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Frances Most Famous Palaces

Author: Charles River Charles River Editors

Publisher:

Published: 2017-08-24

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 9781975740702

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the construction and history of the palaces *Includes a bibliography for further reading In every nation, in every era of history, there are inevitably one or two places that become the symbol of the times. Mention Valley Forge to an American and it will immediately conjure up visions of a hard won fight for freedom. Likewise, the word Dunkirk said to a Briton will elicit a sense of both pride and horror at the lives lost and saved at that desperate point in World War II. For the French, and those who study their history, Versailles is a symbol of, as Charles Dickens once put it, "the best of times...the worst of times." It was here that the Sun King, Louis XIV, built a palace worthy of a great nation during a time when peace was, at best, short-lived. It was at Versailles that Russian Tsar Peter the Great to study the palace''s architecture and gardens so that he could recreate them in his home country. Indeed, the greatest minds and artistic geniuses of the later stages of the Renaissance came to Versailles to build and paint, and it was here that Madame de Pompedour and her successor, Madame du Barry, used their wit and beauty to charm a king into doing their bidding. France, like all European countries, has had its fair share of palaces over time, but none suffered the rise and fall of fortune like the Tuileries. Built by a widow with a flair for architecture, it grew for more than a decade, along with the royal family that it housed. Then, during the French Revolution, it fell from grace with that family and even became a sight of execution, its famous gardens providing the background for the infamous guillotine. Though the French Revolution came to a close at the end of the 19th century, the revolutionary spirit remained alive in France, and with it the desire to overthrow whatever government happened to be in power. With the ruler living at the Tuileries, it became the symbol of the government, so in 1830 and again in 1848, crowds attacked and pillaged the palace. While it survived these two attacks, it was not so lucky in 1871, when a mob finally burned it to the ground. The Louvre: The very name conjures up scenes of art and elegance, and of long halls filled with beauty and people strolling through them whispering quietly among themselves about the glories they are witnessing. Even those who have never been to the Louvre know some of its most prized possessions, from ancient statues to Leonardo Da Vinci''s "Mona Lisa". As the world''s largest museum, the Louvre is unquestionably the cultural highpoint of Paris, a city that has long been considered the cultural center of Europe. However, life is rarely as simple as one imagines, and the life of the Louvre is no different. While just about everyone is familiar with its history as an art museum, the Louvre''s history goes back over 800 years, and it used to have far different purposes, both as a medieval fortress and a palatial residence for French kings. The Louvre bore witness to mass murder during the French Revolution, and there have been countless accusations of theft and other questionable actions since its opening. Furthermore, the museum is also a classic example of beating one''s swords into ploughshares, for it has been largely stocked through the conquests of war. Its first collection was put on display by a king who wanted to share his personal art collection with his subjects. Following the French Revolution, the Louvre became a place of ascetic refuge, where those burdened by daily life could go, often at no cost, and visit some of the most beautiful pieces of art in the world. France''s Most Famous Palaces: The History and Legacy of Versailles, the Louvre, and the Tuileries chronicles the remarkable history of some of the world''s most famous palaces. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about France''s most famous palaces like never before.

