On Sunday we went on our first planned excursion, to the Château de Versailles. We learned about how Versailles was home to three Kings Louis and three Maries: Louis XIV with his wife Marie-Thérèse, Louis XV with Marie Leszczyńska, and finally, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Versailles is only twelve miles away from Paris and was the center of political power in France from 1682 to the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789.
Before coming to France, I read The Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland. This story follows the life of Louise de la Vallière, the mistress of the Sun King, Louis XIV. Gulland’s novel illustrates what life was like in the French court during the reign of Louis XIV. It also follows the development of Versailles from a mere hunting lodge to the center of the French government. Louis XIV moved his court to Versailles to give him more control of the government and to distance himself from Paris. By requiring his nobles to spend some time in Versailles each year, Louis prevented them from being able to establish any regional power to counter his own.
After watching movies and reading books about the history of France, it was SO exciting to actually be there, standing in Marie Antoinette’s bedroom, seeing the tapestries, paintings, all the gold, the chandeliers, the HUGE palace and HUGE gardens. It is almost unbelievable that people could live like that. The anger and bitterness of the poor citizens who started the French Revolution is much more understandable after a visit to Versailles.
No comments:
Post a Comment