Did you know
about Versailles
The name Versailles is renowned worldwide for its castle, the Chateau de Versailles and the Royal Gardens of Versailles, designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Versailles also evokes golden glitter and magical sparkle of its "Hall of Mirrors"... Only few visitors know that Versailles once was a small medieval seigniory, whose name was recorded as early as the Eleventh Century. Recent archeological works in the Old city also have led to the finding of Merovingian tombs. But not every visitor is aware that the city around the Palace, with its lovely avenues lined with magnificent plane trees stretching out their arms in greeting, was designed at the same time, as a sumptuous setting for the famous palace. Today, in the tradition of the royal spectacles of yore, the city continues to offer a full program of theatrical performances, concerts and other festivities
Under Louis XIII and Louis XIV
Louis XIII, who loved to hunt, had already had a hunting lodge built on the neighboring butte. For convenience, he had several outbuildings installed in the old village, but died soon afterward, and the estate sank into obscurity. Its star rose again in 1660, at the time of the marriage of the young Louis XIV. From then on, the king undertook to enlarge the hunting lodge for his pleasure visits, and had its surroundings beautified: laid out to include the Place d'Armes and the three major avenues facing the palace, a new city was created. Clearly in love with his estate, Louis XIV settled there in 1682, with his entire court, leading to a need for new infrastructures, such as the Royal Stables or the new kitchen garden, the Hall of Mirrors, French gardens…
Historical
District
Notre-Dame
The Notre Dame district is Versailles' oldest. Because Louis XIV wanted to beautify the area around the palace, he undertook to create a new town on undeveloped land to its north. Its inhabitants settled there little by little, starting in 1671, building according to precise rules along streets that were remarkably straight and wide for the period. The district was built around its original institutions: the Eglise Notre-Dame, which was the king's parish, whose registers hold the most prestigious signatures; the Hôtel du Bailliage
Versaille's
Markets
Carré St-Louis
In the new city created to the north of the palace by Louis XIV, only one street from our offices, the present Notre Dame district, a large place was also given to economic factors: the present day market’s location was equipped with market stalls under the reign of Louis XV, which were replaced in 1841 by the covered market that is still there. The infrastructures for establishing a new market were built facing the Saint Louis district (erected in the 18th Century). These charming "stands" remain, and are called the "Carrés Saint-Louis".