Versailles

Author: Charles River Editors

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-02-14

Total Pages: 68

ISBN-13: 9781543109160

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*Includes pictures *Includes contemporary descriptions of Versailles and its construction *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "Growing up in Versailles is like growing up in a museum, and the people living there are almost the security." - Thomas Mars In every nation, in every era of history, there are inevitably one or two places that become the symbol of the times. Mention Valley Forge to an American and it will immediately conjure up visions of a hard won fight for freedom. Likewise, the word Dunkirk said to a Briton will elicit a sense of both pride and horror at the lives lost and saved at that desperate point in World War II. For the French, and those who study their history, Versailles is a symbol of, as Charles Dickens once put it, "the best of times...the worst of times." It was here that the Sun King, Louis XIV, built a palace worthy of a great nation during a time when peace was, at best, short-lived. It was at Versailles that Russian Tsar Peter the Great to study the palace's architecture and gardens so that he could recreate them in his home country. Indeed, the greatest minds and artistic geniuses of the later stages of the Renaissance came to Versailles to build and paint, and it was here that Madame de Pompedour and her successor, Madame du Barry, used their wit and beauty to charm a king into doing their bidding. However, as history constantly demonstrates, nothing good lasts forever, and so it was with Versailles. From the royal palace, Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette frittered away the goodwill of their people, leading to the French Revolution and their executions. Here the mobs amassed to demand "freedom, equality and brotherhood," but mainly a piece or two of pilfered bric-a-brac. In the wake of the French Revolution, the palace was gutted and most of the beautiful reminders of its glory were sold away, along with the monarchy's birthright and the concept of the "divine right of kings." While the palace was neglected for a time, its original workmen had done their jobs well enough that it managed to weather both time and the political storms that raged around it during the early 19th Century. In fact, it seems as though Versailles was destined to survive, if only so that such a thing of beauty wouldn't be lost forever. Even as he focused on the rest of Europe, Napoleon felt the need to save Versailles, and over time it was restored to its original glory, if not its original purpose; no monarch has lived in Versailles for a long time. Instead, there is a republic, and with it a sense that the palace, once available only for the wealthy few, is now a place for people across the world to come and enjoy the splendor of a bygone era that, while not exactly missed, can nonetheless still be appreciated. Versailles: The History and Legacy of France's Most Famous Royal Palace chronicles the remarkable history of one of the world's most famous palaces and tourist spots. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about Versailles like never before.

France and England's Most Famous Palaces

Author: Charles River

Publisher: Independently Published

Published: 2023-12-23

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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When people think of the British Royal family, and more specifically where they live, the first image that often pops into mind is that of stately Buckingham Palace, with its changing of the guard and the occasional royal coach leaving or entering. Others may think of the royal country estate of Windsor Castle, a favorite of both Britain's longest-reigning and second longest-reigning monarchs. And there was a time when both royal residences played second fiddle to a much better known home, the elegant Kensington Palace. In his multi-volume work, Old and New London (1878), Edward Walford wrote, "It has often been said by foreigners that if they were to judge of the dignity and greatness of a country by the palace which its sovereign inhabits, they would not be able to ascribe to Her Majesty Queen Victoria that proud position among the 'crowned heads' of Europe which undoubtedly belongs to her. But though Buckingham Palace is far from being so magnificent as Versailles is, or the Tuilleries once were, yet it has about it an air of solidity and modest grandeur, which renders it no unworthy residence for a sovereign who cares more for a comfortable home than for display." Like many royal residences, Kensington began its life as a large private home, and it was only after a king, or in Kensington's case, a king and queen, took notice of it that it was expanded into the size and grandeur that they display today. Even this work was not the product of one major overhaul but of several, spread across decades of changes in architecture, interior design, and even technology. King William III purchased Kensington Palace in the early years of his reign, less than three short decades after the Stuarts returned to the throne, and he and his queen were the first monarchs to move the British court there. Later, his successors became more attached to the palace, and by the time King George I, the first king from the House of Hanover, came to the throne, Kensington was considered the best place for the king and his family to live. For the French, and those who study their history, Versailles is a symbol of, as Charles Dickens once put it, "the best of times...the worst of times." It was here that the Sun King, Louis XIV, built a palace worthy of a great nation during a time when peace was, at best, short-lived. It was at Versailles that Russian Tsar Peter the Great studied the palace's architecture and gardens so that he could recreate them in his home country. Indeed, the greatest minds and artistic geniuses of the later stages of the Renaissance came to Versailles to build and paint, and it was here that Madame de Pompadour and her successor, Madame du Barry, used their wit and beauty to charm a king into doing their bidding. France, like all European countries, has had its fair share of palaces over time, but none suffered the rise and fall of fortune like the Tuileries. Built by a widow with a flair for architecture, it grew for more than a decade, along with the royal family that it housed. Then, during the French Revolution, it fell from grace with that family and even became a sight of execution, its famous gardens providing the background for the infamous guillotine. Though the French Revolution came to a close at the end of the 19th century, the revolutionary spirit remained alive in France, and with it the desire to overthrow whatever government happened to be in power. With the ruler living at the Tuileries, it became the symbol of the government, so in 1830 and again in 1848, crowds attacked and pillaged the palace. While it survived these two attacks, it was not so lucky in 1871, when a mob finally burned it to the ground.

