What did Versailles look like before Louis XIV? How did the small hunting lodge of Louis XIII become the largest Palace in Europe? What embellishments did the young Sun King want in his Palace of festivities and amusements? Did you know that the Hall of Mirrors was originally a terrace overlooking the gardens?
Explore the multigenerational wonder of Château de Versailles outside of Paris, France, a French Historic Monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular destination for tourists around the world. Their 2012 series of animated videos, in partnership with Google Cultural Institute, help us see the many additions that are in existence today. Above: Versailles, from Louis XIII to the French Revolution. Version française.
Continue touring the royal residence as it becomes a history museum and a Republican palace: Versailles after the French Revolution. Version française.
And below: The gardens of André Le Nôtre, the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet. Version française.
This behind-the-scenes Google video shares how they put the animations together for the 2012 opening of the Palace History Gallery:
Related reading: The French Revolution.
Next, watch more history videos from the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s, including Relighting Parade de cirque, mechanical singing bird box automata, and this extravagant furniture with secret panels, doors, and drawers.
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