughout the palace. I particularly liked the chapel with gold trimmings and inspiring artwork.
With my prior knowledge of Versailles, I was convinced that the interior would be my favorite part of the tour, but I was surprised that I was most captivated by the beautiful gardens. They seemed to go on forever, and I felt as if I were put into my own tranquil world when walking through them. The long flowing pools, ornate fountains, and meticulous landscaping covered so much area, and it is nice to know that the public could now enjoy them and not simply the royalty. As if having one palace were not enough, Marie Antoinette’s own palace was situated within these lovely grounds. It was made out of some of the rarest pink marble in the world, and its smaller size makes it more of a livable environment. Here I was again disgusted by the vanity of Marie Antoinette when I saw her initials plastered all over the house. Her arrogance did not end here as she even created an entire village in which she could have a pretend life. While this village was adorable and beautiful in many ways, it was unnecessary and insulting to build while her people were starving all over France. Although the arrogance is hard to overlook, the beauty of the palace, village, and gardens can not be ignored, and it is wonderful that it is kept in such great condition for the public.