1679 (Louis XIV)
Creation of the castle and of the Domaine
Louis XIV orders the construction of the South wing to Hardouin-Mansart

The façade on garden is first erected by Le Vau and d'Orbay in 1669-1670, to surround the Corps Central of the castle. It is then extended by Hardouin-Mansart with the two big wings, the South and the North wing, between 1679 and 1689. Finished by Gabriel with the construction of the Opera inaugurated in 1770 at the end of the North wing, it spreads out over 680 metres. As far as the South wing itself is concerned, it is built by Hardouin-Mansart from 1679 to 1681 in order to increase the number of dwellings intended for the Cour. With the Louis-Philippe museum, these apartments become the Salles de l’Empire and the Galerie des Batailles. At the centre of the room, the Salle du Congrès is erected in 1875.


1769 (Louis XV)
Collections
Delivery of Louis XV’s cylinder secretary

This piece of furniture is ordered by Louis XV who wants an office where he can leave his papers discreetly. It is how the cylinder secretary was born. His elaboration is long: the German cabinet maker Jean-François Oeben begins it in 1760 and it is only finished in 1769 by his disciple, Jean-Henri Riesener, who will become the favourite cabinet maker of the Queen Marie-Antoinette. He is so proud of it that he signs "Riesener "1769" on the marquetry, which is very rare.
Paid 62 800 pounds, it is the most expensive piece of furniture designed for Louis XV. Not only it presents a decor of paintings made of finewood marquetry framed with flamboyant gilded bronzes, but also it hides a marvel of mechanics for the operation of the secret drawers. Only the sovereign has a key which can, after a quarter of a turn, to unlock the cylinder and all the drawers.


1775 (Louis XVI)
Creation of the castle and the Domaine
First transplantation of the park

At the beginning of Louis XVI’s reign, numerous centenary trees are at the mercy of a storm: it is therefore necessary to proceed to a large transplantation. Are we going to give in to the new fashion and draw an English garden or are we going to respect the mark of Le Nôtre ? On the orders of the King himself, this last solution is fortunately selected. However, the Labyrinth is destroyed to make room for the Bosquet de la Reine, more popular at the time, as well as the new Bosquet des Bains d'Apollon designed by the painter Hubert Robert.One century later, the trees are replaced again, and at the end of the twentieth century, the ineluctable centenary deadline is abruptly reminded to us...


1783 (Louis XVI)
International relationships
Signature of the treaties of Paris and Versailles on the 3rd of September

The treaty of Paris, which is signed on the 3rd of September of 1783 between the representatives of the thirteen American colonies and the English representatives, puts an end to the Independence War in the Unites States. By this treaty, the Great Britain recognizes the independence of the United States of America and grants them the territory to the Mississippi. On the same day, the treaty of Versailles signed by France, Spain and the United Kingdom completes the treaty of Paris and recognizes the sovereignty of Spain on Florida. By this treaty, France recovers some colonies that it had lost, such as Senegal.


1789 (Louis XVI)
French policy
The Cour leaves Versailles on the 6th of October

On the 5th of October, the Parisian rioters, joined by the troops of the Marquis de la Fayette, marched on Versailles. After the invasion of the castle by the crowd and the massacre of the bodyguards, the King, the Queen and the royal family are forced to leave Versailles to settle in Paris, in the Palais des Tuileries.


1919 (Third republic)
International relationships
Treaty of Versailles on the 28th of June

It is on the 28th of June, in the Galerie des Glaces, that Germany and the Allies sign the treaty of Versailles that puts an end to the World War I. Among the 27 states represented, a directory of four members widely dominates the debates. It is formed of Clemenceau for France, Lloyd George for Great Britain, Orlando for Italy and Wilson for United States. If the contradictions between the Allies often make the debates difficult, the retrocession of Alsace-Lorraine to France is granted without difficulty.


