The Hall of Mirrors, Versailles

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The Hall of Mirrors is the central gallery of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France.As the principal and most remarkable feature of King Louis XIV of France's third building campaign of the Palace of Versailles, construction of the Hall of Mirrors began in 1678. To provide for the Hall of Mirrors as well as the salon de la guerre and the salon de la paix, which connect the grand appartement du roi with the grand appartement de la reine, architect Jules Hardouin Mansart appropriated three rooms from each apartment as well as the terrace that separated the two apartments.The principal feature of this hall is the seventeen mirror-clad arches that reflect the seventeen arcaded windows that overlook the gardens. Each arch contains twenty-one mirrors with a total complement of 357 used in the decoration of the galerie des glaces. The arches themselves are fixed between marble pilasters whose capitals depict the symbols of France. These gilded bronze capitals include the fleur-de-lys and the Gallic cockerel or rooster. Many of the other attributes of the Hall of Mirrors were lost to war for financial purposes, such as the silver table pieces and guéridons, which were melted by order of Louis XIV in 1689 to finance the War of the League of Augsburg.ConstructionIn the 17th century, mirrors were among the most expensive items to possess at the time; the Venetian Republic held the monopoly on the manufacture of mirrors. In order to maintain the integrity of his philosophy of mercantilism, which required that all items used in the decoration of Versailles be made in France, Jean-Baptiste Colbert enticed several workers from Venice to make mirrors at the Manufacture royale de glaces de miroirs. According to legend, in order to keep its monopoly, the government of the Venetian Republic sent agents to France to poison the workers whom Colbert had brought to France.

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Tours to The Hall of Mirrors

FROM $417 BOOK WITH VIATOR Versailles Palace Skip The Line Access Half Day Private & Tailored Guided Tour Versailles Palace Skip The Line Access Half Day Private & Tailored Guided Tour

5.0

Duration: 4 hours

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FROM $96 BOOK WITH VIATOR Versailles Palace Skip the line Guided Full Day or Half Day Tour Versailles Palace Skip the line Guided Full Day or Half Day Tour

4.8

Duration: 3 hours

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The Hall of Mirrors reviews

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4.6

By brownsbluff

The Hall of Mirrors at the Chateau de Versailles is worth the visit alone! It is so hard to imagine living in those times. Give yourself plenty of time when visiting the Chateau.

The Hall of Mirrors at the Chateau de Versailles is worth the visit alone! It is so hard to imagine living in those times. Give yourself plenty of time when visiting the Chateau. more »
By Lainie007

I read so many reviews about The Hall of Mirrors I was afraid I had hyped it up in my mind and it wouldn't meet my expectations. But, it was just as I imagined! Stunning and glam, beautiful and well..... more

I read so many reviews about The Hall of Mirrors I was afraid I had hyped it up in my mind and it wouldn't meet my expectations. But, it was just as I imagined! Stunning and glam, beautiful and well..... more »
By jeffcZ454VG

This was an amazing self guided tour! you have to get the package with the garden tickets? The gardens are amazing! Be prepared to walking if you want to view the whole area!

This was an amazing self guided tour! you have to get the package with the garden tickets? The gardens are amazing! Be prepared to walking if you want to view the whole area! more »

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By Himantha Alahakoon

Hall of Mirrors is the most elegant & glamorous room in the Palace of Versailles. The sight this hall creates when sunlight peeps through windows & lighten up the hall with intricate pieces of arts & mirrors is just magical. The ceilings are also covered with intricate arts.

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By Alexa

The Hall of Mirrors is the jewel in the crown of the Palace of Versailles. It was meant to make a strong statement about the god-given power of the King, Louis XIV, who was responsible for the building of the Palace. The Hall of Mirrors is also famous for being the site where several important historical events have taken place, one of them being the Proclamation of the German Empire in 1871, after the German states had defeated France in the Franco-Prussian War, and another the signing of the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I, in 1919

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By Dejan Braki

Hall of Mirrors is the most famous and beautiful room of Versailles palace. It runs along the palace main wing on the first floor overlooking the gardens. It is lavishly decorated in mirrors (as the name says), gilded statues and marvelous chandeliers. Beside its beauty the room is known as the place where the peace treaty was signed ending the WWI. We've been lucky being there on a cloudy Jan day just before the closing time with very few people, having it almost to ourselves (see the pics)

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By mik losh

The Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles is the highlight of every visit. The area in the center of the castle, originally laid out as a terrace, was closed around 300 years ago and has over 350 individual mirrors. These imitate the old exterior facade with 17 large windows. At the time, it symbolized the king's wealth and the progress of the French people. This place is considered to be the most historic place in Europe.

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By JB Perraudin drummer- Official

The Hall of Mirrors is the nec plus ultra of the French architecture and art design, it's the most famous room of the Versailles palace and the Hall inspired many kings in all Europa to build there own palaces!

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