Curly guide. Panorama Mirror Gallery

The history of construction and design does not know such frequent attempts at imitation as the imitation of Versailles! It was the Versailles palace and park ensemble (Parc et ch?teau de Versailles) that served as a model for the construction of many European castles and parks. This unsurpassed historical complex of luxurious palace buildings, numerous structures, exquisite greenhouses, parks, gardens with natural and artificial reservoirs had an incredible influence on the urban planning of the 18th century.

Royal residences were never built just like that. was also no exception. The magnificent “Sun King” Louis XIV had many reasons for building a new permanent residence. The monarch had the idea after he saw the palace of Finance Minister Nicolas Fouquet on the Vaux-le-Vicomte estate. Feeling envious and wanting to own such luxury, Louis XIV de Bourbon begins rebuilding the old castle at Versailles. He makes a firm decision to surpass the castle in everything. Moreover, the French monarch was not very attached to Paris and the Faubourg Saint-Germain. And the perceived unsafety of living in the city accelerates the start of construction work.

A little history.

The history of the Palace of Versailles begins at the end of the sixteenth century. Once upon a time there was a small house surrounded by a garden where Louis XIII (father of Louis XIV) hunted in the forest. Hunting was the main hobby of Louis XIII and in 1623 he stood here, a simple, no-frills hunting castle made of slate, brick and stone. In 1632, the territory where the Palace of Versailles is now located was expanded by purchasing the Versailles estate from the Archbishop of Paris. A two-year reconstruction began, which grew into almost fifty years of construction.

After the confiscation of the Vaux-le-Vicomte castle in 1661 and the arrest of Nicolas Fouquet (remember D'Artagnan from the famous novel by A. Dumas, it was he who participated in the imprisonment of the Minister of Finance), the group of craftsmen who built this palace, at the invitation of the ruler, moved to Versailles. Architects Louis Leveau and Jules Hardouin-Mansart, court gardener Andre Le Nôtre, artist and interior designer Charles Lebrun remodeled, enlarged and updated the Palace of Versailles.

Masterpieces of the Palace of Versailles.

Each hall of the palace at Versailles is a marvelous poem about the beauty and luxury, talent and diligence of the craftsmen.

Royal Chapel. Located on the right side of the building near the entrance. The royal altar is surrounded by bronze figures of the gods of ancient Greece. The floor with the royal coat of arms in the center is paved with colored marble. The chapel has two tiers with a spiral staircase. Only the family of the monarch could rise to the top; persons of lesser title remained below.

An interesting story has survived to this day. Wanting to attract the attention of the loving monarch, many court ladies gathered for the service. But the chief of His Majesty's guard decided to joke, announcing to the ladies that the king would not be at the mass. Imagine the ruler’s surprise when he arrived at the service and did not see a single lady below!

As a rule, after the service, the king went to one of the nine ceremonial halls. Today, crowds of visitors go there to touch history, spending a long time looking at the galleries dedicated to ancient heroes: Venus, Diana, Mars, Mercury, Apollo, Hercules. Many people flock to the Salon of War, the Bull's Eye and the pearl of Versailles - the Gallery of Mirrors.

Hall of Venus. The most important exhibit in this salon is the statue of Louis XIV.

Diana's Hall. There was a huge table here, where under Louis XIV they entertained themselves by playing billiards. The table was set with a bright crimson velor rug with gold fringe. The ladies of the court sat in a circle on a raised platform, this allowed them to watch the game and applaud the successes of the narcissistic king.

Apollo Hall- throne. It served for ceremonial receptions of foreign ambassadors and patronal feasts. In the late afternoon there was usually dancing and musical and theatrical performances. The autocrat, who loved to show off, took part in them with pleasure.

Hall of War entirely dedicated during hostilities. On the walls you can see monumental paintings praising the significant victories of France.

Salon "Bull's Eye", a room with a window overlooking an oval-shaped courtyard. Titled and close people of the monarch were allowed here to observe what was happening in the king’s apartments through an opening resembling a bull’s eye.

