ASIANOVERLAND.NET WINTER EUROPEAN DAY 4/177:  MONMARTRE TO VERSAILLES, FRANCE

“DAY 4, 15/12/80 VERSAILLES, PONT DU GARD

The ostentatious Palace of Versailles is in the Île-de-France, about 20 kilometres southwest of the centre of Paris. It was the principal royal residence of France from 1682 under Louis XIV, until the start of the French Revolution in 1789, under Louis XVI. It is a must-see visit, much more than a photo stop. You only have to look at it, to see the reasons for the French Revolution.

The site housed a small hunting lodge, and later a small château with a moat, until 1661, when the first work expanding the château into a palace was carried out for Louis XIV. In 1682, when the palace was large enough, the king moved the entire royal court and the French government to Versailles. Some of the palace furniture was constructed of solid silver, but in 1689 much of it was melted down to pay for the cost of war.

Louis XV installed an opera house at the north end of the north wing for the wedding of the Dauphin (Prince) and Marie Antoinette in 1770.

Between 1700 and 1789, the French population increased from 18 million to 26 million, leading to large numbers of unemployed, accompanied by sharp increases in food prices caused by years of bad harvests. Widespread social distress led to the convocation of the Estates General (landowners) in May 1789 (the first since 1614), when the Old Regime of the Kingdom of France was abolished in favour of a constitutional monarchy.

In June, the Estates were converted into a National Assembly, which swept away the existing establishment in a series of radical measures including the abolition of feudalism, state control of the Catholic Church, and extending the right to vote.

The next three years were dominated by the struggle for political control, exacerbated by economic depression and social unrest. Austria, Britain and Prussia viewed the Revolution as a threat, leading to the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in April 1792.

Disillusionment with the excesses of  Louis XVI led to the abolition of the monarchy and establishment of the First French Republic on 22 September 1792, followed by his execution in January 1793. In June, an uprising in Paris replaced the Assembly with a Committee of Public Safety under Robespierre.

This sparked the Reign of Terror, an attempt to eradicate "counter-revolutionaries". Marie Antoinette's trial began on 14 October 1793, and two days later she was convicted of high treason and executed, also by guillotine.   By the time the Reign of Terror ended in July 1794, over 16,600 had been executed in Paris and the provinces.

As well as external enemies, the Republic faced a series of internal Royalist and Jacobin revolts. Despite military success, the cost of the war led to economic stagnation and internal divisions, and in November 1799, the Directory was replaced by the Consulate, culminating in the appointment of Napoleon as First Consul in November 1799, which is generally taken as the end of the French Revolution. Many of its principles are now considered fundamental aspects of modern liberal democracy and civil law.

Many Revolutionary symbols such as La Marseillaise and phrases like Liberté, égalité, fraternité reappeared in other revolts, such as the 1917 Russian Revolution. Over the next two centuries, its key principles like equality inspired campaigns for the abolition of slavery and universal suffrage. Its values and institutions dominate French politics to this day. The French Revolution is regarded as one of the most important events in human history.

 The Peace of Paris (1783) was signed at Versailles, the Proclamation of the German Empire occurred in the vaunted Hall of Mirrors (pictured), and World War I was ended in the palace with the Treaty of Versailles.

The palace is a historical monument notable for the ceremonial Hall of Mirrors, the jewel-like Royal Opera, the royal apartments, the more intimate royal residences, the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon (chateau) located within the park; the small rustic Hamlet created for Marie Antoinette; and the vast Gardens of Versailles with fountains, canals, and geometric flower beds and groves.

We spend a leisurely day in the palace and the gardens, which have hidden fountains, and then head south down the road to Pont du Gard.

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