Royal Palaces and Parks of France

Author: Milburg F Mansfield

Publisher: BoD - Books on Demand

Published: 2024-02-06

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13:

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Royal Palaces and Parks of France

Author: Milburg Francisco Mansfield

Publisher: Library of Alexandria

Published: 1910-01-01

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 1465544348

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The modern traveller sees something beyond mere facts. Historical material as identified with the life of some great architectural glory is something more than a mere repetition of chronologies; the sidelights and the co-related incidents, though indeed many of them may be but hearsay, are quite as interesting, quite as necessary, in fact, for the proper appreciation of a famous palace or chateau as long columns of dates, or an evolved genealogical tree which attempts to make plain that which could be better left unexplained. The glamour of history would be considerably dimmed if everything was explained, and a very seamy block of marble may be chiselled into a very acceptable statue if the workman but knows how to avoid the doubtful parts. An itinerary that follows not only the ridges, but occasionally plunges down into the hollows and turns up or down such crossroads as may have chanced to look inviting, is perhaps more interesting than one laid out on conventional lines. A shadowy something, which for a better name may be called sentiment, if given full play encourages these side-steps, and since they are generally found fruitful, and often not too fatiguing, the procedure should be given every encouragement. Not all the interesting royal palaces and chateaux of France are those with the best known names. Not all front on Paris streets and quays, no more than the best glimpses of ancient or modern France are to be had from the benches of a sight-seeing automobile. Versailles, and even Fontainebleau, are too frequently considered as but the end of a half-day pilgrimage for the tripper. It were better that one should approach them more slowly, and by easy stages, and leave them less hurriedly. As for those architectural monuments of kings, which were tuned in a minor key, they, at all events, need to be hunted down on the spot, the enthusiast being forearmed with such scraps of historic fact as he can gather beforehand, otherwise he will see nothing at Conflans, Marly or Bourg-la-Reine which will suggest that royalty ever had the slightest concern therewith. Dealing first with Paris it is evident it is there that the pilgrim to French shrines must make his most profound obeisance. This applies as well to palaces as to churches. In all cases one goes back into the past to make a start, and old Paris, what there is left of it, is still old Paris, though one has to leave the grand boulevards to find this out. Colberts and Haussmanns do not live to-day, or if they do they have become so "practical" that a drainage canal or an overhead or underground railway is more of a civic improvement than the laying out of a public park, like the gardens of the Tuileries, or the building and embellishment of a public edifice—at least with due regard for the best traditions. When the monarchs of old called in men of taste and culture instead of "business men" they builded in the most agreeable fashion. We have not improved things with our "systems" and our committees of "hommes d'affaires."

Palace of Versailles: Home to the Kings of France

Author: Jennifer Howse

Publisher: Weigl Publishers

Published: 2015-08-01

Total Pages: 24

ISBN-13: 1489634037

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The opulent Palace of Versailles became the official royal residence of French monarchs during the reign of King Louis XIV. With 551,112 square feet (51,200 square meters) of floor space, rooms filled with gilded furniture, and more than 7,000 works of art, the Palace of Versailles showcases the luxurious lifestyles of the kings of France. Explore the facility, history, people, and science behind the building in Palace of Versailles, a Castles of the World book.