Mirror gallery(Galerie des Glaces) or Grand, the heart of the Palace of Versailles. The most majestic room, its length is more than 73 meters and its width is about 11 meters. The gallery was the first to use a new architectural method of arranging 357 mirrors, all of which were installed parallel to seventeen windows. Thus, the feeling was created that the gallery on both sides had windows looking into the park. And in the evening, on the days of palace balls and audiences, the light of three thousand candles was reflected in the mirror panels.

The gallery is decorated with all kinds of vases in bronze frames, silver floor lamps and candelabra, dozens of crystal chandeliers, and flowerpots with orange trees.

According to Lebrun's design, before 1690, the Gallery of Mirrors was furnished exclusively with silver furniture. In 1689, by order of the king, the furniture was melted down to cover military costs. It is impossible to describe the play of light reflections when the rays of the sun, illuminating the hall, are reflected in the mirrors, dazzling the eye and amazing the imagination.

The first thing that attracts attention here is the size of the queen bed. It is huge, almost filling the entire bedroom! According to existing tradition, the Queen of France had to give birth in public, so at this time Versailles attracted crowds of people. All surfaces in the bedchamber are covered with gold, indicating the status of the owner.

King's bedroom was the center of life of the entire palace at Versailles. The main piece of furniture was the bed, located so that its center was the place where the rays of the three city highways connecting Paris with the Palace of Versailles converged. But the most interesting thing was that during the ritual of morning awakening, polishing and going to bed of His Majesty Louis XIV, select persons were in the bedroom, honored with the high honor of monitoring what was happening. “Gentlemen, the king has woken up!” was heard from the “holy of holies”, two servants are already serving a lace shirt, four glasses
with wine. A new day began, where everyone wanted to catch the gracious word or glance of the ruler, hoping that fortune would finally smile on them...

Versailles. Part one. Castle. October 27th, 2010

I decided to talk about Versailles briefly, with photographs rather than text.
A sea of ​​excellent descriptions of the palace can be found on the Internet, for example, in Wikipedia .

Paris is the most visited city in the world. The Palace of Versailles, located in the suburbs of Paris, is the most visited palace in the world. 2.6 million people come here every year to see with their own eyes how the most absolute monarch of European history, the “Sun King” Louis XIV, lived.

The pearl of the Palace of Versailles - Mirror Gallery

The main square in front of the Palace of Versailles. On the right is a monument to Louis XIV
At school we all learned about King Louis XIV of France, " Sun King". Fearing for his life and for his power, he was forced to move from Paris. As the new residence of the monarch, he chose the small hunting lodge of his father, Louis XIII, in the suburbs of Paris. On these lands, Louis XIV built the largest royal residence in France, a symbol of himself, his country and the absolutist power that he personified.

On the square in front of the palace, facing the arriving guests and with its back to Versailles, there is an equestrian monument to Louis XIV. Previously, such monuments stood in every city in France, but during the French Revolution, most of the monuments were destroyed

The facade of the palace is made in the style of French classicism (not to be confused with classicism and neoclassicism in Europe). This is due to the fact that at the time the construction of the palace began, there was already a small hunting lodge of Louis XIII, built in the classicist style. I’m not sure how right I’ll be if I say that the central 7-window part of the palace is all that remains of the hunting lodge.

Parade Square in front of Versailles

In the right wing of the palace there is a royal chapel (pictured on the right). The façade of the chapel contrasts sharply with the smooth geometric lines of the façade of the palace. Many architects opposed this architectural solution; one architect even called the chapel " huge hearse", but who would argue with the king!

Interior of the royal chapel. It was here that Marie Antoinette married King Louis XVI of France. Today, symphony concerts are held from time to time in the court chapel. This chapel is the fifth chapel in Versailles and the largest royal chapel in France (apparently, there are chapels even larger than this one somewhere).

Second tier of the royal chapel

Gallery of French Kings

On the ground floor of the palace there is a museum of French history opened in 1837. Most tourists fly past this place. Probably, French schoolchildren are taken here without fail.

