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Versailles ( , ) is a commune in the department of the
Yvelines Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the テ四e-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.テ四e-de-France The テ四e-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...
, known worldwide for the Chテ「teau de Versailles and the
gardens of Versailles The Gardens of Versailles ( ) occupy part of what was once the ''Domaine royal de Versailles'', the royal demesne of the Palace of Versailles, chテ「teau of Versailles. Situated to the west of the Palace of Versailles, palace, the gardens cover so ...
, which is designated an
UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
s. Located in the western suburbs of the French capital, from the centre of Paris, Versailles is a wealthy suburb of
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
with a service-based economy and is a major tourist destination. According to the 2017 census, the population of the city is 85,862, down from a peak of 94,145 in 1975.Population en historique depuis 1968
, INSEE
A
new town New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...
founded by order of King
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonnテゥ; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
, Versailles was the ''de facto'' capital of the
Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...
for over a century, from 1682 to 1789, before becoming the cradle of the French Revolution. After having lost its status as a royal city, it became the ''prテゥfecture'' (regional capital) of the Seine-et-Oise
dテゥpartement In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
in 1790, then of
Yvelines Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the テ四e-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
. Versailles is historically known for numerous treaties such as the Treaty of Paris, which ended the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765窶1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
, and the
Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...
, after World War I. Today, the Congress of France 窶 the name given to the body created when both houses of the
French Parliament The French Parliament (, ) is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of the French Fifth Republic, consisting of the Senate (France), Senate (), and the National Assembly (France), National Assembly (). Each assembly conducts legislative sessi ...
, the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
and the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, gather in the Chテ「teau de Versailles to vote on revisions to the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
.


Name

The argument over the
etymology Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words窶琶ncluding their constituent units of sound and meaning窶蚤cross time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...
of ''Versailles'' tends to privilege the
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word ''versare'', meaning "to keep turning, turn over and over", an expression used in medieval times for ploughed lands, cleared lands (lands that had been repeatedly "turned over"). This word formation is similar to Latin ''seminare'' ("to sow"), which gave French ''semailles'' ("sowings", "sown seeds"). During the Revolution of 1789, city officials had proposed to the convention to rename Versailles ''Berceau-de-la-Libertテゥ'' ("Cradle of Liberty"), but they had to retract their proposal when confronted with the objections of the majority of the population.


A seat of power

From May 1682, when
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonnテゥ; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
moved the court and government permanently to Versailles, until his death in September 1715, Versailles was the unofficial capital of the kingdom of France. For the next seven years, during the '' Rテゥgence'' of Philippe d'
Orlテゥans Orlテゥans (,"Orleans"
(US) and
Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 窶 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...
was the first in Paris, while the Regent governed from his Parisian residence, the
Palais-Royal The Palais-Royal () is a former French royal palace located on Rue Saint-Honorテゥ in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The screened entrance court faces the Place du Palais-Royal, opposite the Louvre Palace, Louvre. Originally called the Palais-Ca ...
. Versailles was again the unofficial capital of France from June 1722, when Louis XV returned to Versailles, until October 1789, when a Parisian mob forced
Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 窶 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729窶1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...
and the royal family to move to Paris. Versailles again became the unofficial capital of France from March 1871, when
Adolphe Thiers Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers ( ; ; 15 April 17973 September 1877) was a French statesman and historian who served as President of France from 1871 to 1873. He was the second elected president and the first of the Third French Republic. Thi ...
' government took refuge in Versailles, fleeing the insurrection of the
Paris Commune The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870窶71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...
, until November 1879, when the newly elected government and parliament returned to Paris. During the various periods when government affairs were conducted from Versailles, Paris remained the official capital of France. Versailles was made the '' prテゥfecture'' of the Seine-et-Oise ''dテゥpartement'' at its inception in March 1790 (at which time Seine-et-Oise had approximately 420,000 inhabitants). By the 1960s, with the growth of the Paris suburbs, the ''Seine-et-Oise'' had reached more than 2 million inhabitants, and was deemed too large and ungovernable, and thus it was split into three ''dテゥpartements'' in January 1968. Versailles was made the ''prテゥfecture'' of the
Yvelines Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the テ四e-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.Tテゥlテゥchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations lテゥgales en 2017
, INSEE
The Hテエtel de Ville has been the meeting place of the town council since 1900. Versailles is the seat of a Roman Catholic
diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
(bishopric) which was created in 1790. The diocese of Versailles is subordinate to the archdiocese of Paris. In 1975, Versailles was made the seat of a
Court of Appeal An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...
whose jurisdiction covers the western suburbs of Paris. Since 1972, Versailles has been the seat of one of France's 30 nationwide ''acadテゥmies'' (districts) of the Ministry of National Education. The ''acadテゥmie de Versailles'', the largest of France's thirty ''acadテゥmies'' by its number of pupils and students, is in charge of supervising all the elementary schools and high schools of the western suburbs of Paris. Versailles is also an important node for the French army, a tradition going back to the monarchy with, for instance, the military camp of Satory and other institutions.


