Wonder what lies inside the gorgeous historic Palace of Versailles?

The Palace of Versailles, the former house of the French monarchs, has endless royal rooms you can explore.

These include the King and Queen’s State Apartments, Hall of Mirrors, Royal Chapel, Royal Opera, Gallery of Great Battles, Empire Room and Grand Commun.

The best way to explore rooms in the Palace of Versailles is with a guided tour of the Palace.

Facts about the inside of the Palace of Versailles: the Hall of Mirrors housed the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, marking the end of World War I.

The Hall of Mirrors

As soon as you enter the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, you will find yourself completely awestruck.

The Hall was designed to showcase France’s political, financial, and artistic dominance over the world.

This goal was achieved through an array of paintings, sculptures, opulent furniture, and the 357 mirrors, which were among the most expensive items of their time.

Courtiers and visitors regularly used the Hall for meetings and waiting.

Considered the most beautiful room in the world – and rightly so – the Palace of Versailles Hall of Mirrors was a politically important chamber where treaties were signed.

Book the full-day access tickets to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles for a whole day of self-guided exploration.

Make your experience hassle-free with the skip-the-line guided tour to the Palace of Versailles to learn the deep history of the Hall of Mirrors Palace of Versailles.

The War Room

Six bronze-gilded trophies and swords decorate the walls of the War Room inside Palace of Versailles.

Built by Hardouin Mansart, the room was designed to pay tribute to the French military victories.

In addition to this structure, ceiling paintings by the artist Le Brun celebrate these achievements similarly.

These victories ultimately led to the signing of the Peace Treaties Nijmegen.

The Peace Room

Like to the War Room, the Palace of Versailles Peace Room celebrates the peace that France brought to Europe.

The marble panel and bronze trophies of arms mirror those in the War Room decorations, but the Peace Room’s uniqueness is evident in its cupola and arches.

The King’s State Apartments

The King’s State Apartments at the Palace of Versailles were built to host the official ceremonies for the French King.

Anyone who wanted to catch a glimpse of the King as the Royals would pass through here on their way to the chapel.

There were multiple gatherings every week during Louis XIV’s reign at these Italian interior state apartments.

The King’s Chamber Palace of Versailles inside saw several ceremonies for the king’s waking and retiring, private dining, and receptions for courtiers and ambassadors.

The Hercules Room

Originally the palace chapel, the Hercules Room was the final room constructed during Louis XIV’s reign, completed in the era of Louis XV.

The work in the room was officially completed in 1736 as soon as François Lemoyne completed the ceiling painting of The Apotheosis of Hercules.

The Room of Abundance

The Room of Abundance inside Palace of Versailles was the designated room for refreshments like coffee and wine.

It also functioned as the entrance to Louis XIV’s Collection Room, or the Room of Rare Objects.

This is where the king enjoyed displaying diamonds, medals, and silver vases to his visitors.

The Venus Room

The Venus Room at the Palace of Versailles was one of the primary entrances to the State Apartments.

Ceiling paintings in the room portray Venus, the goddess of love, drawing parallels between the deeds of ancient Greek heroes and Louis XIV.

Additionally, this room was used to display flowers and fruit during evening gatherings.

The Diana Room

Gabriel Blanchard’s ceiling painting shows Diana, the goddess of the hunt, keeping an eye on hunting and navigational events.

The Diana Room also provided one of the main entrances to the State Apartments.

The Mars Room

The Mars Room inside the Palace of Versailles marks the start of the King’s Apartment.

In this room, Claude Audran painted the ceiling depicting the god of war, Mars, riding in a chariot drawn by wolves.

Several corners of the rooms are adorned with triumphant heroes and military gear, some of which are highlighted in gold.

The Mercury Room

Once the royal bedchamber in the King’s State Apartment, the Mercury room saw all sorts of luxurious decorations like mirrors, tables, chandeliers and brocades with silver and gold backbones.

But, Louis XIV melted down these decorations to fund the War of the League of Augsburg.

The casket bearing Louis XIV’s body was also exhibited in this room from September 2 until September 10, 1715.

The Apollo Room

The Apollo Room inside Palace of Versailles was designed as the monarch’s Ceremonial Room and used as the throne room after 1682.

Like the Mercury Room’s decorations, Louis XIV’s silver throne was melted to finance the war.

The ceiling of the room features a painting of Apollo riding his chariot.

The Queen’s Apartments

Similar in design to the King’s Apartments, the Queen’s Apartments comprise a series of rooms, now toured in reverse order compared to the traditional sequence.

The tour begins with the bedchamber ending with the Queen’s Guard Room. 

