Versailles: Palace of Tourists
The Palace of Versailles was a great symbol of royal power and glory in the years prior to the French Revolution. During that time, the famed occupants of the palace’s past would walk the halls in gorgeous 18th century evening gowns, on their way to an opera, fountain show, or even the sacred ceremony of […]
The Palace of Versailles was a great symbol of royal power and glory in the years prior to the French Revolution. During that time, the famed occupants of the palace’s past would walk the halls in gorgeous 18th century evening gowns, on their way to an opera, fountain show, or even the sacred ceremony of watching the King as he is put to sleep or woken up. In the gardens, astonished guests praise the expansive gardens, while Queen Marie-Antoinette entertains in her private estate.
Wall-to-wall mirrors further impress noble guests as they make their way from one end of the Hall of Mirrors, necks at an exhausting angle in order to admire the ceiling’s corner-to-corner paintings, a depiction of their past king, Louis XIV’s, aspirations as ruler of France.
The scene turns tragic as the rulers are forced from their palace, sent to Paris completely stripped of all rights to rule France. Some time passes before the King, Louis XVI, and his luxury-seeking queen, Marie-Antoinette, meet their fate at the blade of a guillotine. The gaiety that once reverberated throughout the halls of the beloved Palace of Versailles would never be the same.
Every year, tourists from all over the world come to the Palace of Versailles in search of that lost spark that once amazed royals and peasants alike. However, the reactions of today’s visitors would have poor old Louis XVI losing his head. Centuries of built-up anticipation over the palace’s grandeur has left tourists disappointed.
After the French Revolution, the palace underwent shifts in power as well as design. Many of the original pieces that once adorned the palace walls and floors were sold in order to financially support impending revolutions. Napoleon added some personal touches after coming to power, including a substantially sized apartment, in the private quarters of the king—map room included. King Louis Phillippe (reign from 1830-1848) also added his personal touch by transforming the palace museum into a space depicting the most important battles of France.
No wonder tourists feel cheated. Expecting a royal tour through hundreds of lavishly furnished chambers, peeks through the once-secluded royal doors of private estates, they are instead met with an audio guide in several languages that is filthy and in less than perfect functioning order, along with seemingly empty rooms, and limited tours accompanied with high-priced entrance fees.
The same rooms once admired by royal guests are now crammed beyond safe capacity. Visitors travel from all over the world to the infamous palace to experience something truly rewarding, cultural, and educational; what they end up seeing is crowds of other tourists. The past is in fact, in the past. To be fair, we cannot relive these historical moments, or prevent past changes from occurring.
Fortunately, there are some precautions visitors can take in order to gain the most from their Versailles experience. The number one complaint is the overwhelming crowds. Versailles will always host a large number of tourists, but there are times of the day and year when smaller crowds can be seen musing through the palace. Regardless of the day of the week or time of the year, it is best to show up at the palace gates as early as possible. This will ensure more space as you make your way through the rooms. Summer will always be more crowded than any other time of year, whether you show up early or not. The low season for Versailles begins in November and spans through the end of March.
Many tourists arrive at the palace assuming that everything will be available to them. This is not the case: the standard admissions fee only covers access to the palace and gardens. Anyone interested in viewing the esteemed royal chapel, Napoleon’s apartment, Marie-Antoinette’s private estate, or the Trianon Palace will have to check assigned tour hours, as well as extra costs before going.
The Palace of Versailles has undergone internal as well as external changes over the centuries, but still contains enough historical and priceless essentials to give visitors a sense of what life was like for its former inhabitants. Rooms may be bare, crowds may be unbearable, but that does not erase the memories of distant figures of the past who once walked those very halls.
Jacqueline Perrier-Gillette is currently a resident of Paris, France, where she lives with her husband. Together the two of them operate their small translation company, giving Jacqueline the opportunity to observe the French and their culture up close. She is an avid reader, writer, and student of foreign languages.
By Jacqueline Perrier-Gillette