One tip: entrance to Versailles, as well as to all other state museums in France ( Louvre, d'Orsay, Orangerie etc.) free for residents of the European Union who have not yet turned 26 years old. This list, of course, includes all students of European universities, including scholarship holders of exchange programs. Take advantage!

The main premises of the palace are located on two tiers. The staircase in the frame leads to the second floor, to the king's living quarters

Most of the money spent on the construction of the palace went to create the interior decoration. Sadly, most of the furniture from Versailles was destroyed during the French Revolution. Modern Versailles is furnished with furniture that comes from the same era as the lost examples, or those originals that have been found

Front room in front Mirror gallery- Hall of War ( Salon de la guerre). In every room of the palace you can find an image of Louis XIV, as here, above the fireplace

The most famous room of the Palace of Versailles is, without a doubt, Mirror gallery(original name - Great Gallery). Imagine, this was the first place in the world where people saw their full-length reflection! The ancient technology of glass blowing did not allow the production of large mirrors. Because of this, mirrors were small and very expensive. IN Hall of Mirrors For the first time in the world, many small mirrors were placed together. Now the guests who came to the king’s ball could see themselves in full growth! Ironically, just a few years after finishing decorating Mirror gallery An alternative technology for producing mirrors appeared, and mirrors fell sharply in price.

Masterpiece Mirror gallery in Versailles - crystal chandeliers. Previously, all the furniture in the Great Gallery was made of silver, even the stools. In 1689, all silver items were melted down to cover military expenses.

I heard negative comments after my visit to Versailles, saying, " It’s not that luxurious, ours is better" or " he's not that big"and so on. I categorically disagree with such arguments. I believe that Versailles, as a masterpiece of human thought, is one of those places that a person must visit in his life, at least to broaden his horizons. The only thing that leaves much to be desired are the crowds tourists. Frankly speaking, there is no time to think in the interior of the palace, there is no time to stand and look at the details of the design and no time to think. The incessant flow of tourists carries you along, and you can only escape from it on the street. What can you do, this is the reputation of the palace!

In the second part of my report I will talk about the Royal Park of Versailles - one of the largest parks in Europe!

Mirror Gallery of Versailles

photo Philippe

The gallery of mirrors of the Palace of Versailles, a masterpiece of the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart and the artist Charles Lebrun, a symbol of the greatness of Louis XIV, who wanted to make it a showcase of France, has regained its original splendor after three years of restoration work. This was the first complete restoration since the completion of the gallery in 1684. This [the only royal beauty in the world, as the Marquise de Sévigné wrote about her, appears today, according to the chief architect of the Historic Monuments of the Palace, Frédéric Didier, as a "dazzling old lady, who has [ All the wrinkles on the face tell a story.

Photo by the French Foreign Ministry, for free use

The restoration campaign carried out for this beauty, which still retains much of its youthful charm, is the largest cultural philanthropy operation ever carried out in France, costing a total of 12 million euros. The costs were borne entirely by the construction and public works company Vinci. This was [competent philanthropy], since a group of philanthropists carried out both the general design and material support of all the work, the implementation of which was entrusted to enterprises that specialize in the restoration and preservation of national heritage. The first technical operations concerned the repair of all electrical networks, heating, thermal insulation, ventilation and air conditioning systems in accordance with fire safety standards. A new lighting system was invented that gave the effect of candlelight. On the artistic side, enterprises specializing in the restoration of Historical monuments actively collaborated with artisans, bearers of centuries-old knowledge and skills. They cleaned the murals, polished 1100 sq. m. of polychrome marble, gilded bronze, restored metal jewelry and forging elements, renovated 770 sq. m. of floors, covered wooden surfaces with gold leaf using traditional technology.

