Essays & dispatches.
Long-form writing on the history, architecture and gardens of the Palace of Versailles — commissioned from historians, curators and travel editors.
Why Louis XIV moved the court to Versailles in 1682
Why Louis XIV moved the court from Paris to Versailles on 6 May 1682 — a calculated response to the political trauma of his childhood, not a vanity project.
Inside the Hall of Mirrors: a room-by-room guide
A 73-metre gallery, 357 mirrored panels, 30 ceiling scenes by Charles Le Brun — how to read the Hall of Mirrors like a courtier of 1684.
Marie-Antoinette's Hamlet: the Queen's rustic retreat
In 1783 Marie-Antoinette built a working farm and twelve thatched cottages near her Palace apartments. What was the Queen escaping — and what happened after?
How to see the Musical Fountains Show in one afternoon
The Grandes Eaux Musicales run 55 historic fountains to 17th-century music from April to October. A practical, timed route to see them all in one visit.
The perfect day trip from Paris to Versailles
A minute-by-minute itinerary for the Palace, near gardens and Trianon Estate in one day from central Paris, using the RER C and the estate shuttle.