1924 (Third republic)
French policy
Rockefeller donation

After a press campaign conducted by the weekly newspaper L'Illustration in February 1923, denouncing the "misery of Versailles", John D. Rockefeller Jr. writes to the President of the Council Raymond Poincaré the following year, to inform him about a vast sponsorship operation in support of the French patrimony. The works in Versailles begin in January 1925, under the supervision of the architect Patrick Bonnet, and concern the restoration of the façades and roof assemblies of the castle and the Minister’s wings, but also restoration of the Orangerie, the Trianon and the Theâtre de la Reine as well as the rehabilitation of the gardens. Among numerous other donations that Rockefeller then continues to grant to Versailles, the one in 1953 enables to restore the Petit Trianon and saves the Hameau de Marie-Antoinette and its factories that were going to become ruins.


1953 (Fourth Republic)
French policy
Election of the president Coty on the 23rd of December

René Coty is the last of the presidents of the Republic who, since 1879, have been elected by the Congress gathered in Versailles. This election takes place on the 23rd of December in the Room of Congress, located on the centre of the castle South wing.


1961 (Fifth Republic)
International relationships
Visit of the president Kennedy on the 3rd of June

High place of the Franco American friendship, Versailles welcomes the president John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his wife during a sumptuous dinner given by the general de Gaulle in the Galerie des Glaces. For the occasion, the gallery has been electrified as well as the line of the Grand Appartement that leads to it.


1999 (Fifth Republic)
Creation of the castle and the Domaine
Storm on the 26th of December

A violent storm knocks about ten thousand trees down in the park during the transplantation. The area of Trianon is especially affected.


2005 (Fifth Republic)
Creation of the castle and the Domaine
Restoration of the Galerie des Glaces

Thanks to the sponsorship of the Vinci group, that goes up to 12 millions euros, the vast restoration site is begun in January 2004. It requires about hundred people who belong to thirteen different companies and is supposed to be finished in April 2007. So that the gallery remains accessible to the public during the works, the site is carried out in two stages: from July 2004 to November 2005, it concerns the North part of the gallery and since January 2006, the South part is carried out. Under the scaffolding, a staging-design isolates the site and informs the public on the works in progress through video, orientation tables or reproductions related to the history of the gallery.


1679 (Louis XIV)
Creation of the castle and of the Domaine
Louis XIV orders the construction of the South wing to Hardouin-Mansart

The façade on garden is first erected by Le Vau and d'Orbay in 1669-1670, to surround the Corps Central of the castle. It is then extended by Hardouin-Mansart with the two big wings, the South and the North wing, between 1679 and 1689. Finished by Gabriel with the construction of the Opera inaugurated in 1770 at the end of the North wing, it spreads out over 680 metres. As far as the South wing itself is concerned, it is built by Hardouin-Mansart from 1679 to 1681 in order to increase the number of dwellings intended for the Cour. With the Louis-Philippe museum, these apartments become the Salles de l’Empire and the Galerie des Batailles. At the centre of the room, the Salle du Congrès is erected in 1875.


1769 (Louis XV)
Collections
Delivery of Louis XV’s cylinder secretary

This piece of furniture is ordered by Louis XV who wants an office where he can leave his papers discreetly. It is how the cylinder secretary was born. His elaboration is long: the German cabinet maker Jean-François Oeben begins it in 1760 and it is only finished in 1769 by his disciple, Jean-Henri Riesener, who will become the favourite cabinet maker of the Queen Marie-Antoinette. He is so proud of it that he signs "Riesener "1769" on the marquetry, which is very rare.
Paid 62 800 pounds, it is the most expensive piece of furniture designed for Louis XV. Not only it presents a decor of paintings made of finewood marquetry framed with flamboyant gilded bronzes, but also it hides a marvel of mechanics for the operation of the secret drawers. Only the sovereign has a key which can, after a quarter of a turn, to unlock the cylinder and all the drawers.


1775 (Louis XVI)
Creation of the castle and the Domaine
First transplantation of the park

At the beginning of Louis XVI’s reign, numerous centenary trees are at the mercy of a storm: it is therefore necessary to proceed to a large transplantation. Are we going to give in to the new fashion and draw an English garden or are we going to respect the mark of Le Nôtre ? On the orders of the King himself, this last solution is fortunately selected. However, the Labyrinth is destroyed to make room for the Bosquet de la Reine, more popular at the time, as well as the new Bosquet des Bains d'Apollon designed by the painter Hubert Robert.One century later, the trees are replaced again, and at the end of the twentieth century, the ineluctable centenary deadline is abruptly reminded to us...