All 357 mirrors, which gave the name to this fabulous gallery, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, underwent special treatment. The restoration work was entrusted to a specialist in antique mirrors. All the mirrors were removed and the damaged glass was replaced with mercury coated mirrors, the same as the original mirrors, of which 70% remained in the gallery, to everyone's surprise. The specialist thus restored 309 mirrors, of which he completely replaced 48, either broken or dating from a different era. The same mirror maker unexpectedly discovered under the roof of the Senate a warehouse of ancient mirrors, preserved from the time when the palace was the residence of the king's brother. The master cut them in accordance with the original to install them in the gallery. The secret of making Venetian mercury-coated mirrors was passed on to several workers whom Colbert lured from Murano and hired for 4 years at Versailles. But this process of making mirrors turned out to be deadly for a large number of glass workers who were poisoned by mercury vapor. Therefore, in 1850, this technology was completely banned in France, where even then it was replaced by the production of silver-coated mirrors.

For the first time in the history of cultural patronage in France, under an agreement agreed with the administrative court of Versailles, the state officially entrusted the entire range of work to a private enterprise. The general design was naturally entrusted to the chief architect of the Historical Monuments, with the support of the Supervisory Committee and the International Scientific Council, consisting of twenty specialists. For this exceptional work, Vinci, employing one hundred experienced restorers, was awarded the first medal [Outstanding Patron of the Ministry of Culture and Communications]. This medal was established in 2003 during the adoption of a new law on patronage of the arts, allowing for such events.

The Mirror Gallery was created between 1678 and 1684. Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646 1708); it connected the king's large apartments with the queen's apartments. Charles Lebrun (1619-1690), his first artist, was commissioned by the Sun King to reproduce in painting the ceiling vaults the most significant events of the first 17 years of his reign (military victories, administrative and economic reforms). Guided by his astonishing genius, the artist depicted these scenes through endless allegories, perspectives, visual illusions, and knock reliefs. Instead of the usual images of gods or heroes in the central part of the ceiling painting, the artist decided to depict the king himself seated on the throne. Racine gave this painting the famous title: [The King Rules Himself]. This thousand sq. m. ceiling paintings represent the largest pictorial ensemble in France.

In this very solemn hall of the Palace of Versailles, the weddings of princes took place (in particular, the future king Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette), one court holiday replaced another. The Gallery of Mirrors, a symbol of the French genius, was also an ideal place for audiences with distinguished foreign guests. After the fall of the monarchy, the gallery continued to serve as a place where historical events took place. During the Second Empire, Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie revived the pomp of the royal regime's balls for the last time, receiving Queen Victoria in the gallery on August 25, 1855. It was there that the German Empire was proclaimed on January 18, 1871 and the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 18, 1919 , which ended the First World War (1914 1918).

Presented to the public in all the splendor of its pristine lighting, the newly restored huge hall (173 m long, 10.5 m wide and 12.5 m high under the dome) during all three years of work, however, was never closed for excursions. It was impossible to deprive the 4 million tourists who visit the palace every year of such pleasure. About 6,000 visitors, of which about 1,000 were young people, were even able to climb the scaffolding to join the profession of restorer and watched with admiration up close the revival of Lebrun's magnificent paintings, sometimes spoiled by unsuccessful previous restorations or simply darkened by time.

For three centuries of French history, alas, left the gallery in a state of general pollution: everything was black, darkened, recalls Frederic Didier, while Lebrun was a great colorist. The female restorers spent three years literally not looking up from painting the ceiling, passionate about their work, realizing that [there would never be such a restoration in their lives. As a result of their meticulous work, to everyone's surprise, the amazing blue color of lapis lazuli was revealed, which covers the sky and illuminates the entire vault of the ceiling. Other paintings revealed bright reds, yellows, lilacs, grays, and at the same time the inappropriate later layers of paint disappeared. Thus, it was discovered that 80% of the paintings were recorded by artists of subsequent generations.

[Everyone has ever entered the Gallery of Mirrors, but who could say until today that he had seen it? Nobody. The reason is simple: she was invisible. This remark, which has already lost its relevance, belongs to Jacques Thuillier, the author of a wonderful small book [Mirror Gallery: a newfound masterpiece.

