"
It was in the year 1677 that Louis XIV formally proclaimed Versailles
his residence and the seat of Government. It was for the purpose of
providing quarters for the Court and its attendants that Mansard was
commanded to enlarge the chateau. Versailles now became, in truth, the
temple of royalty. The newly appointed architect gave to the chateau
its final aspect; the stamp of his genius rests upon the exterior
design and interior embellishment of the most remarkable dwelling in
the history of French architecture.
[Illustration: Versailles]
When the Court came to live at Versailles in May, 1682, Mansard and his
builders were still feverishly occupied in the work of construction and
reconstruction. The year 1684 saw the end of the ornamentation of the
interior in the completion of the Hall of Mirrors. Mansard's style is
particularly impressed upon the Marble Stairway, and the adjacent Hall
of the Queen's Guards, and, above all, on the Grand Gallery of the
Mirrors and the Salons (Peace and War) that flank it--works truly
impressive in their proportions, adornment and arrangement.
Disposed about three sides of the main court, the red chateau was set
low on a slight rise of land. The main entrance was flanked by the
North Wing and the South Wing, interrupted throughout their length by
lesser courts. The domed chapel upreared to the right of the gate was
the fourth one to serve the palace.
Pages:
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34