These apartments were home to French queens Maria Theresa, Marie Leszczyńska, and Marie-Antoinette, in that order.

The Queen also had a series of other small rooms beyond her State Apartments inside Marie Antoinette Palace of Versailles.

Are you too fascinated by Marie Antoinette’s reign and monarchy?

Grab your ticket to the guided tour of the Palace of Versailles and Maries Antoinette’s estate to learn about her history in detail.

The Queen’s Guard Room

The Guard Room was where 12 of the Queen’s Guards stood duty around the clock, controlling access to the Queen’s Apartments.

This room is the sole part of the Apartments where the 17th-century decor has been fully preserved, showcasing marble paneling and paintings.

The Royal Table Antechamber

The Queen’s Antechamber was the venue for the royal family and the king’s traditional public meals at the Royal Table.

But, different monarchs observed this tradition in different ways. 

Louis XIV followed the custom during evenings; Louis XV preferred to dine privately, while Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette went to the Royal Table weekly.

The Nobles’ Room

An additional antechamber, the Nobles’ Room, was used by queen Marie Leszczyńska for formal gatherings.

Marie-Antoinette had different visions for the room and completely redecorated it with the help of architect Richard Mique, preserving only the ceiling.

From the furniture to the fireplace, everything was new and modernized.

The Queen’s Bedchamber

The Queen spent most of her time in the Bedchamber, making it the most important room.

This is where she slept, attended to guests and even gave birth.

One can even guess the objects added during the occupancy of a particular queen.

The Queens’ bedroom inside Palace of Versailles saw the birth of 19 princesses and princes and the demise of two queens, Maria Theresa and Marie Leszczyńska.

The Royal Opera

The architect, Ange-Jacques Gabriel designed the magnificent Royal Opera, which was inaugurated during the monarchy of Louis XV.

It functioned as a theater and hosted parties, performances, and legislative debates.

Louis XIV designed the hall to be spacious enough to accommodate machinery for events and started working on it with the architect.

But, the Royal Opera was finally built during the reign of Louis XV.

The Royal Chapel

Built during the reign of Louis XIV, the Royal Chapel was the fifth and the last one to be constructed at the palace since the reign of Louis XIII.

Robert de Cotte completed the project following the death of the king’s architect.

Featuring Gothic architecture, the chapel was dedicated to Saint Louis, the monarch’s patron saint and a member of the royal family.

The Gallery of Great Battles

The Gallery of Great Battles showcases French military victories spanning 15 centuries, from Clovis to Napoleon, through 33 paintings.

It is the largest room inside Palace of Versailles and occupying almost the entire first floor of the South Wing.

Created by Louis-Philippe, the gallery’s paintings span over many French dynasties, namely the Bourbons, Merovingians, Carolingians, Capetians, and Valois.

The Gallery of Great Battles is the most historically significant aspect of the Palace of Versailles due to its references to the French Revolution.

The Empire Rooms

The Palace of Versailles’ 13 Empire Rooms illustrate the rapid rise of Napoleon’s power across Europe.

This initiative was a strategic move by King Louis-Philippe to secure support from Napoleon’s empire.

The Empire Rooms inside Palace of Versailles also house some significant artworks by renowned artists like Guérin and Regnault.

The Grand Commun

After establishing his court permanently at Versailles, Louis XIV realized the need for extra accommodation for servants and secondary officers.

A new building was constructed with six floors, housing offices, a chapel, kitchens, and dining rooms.

It was mainly used to prepare meals for the people at the King’s court.

But, even the Grand Commun eventually couldn’t accommodate all the workers, with its population reaching 1,500.

The living conditions worsened, but the situation remained that way until 1789.

Architecture 

The Palace of Versailles exhibits stunning French Baroque architecture, embodying the ‘creation by division’ theme. 

This approach features repetitive elements and grand windows, highlighting Baroque art’s core principles, with the king’s bed as the focal point.

Louis Le Vau, the first architect of Palace of Versailles, performed major projects during King Louis XIV’s reign. 

Notably, he constructed the King’s and Queen’s State Palace of Versailles rooms and the white stone façade dubbed ‘Le Vau’s Envelope’.

Other architects who contributed to the estate are Jules Hardouin Mansart, Andre le Notre, Charles Le Brun, Jean Berain the Elder, Andre-Charles Boulle, Charles Cressent and others. 

Palace of Versailles landscape architect, André le Nôtre, transformed the gardens from Louis XIII’s original design. 

He introduced two expansive parterres next to the Palace, extended the east-west axis to create a broad perspective, and masterfully played with light and shadow.

Featured Image: Chateauversailles.fr