Geography

Versailles is located west-southwest from the centre of Paris. The city sits on an elevated plateau, above sea level (whereas the elevation of the centre of Paris is only above sea level), surrounded by wooded hills: in the north the forests of '' Marly'' and Fausses-Reposes, and in the south the forests of Satory and
Meudon Meudon () is a French Communes of France, commune located in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department in the テ四e-de-France Regions of France, region, on the left bank of the Seine. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of P ...
. The city ( commune) of Versailles has an area of , which is a quarter of the area of the city of Paris. In 1989, Versailles had a population density of , whereas Paris had a density of . Born out of the will of a king, the city has a rational and symmetrical grid of streets. By the standards of the 18th century, Versailles was a very modern European city. Versailles was used as a model for the building of
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, by
Pierre Charles L'Enfant Pierre "Peter" Charles L'Enfant (; August 2, 1754June 14, 1825) was a French-American artist, professor, and military engineer. In 1791, L'Enfant designed the baroque-styled plan for the development of Washington, D.C., after it was designated ...
.


Climate

Versailles has an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Kテカppen climate classification, Kテカppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
(
Kテカppen Kテカppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Kテカppen (1951窶2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Kテカppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Kテカppen (1893窶1939), German author ...
: ''Cfb''). Summer days are usually warm and pleasant with average temperatures between , and a fair amount of sunshine. in the winter, sunshine is scarce; days are cool, and nights are cold but generally above freezing with low temperatures around . Light night frosts are however quite common, but the temperature seldom dips below . Snow falls every year, but rarely stays on the ground. The city sometimes sees light snow or flurries with or without accumulation.


History

The name of Versailles appears for the first time in a medieval document dated 1038. In the feudal system of medieval France, the lords of Versailles came directly under the king of France, with no intermediary overlords between them and the king; yet they were not very important lords. At the end of the 11th century castle and the Saint Julien church. Its farming activity and its location on the road from Paris to
Dreux Dreux () is a Communes of France, commune in the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in northern France. Geography Dreux lies on the small river Blaise (river), Blaise, a tributary of the Eure (river), Eure, about 35 km north of Cha ...
and
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
brought prosperity to the village, culminating at the end of the 13th century, the so-called "century of Saint Louis", famous for the prosperity of northern France and the building of Gothic cathedrals. The 14th century brought the
Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...
and the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337窶1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...
, and with it death and destruction. At the end of the Hundred Years' War in the 15th century, the village started to recover, with a population of only 100 inhabitants. In 1561, Martial de Lomテゥnie, secretary of state for finances under King Charles IX, became lord of Versailles. He obtained permission to establish four annual fairs and a weekly market on Thursdays. The population of Versailles was 500 inhabitants. Martial de Lomテゥnie was murdered during the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre (24 August 1572). In 1575, Albert de Gondi, a man from
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
who had come to France with
Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 窶 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...
, bought the
seigneury A seigneur () or lord is an originally feudal system, feudal title in Ancien Rテゥgime, France before the French Revolution, Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. The seigneur owne ...
of Versailles.


Louis XIII

Henceforth Versailles was the possession of the Gondi family, a family of wealthy and influential parliamentarians at the ''
Parlement Under the French Ancien Rテゥgime, a ''parlement'' () was a provincial appellate court of the Kingdom of France. In 1789, France had 13 ''parlements'', the original and most important of which was the ''Parlement'' of Paris. Though both th ...
'' of Paris. Several times during the 1610s, the de Gondis invited King
Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 窶 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...
to hunt in the large forests around Versailles. In 1622, the king purchased a parcel of forest for his private hunting. In 1624, he acquired more and entrusted Philibert Le Roy with the construction of a small hunting lodge of red bricks and stone with a slate roof. In 1632, the king bought the totality of the land and seigneury of Versailles from Jean-Franテァois de Gondi. The hunting lodge was enlarged to the size of a small chテ「teau between 1632 and 1634. At the death of Louis XIII, in 1643, the village had 1,000 inhabitants. This small chテ「teau was the site of one of the historical events that took place during the reign of Louis XIII, on 10 November 1630, when, on the Day of the Dupes, the party of the queen mother was defeated and Richelieu was confirmed as Prime Minister.


