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CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

Romance at Versailles

By Mario & Melissa Saliba

September 29^th, 2023

Imagine going back in time…

And you are wearing an enormous and hooped, pastel-coloured silk skirt adorned with all types of frills, ribbons, and bows, and this is also complemented by a huge and puffed updo.

Or in the case of men, you have a curly, powdered wig on your head and your face is covered with thick layers of dough-like paint. And you are all dressed up in an elegant and embroidered velvet knee-length coat on top of a ruffled linen shirt and a pair of darker blue knee-breeches, and the outfit then made complete with leather shoes with shiny buckles. This is whilst all along showing off your legs in ribbed linen stockings!

And you, whoever you are, man or woman, will then meander aimlessly through sophisticatedly elaborate corridors and staircases with a repetition of large windows overlooking around 800 hectares of land, sumptuous apartments clothed in lavish red damask, as everything you touch turns to gold, and all the time under the stern gaze of your ancestors forever immortalised in grand paintings.

Then the clock chimes the time of the day to dine and be merry; and the charming women bat their eyelashes, fan themselves, and powder their noses coquettishly, artfully luring eligible male counterparts.

And some time later, you, our protagonist, are dancing delightfully with the damsel or man of your dreams amidst a medley of frocks and beneath murals of predominantly ethereal whites, blues and golden browns as if the skies are almost within reach.

And some wander away as a thousand lighted candles reveal the way through this labyrinthian palace.

Imagine…Or maybe even not!

CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

However whether it is an era which is to your preference or not, yet a visit to the Palace of Versailles allows you to step into the glamorous, tumultuous, even romantic world of the French royalty of the 17th & 18th centuries, while also showcasing some remarkable designwork, furniture and other furnishings, and an extensive collection of art and sculptures.

Below are some of the most noteworthy items to look out for if you decide to visit the palace:

THE GOLDEN ROYAL GATES

From the moment you enter its grounds, the Palace of Versailles sets its mark with its impressive Royal Gates covered with 100,000 gold leaves in a re-creation of the original golden gates destroyed during the French Revolution, and with the palace façade also highly ornated in gold.

In fact, the palace can be said to have the Midas touch, as this is a theme that extends to the interior of the palace.

This is as would be expected of the Sun King, Louis XIV, with his emblem also on the gates, as if spreading light and shine throughout the palace.

CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

PORTRAITS

Do look out for The Portrait of Louis XIV by Hyacinthe Rigaud in the Throne Room of the palace with the King dressed up in elegant and rich royal blue ceremonial robes studded with gold fleur-de-lys, looking haughty, and with his left hand holding the magical sword of Charlemagne to his side.

The royal coat is also pinned up at the shoulder to better portray his sword and his thin legs in silk stockings!

Another notable painting at Versailles is The Coronation of Napoleon, with Napoleon standing tall and solemn in Roman-like emperor attire as if about to crown himself as monarch while his wife lies kneeling in front of him waiting for her turn to be anointed. It is interesting to note that both Napoleon and his wife are wearing a bright red velvet robe, also adorned with gold fleur-de-Lys (as in the case of Louis XIV), and symbolic of their double coronation.

Finally, do stop to have a look at Marie Antoinette with a Rose, and one of the most circulating portraits of the queen.

In this painting, Marie Antoinette outlives her legendary death by guillotine and is depicted as quite charming, while holding a regal posture and wearing a blue-grey silk dress adorned with a big striped ribbon and frills. She is holding a rose as if to accentuate her ‘honest and lovable’ nature, despite her tarnished image as monarch and as described by those close to her.

CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

THE HALL OF MIRRORS

The Hall of Mirrors, however, definitely steals the show.

Though the mirrors are impressive in themselves and also reflect the gardens outside, yet when I first entered the hall, I was first taken in by the display of lights from the chandeliers, candle lights, and the natural sunlight, and only later did I realise, I was actually surrounded by mirrors.

This is where I would imagine our protagonists or chosen couple to be dancing, here underneath the 43 stunningly lit chandeliers and with the glass mirrors and the precious crystal droplets from the chandeliers further diffusing the inner and outer lights across the hall as the night is setting in, creating a sublime ambiance for the start of our romance.

Before leaving the room, do not forget to have a look at the vaulted hall ceiling and its 30 painted compositions representing various political, economic, and also military victories of Louis IV during the first 18 years of his reign.

THE KING’S & QUEEN’S PRIVATE CHAMBERS

It’s more opulence, red damask, chandeliers, allegorical, dreamy and scenic murals, busts & statues chiefly with echoes from Greek & Roman mythology, and now including a porcelain room.

There is a touch of the modern in the parquet wood flooring, which is elegantly plain with some intricate geometrical patterns, as there is too much going on around already.

Also look out for that touch of gold!

Such would include intricately designed black and gold-gilded staircase railings featuring emblems of the French dynasty, pictures in gold frames as would be typical of the period, and gold and white doors within the King’s grand apartments.

I particularly liked the Louis-Philippe Family Room or the Yellow Room at the Grand Trianon in the palace, where the furniture and walls are covered in yellow damask with blue prints.

CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

GARDENS OF VERSAILLES

Finally, it is time to take a stroll through the French-style gardens of Versailles and its open-air museum with its symmetric, formal and elaborated lawn patterns and including a parterre of brightly-colored flowers, a reflecting pool as an extension of the play of lights on the inside, elaborate water fountains, and statues of all kinds animating the garden.

I particularly liked the groves, similar to a sheltered oasis, and providing the ultimate interlude with rare tree plantations, water shows, and life-like breathing statues.

Note: If travelling during the high season, check the time for the Fountain and Music shows via link below. Unfortunately, since we were travelling in February, we did not have this opportunity.

https://en.chateauversailles.fr/news/shows/fountains-shows-and-musical-gardens#pratical-information

CONCLUDING THE FRENCH TRILOGY

…In the meantime, we leave our two lovers right there in the garden taking a brief walk along the neatly trimmed hedges of the gardens while flanked with marble or bronze statues, or in one of the green groves as the nymphs bathe in the radiant twilight surrounded by the gentle lyric of the waters of the fountain streams.

Footnotes

Written by Melissa Saliba

FootNotes

Written by Melissa Saliba

© 2026 Mario & Melissa Saliba

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