Claudine Canetti

Web site:

www.chateauversailles.fr

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The Mirror Gallery was not one of the first major construction projects erected in Versailles by the architect Levo. In Louis XIII's stone building project for a small castle in 1668, this area was allocated for a terrace. And only a few years later, the architect J. Hardouin-Mansart presented to the king on September 26, 1678, the year the Treaty of Nimwegen was signed, a project for the construction of the Mirror Gallery. Construction was completed the same year.

The War Hall, the Gallery of Mirrors and the Peace Hall are a single ensemble with decor dedicated to the military and political successes of Louis XIV. The enfilade principle of planning triumphs here. Picturesque medallions by Le Brun on the box vault of the gallery, 75 meters long and 10 meters wide, glorify the military victories of Louis XIV.

Versailles from the courtyards

The marble finish seems to radiate a cold blue light and emphasizes the severity and grandeur of this state room. The arched high windows on the inner longitudinal wall are echoed by mirrors of similar shape and size, and this creates the impression of the limitless width of the hall, which is closed at the ends by the Hall of Peace and the Hall of War.

At first, Louis XIV ordered silver furniture made according to the designs of Charles Lebrun to be placed in the Gallery of Mirrors. However, in 1689 this furniture was melted down to replenish the state treasury, which was empty as a result of military campaigns. The set included tall candelabra, round low tables for lamps and large vases of the finest chased work, made by the best jewelers of that time. The fireplace, made according to a sketch by Lebrun, is decorated with a bas-relief by Antoine Coyzevaux. The large medallion above it is dedicated to one of the main events of the Dutch War: here Louis XIV is represented in the costume of an ancient warrior on horseback during the crossing of the Rhine on June 2, 1672. Below, the relief depicts the patroness of history, the muse Clio, recording the history of the king of France in the annals.

In the era of the pre-revolutionary monarchy, the Mirror Gallery led to the Great Royal Chambers. Courtiers gathered here in the hope of seeing the king, who went to the chapel every morning. Some took the opportunity to petition. When, during particularly solemn audiences, Louis XIV received foreign ambassadors, such as the Ambassador of Siam in 1686, the silver throne of the monarch was installed in the Gallery of Mirrors, which was transferred from the Salon of Apollo. It also hosted lavish celebrations, ceremonial balls and masquerade balls, which were given in honor of royal weddings. The Ambassador of Venice, who was present at one of these receptions, wrote that the gallery was brighter than during the day, and his eyes refused to believe that such a bright, unprecedented spectacle was happening in reality.

The mirror gallery of the Palace of Versailles was the result of a search for new spatial and lighting effects, and in addition, it was supposed to demonstrate the achievements of the French glass industry, its first victories over Venice.

On June 28, 1919, the Treaty ending the First World War was signed in the Mirror Gallery.

Plan:

Introduction

• 1 History of construction
• 2 Historical events
• 3 Curious facts

Introduction

Mirror gallery of the Palace of Versailles

Mirror gallery(fr. Galerie des Glaces) - the most famous interior of the Palace of Versailles. Together with the disappeared staircase of the Ambassadors and the chapel, it was one of the three largest interiors of the residence of Louis XIV. Dimensions of the hall in plan are 75.0 m × 10.5 m. Height - 12.3 m.

1. History of construction

Facade of the "Envelope" of the Palace of Versailles before the construction of the Grand (Mirror) Gallery

In 1678, Jules Hardouin-Mansart began rebuilding the "Envelope" of the palace, created by Louis Levo. In place of the open terrace of the second floor, they built a Great Gallery (it would be called the Mirror Gallery only in the 19th century). Together with the flanking halls of War and Peace (the design of the latter would be completed only under Louis XV), it connected the Grand Apartments (fr. Grand apartments) king with the queen's chambers, becoming the apotheosis of the Grand style of Louis XIV. At the same time, it should be noted that the construction of the gallery violated the logic Apartments Planet(the name of the group of halls of the Large Apartments): during its creation, the salons of Jupiter, Saturn and Venus, located in the left risalit of the “Envelope,” were destroyed. (The Venus Salon was re-designed at the beginning of the enfilade, at the Staircase of Ambassadors).

