Versailles is the palace other
palaces were modeled after, the one many
tried to outdo, but none succeeded. This ultimate
royal palace is all about this man, the
ultimate divine monarch -- Louis XIV. He spent about half of
France's entire annual GNP to turn his dad's
hunting lodge into a palace suitable
for Europe's king of kings. The chateau
started small, just the middle stretch
of this grand facade. That was the hunting lodge
where little Louis spent his happiest
boyhood years. Once king, the massive
expansion began. While today's crowds are
tourists, 300 years ago, this courtyard was a very
different scene. The palace hosted nobles,
thousands of nobles, each with an entourage. They'd buzz around
from games to parties to amorous rendezvous
in their sedan-chair taxis. Imagine servants
scurrying about, delivering secret messages
and roast legs of lamb. And it's crowded
to this day. Smart travelers avoid weekends,
come late in the day, and use a museum pass
to skip the ticket line. The Palace of Versailles was
the residence of the king and the seat of France's
government for a hundred years. It's a long series
of lavish rooms, each with its own theme, and with every inch
sumptuously decorated. In the late 1600s, Louis XIV -- shown here
with his capable hand literally on
the rudder of state -- was creating the first modern,
centralized government. And in order to personally
control as much as possible, he gathered
everything here. United, under a strong king, with the continent's
biggest population, a booming economy,
and a powerful military, France under Louis
was Europe's superpower. Around the year 1700, Versailles was the cultural
heartbeat of Europe, and French culture
was at its zenith. Throughout Europe,
when you said, "the king," you were referring to the
French king, Louis XIV. French was the lingua franca.
France was in vogue. You name it --
clothes, hairstyles, music, theater, table manners -- French taste spread
across the Continent. Louis was a true
Renaissance man, a century after
the Renaissance. An accomplished musician,
dancer, horseman, statesman, art
lover, lover. He called himself
the "Sun King" because he gave life and
warmth to all he touched. He was symbolized by Apollo,
the Greek god of the sun. Versailles was
designed to be the personal temple
of this god on earth, decorated with statues
and symbols of Apollo, of the sun,
and of Louis himself. The classical themes
throughout the palace underlined the divine right
of France's kings and queens to rule without limit. Here, Louis is shown with
his entire royal family, all depicted as
gods on earth, ordained to rule
without question. Versailles celebrated Man,
rather than God, by elevating Louis XIV
to almost godlike status. Louis was a hands-on king. He ruled for about 70 years
and he was the perfect embodiment
of the absolute monarch. Louis summed it up best
himself with his famous rhyme, ""L'état, c'est moi!""
"The state, that's me!" Pleasure ruled
at Versailles. The main suppers, balls,
and receptions were held in this room. The ceiling is like a sunroof
opening up to heaven, filled with
action parallel to the action right here
in Louis' court. The style is
pure Baroque, which lends itself
to propaganda art, a riot of exuberant
figures. The Venus Room is a reminder
that love ruled at Versailles. Here, couples
would cavort, blessed from above
by the goddess of love. As if to encourage
the fun, Venus sends down
a canopy of garlands to ensnare mortals in delicious amour. Louis invited the nobility
to Versailles to control or
"domesticate" them. The "domesticated" aristocracy lived lives of almost
enforced idleness. Games were part of Louis'
political strategy. By distracting his nobles with billiards, gambling,
and dancing, Louis was free
to run the country. The good life was addictive, and under Louis,
the bluebloods were hooked. This was Louis'
ceremonial bedroom. His daily life was a series
of symbolic rituals. For example, while he'd
actually sleep elsewhere, right here,
the Sun King would "rise" and "set" with the
sun each day. Once mighty, now domesticated, dukes and barons
actually competed to see who would hold the candle while Louis slipped
into his royal jammies. Bedtime, wake up, meals --
it was all public ritual. The royal bedroom
faced the rising sun. It was the center of the palace
and the center of France. When you understand the themes
of the palace's many rooms, a stroll through
Versailles is a stroll through
French history. The War Room reminds us that Louis had
Europe's leading army, and his reign came with lots
of expensive wars. Louis ruled from
1643 to 1715. By the end,
he was tired of fighting. Here in the Peace Room, peace is granted to Germany,
Holland, and Spain, as cupids play
with discarded weapons and swords are pounded
into violins. Louis bestows
an olive branch on Europe, as his queen cradles
their baby twin daughters. At the end
of his long reign, Louis, having exhausted
France with his many wars, gave this advice
to his great-grandson, the next Louis --
"Be a peaceful king." The Hall of Mirrors was the
highlight of the palace. No one had ever seen
anything like it. Mirrors were a great luxury
at the time, and this long hall
was astounding. Imagine this place
lit by the flames of thousands of candles, filled with elegant
guests in fine silks, wigs, and fake moles, as they
danced to the orchestra. Under gilded candelabra
and amid busts of Roman emperors, servants would glide by with
silver trays of hors d'oeuvres. And from the palace,
guests would gaze awestruck at Louis' amazing
gardens.