The Tuileries Palace

Author: Charles River Charles River Editors

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-04-28

Total Pages: 64

ISBN-13: 9781546354468

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*Includes pictures *Includes contemporary accounts of the Tuileries *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "The massacre followed the sacrificial logic of the scapegoat: unable to vent their violence upon its intended object, the king, the revolutionaries chose victims who symbolised the sovereign power of the king and whose deaths could serve to unify the people... The destruction of the Swiss Guard allowed the revolutionaries to usurp and transform the royal notion of the body politic. This outcome is captured by reports the massacre of the Swiss was accompanied by cries of 'Vive la nation!', replacing 'Vive le roi!'" - Jesse Goldhammer Since the earliest days of civilization, people have built homes not just for shelter, but to proclaim their status in the world. There is evidence from the earliest known cultures that one way in which rulers showcased power was by building a more elaborate home than those around them had. Through the centuries, as homes grew larger and better furnished, those in charge had to make their homes even larger and furnish and decorate them even more, to the extent that by the time of the Middle Ages, some homes were actually castles designed to withstand combat and allow entire communities to survive attacks by invaders. Though the need for such large dwellings eventually passed, the desire for them did not, and so the castle gave way to the palace, a building the size of a castle but as elegant as its owner could afford to make it. France, like all European countries, has had its fair share of palaces over time, but none suffered the rise and fall of fortune like the Tuileries. Built by a widow with a flair for architecture, it grew for more than a decade, along with the royal family that it housed. Then, during the French Revolution, it fell from grace with that family and even became a sight of execution, its famous gardens providing the background for the infamous guillotine. Though the French Revolution came to a close at the end of the 19th century, the revolutionary spirit remained alive in France, and with it the desire to overthrow whatever government happened to be in power. With the ruler living at the Tuileries, it became the symbol of the government, so in 1830 and again in 1848, crowds attacked and pillaged the palace. While it survived these two attacks, it was not so lucky in 1871, when a mob finally burned it to the ground. Today, all that is left of the once glorious Tuileries is it extensive gardens, a place that still provides a touch of beauty and calm in the midst of a bustling city. So popular are these gardens with Parisians and tourists alike that there is some talk of trying to rebuild the palace itself, and to recreate its glory and elegance. While many feel that this would be like trying to catch lightning in a bottle, given that the heyday of palaces is well in the past, others believe that getting in touch with the past, and its slower, more gracious style of living, would still appeal to modern generations. The Tuileries Palace: The History and Legacy of France's Famous Royal Palace chronicles the remarkable history of one of the world's most famous palaces. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Tuileries like never before.

Royal Palaces and Parks of France

Author: M F Mansfield

Publisher:

Published: 2015-10-22

Total Pages: 150

ISBN-13: 9781517718404

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Rick Steves' Paris

Author: Rick Steves

Publisher: Avalon Travel Pub

Published: 2006-09-28

Total Pages: 536

ISBN-13: 9781566918183

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Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers how to take self-guided walking tours along the Champs-Elysées and through the Marais? WithRick Steves’ Paris 2007,travelers can experience the best of everything the city has to offer — economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated,Rick Steves’ Paris 2007includes opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick’s newest "back door" discoveries. America’s number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick’s time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.

Royal Palaces and Parks of France (Classic Reprint)

Author: Francis Miltoun

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2018-03-12

Total Pages: 484

ISBN-13: 9780364391112

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Excerpt from Royal Palaces and Parks of France At times gayety reigned supreme, and at times it was sadness; but always the pageant was imposing. The day of pageants has passed, the day when lords and ladies moved through stately halls, when royal equipages hunted deer or boar on royal preserves, when gay cavalcades of solemn corteges thronged the great French highways to the uttermost frontiers and ofttimes beyond. Those days have passed; but, to one who knows the real France, a ready-made setting is ever at hand if he would depart a little from the beaten paths worn smooth by railway and automobile tourists who follow only the lines of conventional travel. France, even to-day, the city and the country alike, is the paradise of European monarchs on a holiday.' One may be met at Biarritz on the shores of the Gascon gulf; another may be taking the waters at Aix or Vichy, shooting pigeons under the shadow of the Tete de Chien, or hunting at Rambouillet. This is modern France, the most cosmopolitan meeting place and playground of royalty in the world. French royal parks and palaces, those of the kings and queens of mediaeval, as well as later, times, differ greatly from those of other lands. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.