minds of the day to run

minds of the day to run the innovative urban planning project - the landscape gardener André Le Nôtre, who brought symmetry to the layout of the streets, as well as Louis Le Vau and Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the chief architects of the palace. Roads emanate from the Palace like rays of the sun. To one side is the Notre Dame district, the “right bank” - built during the reign of Louis XIV. It’s mirrored on the other side by the Saint-Louis district - the “left bank,” which was further developed during the reign of Louis XIV’s successor, Louis XV. The Avenue de Paris bisects it, the widest avenue in France, with the palace in the middle. The Small Stables, a misnomer if ever there was one, houses an enormous sculpture collection The streets of the two districts are lined with perfectly preserved buildings from the glory days of Versailles, including official residences serving the king and supporting the administration of the kingdom, and private mansions that belonged to ministers, key staff and nobility, and even quaint houses for the “lesser” members of society. The King’s Show home ‘Des Postes’ sign above an ancient door on the former royal postal office The first modern city in the world Versailles is considered to be the first modern city in the world - wide streets let the daylight in and were lit at night by candles in lanterns, and drinking water was made available for all. Versailles inspired the design of many great cities, including Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and St Petersburg. Building the new town was not an easy task; there were no quarries nearby for rock, and no river to provide water for building. Much of the area was marshland. But Louis’ will was absolute, and despite whispers that it was a crazy project, construction began properly in the 1670s in the Notre Dame district. In those days, a town had two essentials: a church and a market - to feed the souls and the stomachs of the people. When the Saint-Louis district was developed, it too had a grand church and a market. Louis XIV commanded that Mansart design a ‘show home’, and nobles were not to deviate from the style (though in the 18 th century, rules were relaxed to allow an expansion from two to three floors), harmony was everything. Astonishingly, two of the homes remain, and the one at 11 rue Carnot, with its red brick, slate roof, and white stone, is typical of the Versailles style. But you’ll also spot buildings that are not quite what they seem. Red bricks were expensive, so to fulfil the king’s wishes for uniformity, some people painted white stone red and then scraped the brick lines out. If you pop to Rue du Peintre Lebrun, where you’ll find the vast Chateau d’Eau which housed an indoor reservoir for the palace together with workshops for fountaineers, you’ll clearly spot buildings with fake bricks (and fake windows)! You can’t help but be impressed by the size of a building known as Le Grand Commun, dedicated to catering for the court (there were separate kitchens within the Palace for the preparation of the royal family’s meals for security reasons). Up to 2000 people worked there - plus it provided accommodation for workers, soldiers and even nobles. Another enormous building housed postal services and workers - you’ll spot the gilded ‘Des Postes’ sign above the door. It was an important building, Versailles ran like clockwork, and the post was delivered to ministers up to three times per day. For the first time, offices were explicitly built for conducting work - previously, business was carried out from home. Everything in Versailles was on a grand scale. As you explore, it’s extraordinary to see just how much remains perfectly preserved and still in use as offices, shops, accommodation and cultural spaces. The Grande Écurie, Great stables, were built to accommodate the King’s hunting horses and are now home to the Académie Équestre de Versailles where equestrian ballet shows take place. You can also take a backstage tour and meet the horses, and visit The Great Stables the Gallery of Coaches, an extraordinary collection of carriages, sedan chairs and sleds that belonged to the royal family. The Petite Écurie, Small Stables, were where carriage horses were kept, as well as home to page boys, footmen, blacksmiths and saddlers. Now this enormous building houses various institutions and one of the finest sculpture storehouses in the world. Both stables are palatial elegant buildings - the horses certainly enjoyed better accommodation than many of the King’s subjects. The Queen's Stables (in use until Marie-Antoinette’s day) is now the Court of Appeal. 18 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 19