Louis XIV

King
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonnテゥ; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
, son of Louis XIII, was only four years old when his father died. It was 20 years later, in 1661, when Louis XIV commenced his personal reign, that the young king showed interest in Versailles. The idea of leaving Paris, where, as a child, he had experienced first-hand the insurrection of the
Fronde The Fronde () was a series of civil wars in the Kingdom of France between 1648 and 1653, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The government of the young King Louis XIV confronted the combined opposition ...
, had never left him. Louis XIV commissioned his architect Le Vau and his landscape architect Le Nテエtre to transform the castle of his father, as well as the park, in order to accommodate the court. In 1678, after the Treaty of Nijmegen, the king decided that the court and the government would be established permanently in Versailles, which happened on 6 May 1682. At the same time, a new city was emerging from the ground, resulting from an ingenious decree of the king dated 22 May 1671, whereby the king authorized anyone to acquire a lot in the new city for free. There were only two conditions to acquire a lot: 1- a token tax of 5 shillings (''5 sols'') per arpent of land should be paid every year ($0.03 per per year in 2005 US dollars); 2- a house should be built on the lot according to the plans and models established by the ''Surintendant des
Bテ「timents du Roi The Bテ「timents du Roi (, 'King's Buildings') was a division of the Maison du Roi ('King's Household') in France under the Ancien Rテゥgime. It was responsible for building works at the King's residences in and around Paris. History The Bテ「timents ...
'' (architect in chief of the royal demesne). The plans provided for a city built symmetrically with respect to the ''Avenue de Paris'' (which starts from the entrance of the castle). The roofs of the buildings and houses of the new city were not to exceed the level of the Marble Courtyard, at the entrance of the castle (built above a hill dominating the city), so that the perspective from the windows of the castle would not be obstructed. The old village and the Saint Julien church were demolished to make room for buildings housing the administrative services managing the daily life in the castle. On both sides of the ''Avenue de Paris'' were built the Notre-Dame neighbourhood and the Saint-Louis neighbourhood, with new large churches, markets, and aristocratic mansions, all built in a very homogeneous style according to the models established by the ''Surintendant des Bテ「timents du Roi''. Versailles was a vast construction site for many years. Little by little, all those who needed or desired to live close to the centre of power came to Versailles. At the death of the Sun King in 1715, the village of Versailles had turned into a city of approximately 30,000 inhabitants.


Louis XV and Louis XVI

When the court of King
Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 窶 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...
returned to Versailles in 1722, the city had 24,000 inhabitants. With the reign of Louis XV, Versailles grew even further. Versailles was the capital of the most powerful kingdom in Europe, and the whole of Europe admired its new architecture and design trends. Soon enough, the strict building rules decided under Louis XIV were not respected anymore, real estate speculation flourished, and the lots that had been given for free under Louis XIV were now on the market for hefty prices. By 1744, the population reached 37,000 inhabitants. The cityscape changed considerably under kings Louis XV and
Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 窶 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729窶1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...
. Buildings were now taller. King Louis XV built a Ministry of War, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (where the
Treaty of Paris (1783) The Treaty of Paris, signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and representatives of the United States on September 3, 1783, officially ended the American Revolutionary War and recognized ...
ending the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 窶 September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
was signed in 1783 with the United Kingdom), and a Ministry of the Navy. By 1789, the population had reached 60,000 inhabitants, and Versailles was now the seventh or eighth-largest city in France, and one of the largest cities in Europe.


French Revolution

Seat of political power, Versailles naturally became the cradle of the French Revolution. The Estates-General met in Versailles on 5 May 1789. The members of the Third Estate took the
Tennis Court Oath The Tennis Court Oath (, ) was taken on 20 June 1789 by the members of the French Estates General (France), Third Estate in a real tennis court on the initiative of Jean Joseph Mounier. Their vow "not to separate and to reassemble wherever nece ...
on 20 June 1789, and the National Constituent Assembly abolished
feudalism Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...
on 4 August 1789. Eventually, on 5 and 6 October 1789, a crowd of women joined by some members of the national guard from Paris invaded the castle to protest bread prices and forced the royal family to move to Paris. The National Constituent Assembly followed the king to Paris soon afterwards, and Versailles lost its role as the capital city. During this turbulent time, Jean-Franテァois Coste, who had also been the chief physician of the King's Armies, was appointed mayor of Versailles. From then on, Versailles lost a good deal of its inhabitants. From 60,000, the population had declined to 26,974 inhabitants by 1806. The castle, stripped of its furniture and ornaments during the Revolution, was left abandoned, with only
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 窶 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
briefly staying one night there and then leaving the castle for good.
Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 窶 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his throne ...
, who took the throne in the
July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789窶99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...
of 1830, transformed the palace into a National Museum dedicated to "all the glories of France" in 1837. Versailles had become a sleepy town, a place of pilgrimage for those nostalgic for the old monarchy.