1783 (Louis XVI)
International relationships
Signature of the treaties of Paris and Versailles on the 3rd of September

The treaty of Paris, which is signed on the 3rd of September of 1783 between the representatives of the thirteen American colonies and the English representatives, puts an end to the Independence War in the Unites States. By this treaty, the Great Britain recognizes the independence of the United States of America and grants them the territory to the Mississippi. On the same day, the treaty of Versailles signed by France, Spain and the United Kingdom completes the treaty of Paris and recognizes the sovereignty of Spain on Florida. By this treaty, France recovers some colonies that it had lost, such as Senegal.


1789 (Louis XVI)
French policy
The Cour leaves Versailles on the 6th of October

On the 5th of October, the Parisian rioters, joined by the troops of the Marquis de la Fayette, marched on Versailles. After the invasion of the castle by the crowd and the massacre of the bodyguards, the King, the Queen and the royal family are forced to leave Versailles to settle in Paris, in the Palais des Tuileries.


1919 (Third republic)
International relationships
Treaty of Versailles on the 28th of June

It is on the 28th of June, in the Galerie des Glaces, that Germany and the Allies sign the treaty of Versailles that puts an end to the World War I. Among the 27 states represented, a directory of four members widely dominates the debates. It is formed of Clemenceau for France, Lloyd George for Great Britain, Orlando for Italy and Wilson for United States. If the contradictions between the Allies often make the debates difficult, the retrocession of Alsace-Lorraine to France is granted without difficulty.


1924 (Third republic)
French policy
Rockefeller donation

After a press campaign conducted by the weekly newspaper L'Illustration in February 1923, denouncing the "misery of Versailles", John D. Rockefeller Jr. writes to the President of the Council Raymond Poincaré the following year, to inform him about a vast sponsorship operation in support of the French patrimony. The works in Versailles begin in January 1925, under the supervision of the architect Patrick Bonnet, and concern the restoration of the façades and roof assemblies of the castle and the Minister’s wings, but also restoration of the Orangerie, the Trianon and the Theâtre de la Reine as well as the rehabilitation of the gardens. Among numerous other donations that Rockefeller then continues to grant to Versailles, the one in 1953 enables to restore the Petit Trianon and saves the Hameau de Marie-Antoinette and its factories that were going to become ruins.


1953 (Fourth Republic)
French policy
Election of the president Coty on the 23rd of December

René Coty is the last of the presidents of the Republic who, since 1879, have been elected by the Congress gathered in Versailles. This election takes place on the 23rd of December in the Room of Congress, located on the centre of the castle South wing.


1961 (Fifth Republic)
International relationships
Visit of the president Kennedy on the 3rd of June

High place of the Franco American friendship, Versailles welcomes the president John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his wife during a sumptuous dinner given by the general de Gaulle in the Galerie des Glaces. For the occasion, the gallery has been electrified as well as the line of the Grand Appartement that leads to it.


1999 (Fifth Republic)
Creation of the castle and the Domaine
Storm on the 26th of December

A violent storm knocks about ten thousand trees down in the park during the transplantation. The area of Trianon is especially affected.


2005 (Fifth Republic)
Creation of the castle and the Domaine
Restoration of the Galerie des Glaces

Thanks to the sponsorship of the Vinci group, that goes up to 12 millions euros, the vast restoration site is begun in January 2004. It requires about hundred people who belong to thirteen different companies and is supposed to be finished in April 2007. So that the gallery remains accessible to the public during the works, the site is carried out in two stages: from July 2004 to November 2005, it concerns the North part of the gallery and since January 2006, the South part is carried out. Under the scaffolding, a staging-design isolates the site and informs the public on the works in progress through video, orientation tables or reproductions related to the history of the gallery.