France is rolling out the red carpet for at one of its most magnificent and emblematic monuments: the Palace of Versailles, which celebrates its 400th anniversary.
Charles and Queen CamillaB次元官网网址檚 three-day trip to Paris and Bordeaux, starting Wednesday, includes a grand dinner at Versailles in the presence of over 150 guests in the Hall of Mirrors.
The palace has recently opened a gallery retracing its history, from its creation as a modest hunting lodge in 1623 to last centuryB次元官网网址檚 key diplomatic events B次元官网网址� including the visits of CharlesB次元官网网址� predecessors.
French President Emmanuel MacronB次元官网网址檚 office said WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 dinner echoes the state visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1972, when she was greeted at the Palace by President Georges Pompidou. King Charles liked the idea of following in his motherB次元官网网址檚 footsteps, according to MacronB次元官网网址檚 office.
Elizabeth II also visited the palace in 1958 and 10 years earlier, four years before her coronation in 1952.
Catherine P茅gard, president of the Palace of Versailles, praised the B次元官网网址渘ever-ending storyB次元官网网址� of the palace that B次元官网网址渋ncludes visits from French children who come to Versailles with their classes, as well as visits from His Majesty the King of England or tourists who arrive from Asia and are less familiar with the history.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淎nd we have a story to tell each one of them,B次元官网网址� she told The Associated Press.
Usually filled with a chaotic crowd of photo-snapping tourists from across the world, the Hall of Mirrors will be closed to visitors Wednesday to prepare for the royal banquet.
On the menu : blue lobster and crab followed by Bresse poultry and a gratin of cep mushrooms prepared, respectively, by French chefs Anne-Sophie Pic and Yannick All茅no, both awarded three Michelin stars. The cheese course will feature FranceB次元官网网址檚 Comt茅 and BritainB次元官网网址檚 Stichelton blue cheese. For dessert, world-famous pastry chef Pierre Herm茅 will prepare his rose macaroon cookie, composed of rose petal cream, raspberries and lychees.
CharlesB次元官网网址� visit will make one more date in the PalaceB次元官网网址檚 long history starting from King Louis XIII, to the French revolution and all the way to modern times that is being presented on its ground floor into the newly opened Gallery of the History of the Palace.
The gallery has 11 rooms, each thematic and largely chronological, presenting over 120 works aimed at providing visitors from across the world with an immediate understanding of the complex history of the palace.
It brings together recently acquired works alongside paintings and artworks that for many years had gone unseen as theyB次元官网网址檇 been in storage, along with others that are now repositioned and better enhanced.
Laurent Salom茅, director of the National Museum of the Palace of Versailles and Trianon, said the exhibit features a number of masterpieces.
B次元官网网址淥ur intention was to create a first great moment of pleasure for visitors. First of all, because theyB次元官网网址檝e traveled a long way. For a long time, theyB次元官网网址檝e dreamed of Versailles. We didnB次元官网网址檛 want to give them a boring lesson to start their visit,B次元官网网址� he said.
Some artworks come from the original version of the palace and its gardens under its great builder Louis XIV, who decided to expand his fatherB次元官网网址檚 hunting lodge.
ItB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渁 history made by not just one monarch, itB次元官网网址檚 also an enormous team of artists B次元官网网址� and the greatest artists. A good thing about absolute monarchy is to be able to gather all the best people at the same place,B次元官网网址� Salom茅 stressed.
Today the Palace contains 2,300 rooms spread over 63,154 square meters (679,784 square feet).
The historical gallery also offers the opportunity to discover anecdotes about the PalaceB次元官网网址檚 life B次元官网网址� like some panels in the B次元官网网址淐hinese chamberB次元官网网址� of Queen Marie Leszczynska, Louis XVB次元官网网址檚 wife, that she in part painted herself.
In the last rooms, visitors can see the famous desk where the 1919 Treaty of Versailles was signed that formally ended World War I, as well as photos and archival video of heads of states and royalty honored at the palace during the 20th century.
B次元官网网址淭he idea is also to show that there is a gradual transformation of the Ch芒teau de Versailles, which has always remained alive through the centuries, from its creation to the present day,B次元官网网址� Salom茅 said.
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