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It was originally a hunting lodge -

The grounds were initially bought by Louis XIII (1601–1643) to host a lodge where he could stay after hunting if it was getting too late to return home.

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It was originally a hunting lodge -

He eventually bought more land and expanded the château, paving the way for Louis XIV to turn it into a palace during the 1660s and 1670s. The French government and its court were moved there in 1682.

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It could house a small town -

At one point, over 5,000 people could be accommodated in the palace, whose grounds had an area of 8,150,265 sq m (87,728,720 sq ft), and whose floorspace had an area of 67,002 sq m (721,206 sq ft). It also has 700 rooms, 67 staircases, and 1,200 fireplaces.

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The smell of the gardens made visitors ill -

Hundreds of thousands of plants and trees have been continually planted over the years in the world-famous gardens of Versailles, which also contain 372 statues, 55 water features, 600 fountains, and over 20 miles of water pipes.

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The smell of the gardens made visitors ill -

While the gardens consequently look incredible, back in the 17th century the fragrance from the many blooms was reportedly so overpowering it made guests feel ill.

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The king’s meals were cold -

An oversight from the palace architect was the distance between the kitchen and the dining rooms. With sometimes thousands of people to feed, hundreds of servants were needed to not only make the food but transport it.

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The king’s meals were cold -

The distance from the king's seat to the kitchen was allegedly so far away that his meals were often served cold. Later, in the 18th century, Louis XV had private kitchens built in his private apartments.

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Mirror making was a life-threatening business -

Construction of the distinctive Hall of Mirrors began in 1678 under the architect Jules Hardouin Mansart, and had an impressive 357 mirrors. The room was originally lit with as many 20,000 candles, transforming it into a “corridor of light,” but there was a dark story attached to it.

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Mirror making was a life-threatening business - At the time, mirrors were among the most expensive and therefore desirable items to possess, but Venice had the monopoly on making them. France lured Venetian artisans in to create some specially for the palace, but Venetians reportedly ordered the artisans' assassination for giving away their secrets.

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The Treaty of Versailles was signed in the Hall of Mirrors -

The Treaty brought World War I to a close, ending the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on June 28, 1919, in Versailles, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

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Marie Antoinette had a private romantic hideaway -

The wife of Louis XVI famously had her own estate and personal retreat called Le Petit Trianon. It included a theater and farm area, as well as a “temple of love,” which consists of a round colonnade surrounding a statue of cupid.

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Marie Antoinette had a private romantic hideaway -

Near the temple, Marie Antoinette had a private grotto built, which was a secluded cave-like area with two entrances, leading to many theories about secret meetings.

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Hot chocolate was a palace staple -

While there were hardly limits to food and drink on offer at Versailles, King Louis XV reportedly really just wanted hot chocolate. As such, the king’s favorite became the palace staple, especially since the cocoa drink was a delicacy back then and was thought of as exotic.

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Hot chocolate was a palace staple -

Even Marie Antoinette enjoyed the hot cocoa, as she reportedly had her own chocolate maker whom she brought with her when she married Louis XVI.

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It was really cold -

According to scholar Godfrey Fox Bradby’s book ‘The Great Days of Versailles: Studies from Court Life in the Later Years of Louis XIV,’ all the visually pleasing marble in the large and lofty rooms made life in Versailles uncomfortably cold in the winter months, despite even the 1,200 fireplaces.

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It was more expensive than you’d imagine -

Due to a lack of data and the trouble with historical currency conversion, calculating the cost is tricky. However, in 1994, it was estimated that the palace could have cost anywhere between US$200-300 billion—a completely unthinkable amount by today’s standards.

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Versailles housed an early version of a zoo -

In addition to people, Versailles also hosted several royal menageries full of various wild animals from all over the world. It was the first place to divide animal species into separate and specially adapted enclosures.

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The palace played a role in scientific research -

During the Enlightenment period, both Louis XV and Louis XVI were passionate about science and gathered quite a collection of instruments used during experiments in horology, astronomy, and cartography, among other fields of study.

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The palace played a role in scientific research -

With the huge menagerie of animal, zoological studies were able to flourish in the palace. The research activities conducted at Versailles were reportedly crucial to the eventual creation of veterinary schools.

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The palace played a role in scientific research -

With such huge and diverse gardens, the palace also helped progress the fields of botany and agriculture. The garden once hosted 400 botanical species from around the world, including pineapples, vanilla, coffee, and more.

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The chamber pots were made of silver -

Chamber pots were the toilet of the time, and royal families tended to luxurize the experience by having a small, separate room that housed a sort of chair which had the pot under a seat with a hole. It would then be changed by staff when they got round to it.

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The chamber pots were made of silver -

Not everyone in the palace was afforded a private room, however, and many pots were simply placed in the corners of rooms. Never missing a chance for extravagance, the chamber pots at Versailles were cast in silver. The visual effect may have worked, but they hadn’t worked out the smell part.

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The chamber pots were made of silver - In 1689, these silver chamber pots were reportedly melted down to help finance Louis XIV’s war against Britain and other European nations.

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The Royal Opera was the only thrifty part of the palace -

Also known as the Théâtre Gabriel, the theater was made of wood but painted to resemble marble, and the floor of the orchestra level could be raised to the level of the stage to become a ballroom.

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The royal gate was destroyed during the French Revolution -

The golden gate came to symbolize all the opulence locked away from the people of France, many of whom were poor and starving. When tensions rose about the severe class divide and Marie Antoinette's loathed lavish lifestyle, the gate was an obvious target.

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The royal gate was destroyed during the French Revolution -

During the French Revolution, the gate was dismantled. The one you see now is a recreation from 2008, decorated with 100,000 gold leaves.

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Louis XVI sailed gondolas on the Grand Canal - The Grand Canal is about one mile (1.6 km) long and 203 feet (62 m) wide, making it the largest body of water on the grounds. So large, in fact, that Louis XIV did naval demonstrations and sailed small craft, including gondolas, on it.

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The Grand Apartment of the King was out of this world -

The apartment of King Louis XIV was known as the Apartment of the Planets, as each room inside was devoted to each of the then-known seven planets and the Roman deity connected to it. A fitting design for the Sun King!

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See also - Palaces you can visit without marrying a royal

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