When designing the space for the new interior, Hardouin-Mansart relied on the gallery of the Clagny castle he had previously created. The scheme of ending with salons at the ends, communicating with the main volume through open arches, was used in the residence of the Duke of Orleans. The subjects of the painting were originally intended to be dedicated to Apollo (as in the Louvre) or Hercules (as in the Lambert Hotel). But after the peace of Nimwegen, which became the apotheosis of the reign of Louis XIV, Charles Lebrun sketched the History of the King in two days. According to his sketches, the capitals of the pilasters were made in the national “French” order (which is actually a modified Corinthian) with fleur-de-lys and Gali roosters in the decor, and numerous elements of gallery furniture: there were alabaster tables and vases in bronze frames, stools and floor lamps made of silver, made in the Gobelin workshops, between the windows on silver tables there were eight-armed silver candelabra depicting the exploits of Hercules, which was reflection of the original design intent. The gallery was decorated with orange trees planted in silver flower pots. The same metal is used in the fittings of crystal chandeliers. Seventeen windows are framed with curtains of blue silk embroidered with gold. The mirrors that gave the interior its name were made in the newly founded workshops of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. The floor was covered with huge carpets from the Savoneri workshops. Almost all silver items were melted down after the first edict against luxury in 1689, issued to cover military expenses. And today, despite all the splendor, the interiors of Versailles are only a pale shadow of their former glory.

2. Historical events

On May 15, 1685, in the newly completed Great (Mirror) Gallery, the king received representatives of the Doge of Genoa, who, after a ten-day bombardment of the city by the French, were forced to make a public apology to him for the construction of four galleys for Spain. This event was captured in his painting by Claude Galle. On the canvas you can also see part of the silver furnishings, including a silver throne, 2 m 60 cm high, created for Apollo’s salon by master Cafieri.

On ordinary days, the gallery served as a passage through which every day the king and his family headed towards the Great Apartments for Mass in the chapel. At this time, a curious ceremony took place: the courtiers, crowded in the gallery, took turns saying “Sire, Marly?”, Hoping to receive an invitation from the sovereign to Marly-le-Roi, which was considered a sign of royal favor. Sometimes, on special occasions, the hall was used for celebrations: in 1686, the Ambassadors of Siam were received here; in December 1697, the wedding of the Duke of Burgundy and Maria Adelaide of Savoy took place in the gallery.

On February 19, 1715, Louis XIV gave a solemn audience to the Persian ambassador Mohammed Reza Beg, who signed a trade treaty unfavorable for his country. This was the last reception of the king, who died on September 1, 1715.

February 25, 1745 on Bale Yew Trees, held in the Gallery of Mirrors, Louis XV, dressed in a yew costume, chanced to meet Jeanne Antoinette Poisson as Diana.

Mirror gallery in Herrenchiemsee

In May 1770, a masked ball was held here on the occasion of the wedding of the Dauphin and the Austrian princess.

On August 15, 1785, the guards arrested Cardinal de Rohan in the gallery as he went to say mass.

On January 18, 1871, Wilhelm I was proclaimed German Emperor in the Gallery of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.

Here, on June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending the First World War.

3. Interesting facts

The mirror gallery became a model for many halls of European palaces.

Each of the three Winter Palaces built by Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli was provided bright gallery for court kurtags with mirrors opposite the windows.

After visiting the Count and Countess Northern At Versailles, the War and Peace Halls appeared in the Pavlovsk Palace, connected by open arches to the Greek Hall, from which, as at Versailles, the Northern (male) and Southern (female) enfilades begin.

The most famous imitation of the Gallery of Mirrors at Versailles, and the closest to the original, exists in Ludwig II's castle Herrenchiemsee. By the way, the Bavarians are proud that their Mirror Gallery is longer than the French one - its dimensions are 100 m x 15 m.

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