I had a day off while in Paris last month and I was excited to finally make my way to see the Chateau de Versailles. The chateau is actually a palace located 30 minutes outside Paris city center that King Louis XIV moved the court to in May of 1682. He made Versailles his home and what a lovely home it is. I love to read period based books and quite a few have revolved around Versailles so it was interesting for me to see the palace firsthand. It was decadent. I have seen numerous palaces around the world but most of them have lost a lot of what made them so grand in the first place. A good imagination is usually needed to see what a palace once was. Versailles definitely was shinier and grander in its heyday but all the pieces to the puzzle still stand and leave you in awe. I was blown away by the paintings on the ceilings. Not only were they in excellent condition, but they were also almost in every room you walked into. I spent more time looking at the ceilings than anything else. Couple this with marble pillars, intricate crown moldings, numerous statues, wall sized paintings, extensive gold leaf, carved doors, rich tapestries and brocades, magnificent chandeliers, etc…Versailles was just beautiful. It was all that I thought it would be and much more. The gardens too are extensive and magnificent. From the back of the palace they extend as far as the eye can see with lakes, forests, and ornamental gardens. I only had six hours to tour Versailles  which definitely was not enough time. You could easily spend a couple of days taking in the palace and all the grounds. I would like to go back one day with a partner and rent a boat to row in the lakes. It would be a perfect day with a packed lunch and a bottle of wine. 

Inside the Chapel

Up-close of painting in chapel’s dome

Up-close of chapel’s ceiling painting

Ceiling Painting

“The Hall of Mirrors”- The right side is a row of windows facing the gardens and the left side is a row of mirrors in which you see the reflection of the garden

The King’s bed chamber

The Queen’s bed chamber

View of the grounds at Versailles

Chateau de Versailles

You can find more photos from this trip at www.ariagiovanni.com