19th century to the present day

The
Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
of 1870 put Versailles in the limelight again. On 18 January 1871, the victorious Germans proclaimed the king of
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prナォsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
,
Wilhelm I Wilhelm I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 窶 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 1861 and German Emperor from 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the first head of state of a united Germany. ...
, emperor of
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in the very
Hall of Mirrors The Hall of Mirrors () is a grand Baroque architecture, Baroque style gallery and one of the most emblematic rooms in the royal Palace of Versailles near Paris, France. The grandiose ensemble of the hall and its adjoining salons was intended to ...
of the castle, in an attempt to take revenge for the conquests of Louis XIV two centuries earlier. Then in March of the same year, following the insurrection of the
Paris Commune The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870窶71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...
, the
French Third Republic The French Third Republic (, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940, after the Fall of France durin ...
government under Thiers relocated to Versailles, and from there directed the military suppression of the insurrection. Restoration of a monarchy almost occurred in 1873, with parliament offering the crown to
Henri, comte de Chambord Henri, Count of Chambord and Duke of Bordeaux (; 29 September 1820 窶 24 August 1883), was the Legitimist pretender to the throne of France as Henri V from 1844 until his death in 1883. Henri was the only son of Charles Ferdinand, Duke of ...
, but his refusal to accept the tricolour flag that had been adopted during the Revolution made the restoration of the monarchy impossible for the time being. Versailles became again the political centre of France, full of buzz and rumours, with its population briefly peaking at 61,686 in 1872, matching the record level of population reached on the eve of the French Revolution 83 years earlier. Eventually, however, left-wing republicans won a string of parliamentary elections, defeating the parties supporting a restoration of the monarchy, and the new majority decided to relocate the government to Paris in November 1879. Versailles then experienced a new population setback (48,324 inhabitants at the 1881 census). After that, Versailles never again functioned as the seat of the capital of France, but the presence of the
French Parliament The French Parliament (, ) is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of the French Fifth Republic, consisting of the Senate (France), Senate (), and the National Assembly (France), National Assembly (). Each assembly conducts legislative sessi ...
there in the 1870s left a vast hall, built in one aisle of the palace, which the French Parliament uses when it meets in
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
to amend the French Constitution, as well as when the
President of France The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is the supreme magistracy of the country, the po ...
addresses the two chambers of the French Parliament. Only in 1911 did Versailles definitely recover its level of population of 1789, with 60,458 inhabitants at the 1911 census. In 1919, at the end of the First World War, Versailles came into the limelight again as the various treaties ending the war were signed in the castle proper and in the Grand Trianon. After 1919, as the suburbs of Paris continued to expand, Versailles was absorbed by the urban area of Paris, and the city experienced a strong demographic and economic growth, turning it into a large suburban city of the metropolitan area of Paris. The role of Versailles as an administrative and judicial centre has been reinforced in the 1960s and 1970s, and somehow Versailles has become the main centre of the western suburbs of Paris. In the present times, the centre of the town has kept its very bourgeois atmosphere, while more middle-class neighbourhoods have developed around the train stations and on the outskirts of the city. Versailles is a chic suburb of Paris, well linked to the centre of Paris by several train lines. However, the city is extremely compartmentalized, divided by large avenues inherited from the monarchy, which create the impression of several small cities ignoring each other. Versailles was never an industrial city, even though there are a few chemical and food-processing plants. Essentially, Versailles is a place of services, such as public administration, tourism,
business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...
, congresses, and festivals. From 1951 until France's withdrawal from the NATO unified command in 1966, nearby Rocquencourt functioned as the site for
SHAPE A shape is a graphics, graphical representation of an object's form or its external boundary, outline, or external Surface (mathematics), surface. It is distinct from other object properties, such as color, Surface texture, texture, or material ...
. Versailles is an important military centre, with several units and training schools headquartered at the Satory military base, which hosted the headquarters of the famed 2nd French Armored Division until 1999, and where a military exhibition is organized annually.


Culture

Versailles' primary cultural attraction is the
Palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palト》ium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...
, with its ornately decorated rooms and historic significance. The Potager du roi is a kitchen garden created under Louis XIV to supply fruits and vegetables to the Court. It is officially recognized as a Remarkable Garden of France. The town also has other points of cultural notability; in recent times, its position as an affluent suburb of Paris has meant that it forms a part of the Paris artistic scene, and musical groups such as Phoenix,
Air An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...
, Fuzati, and
Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining house music, funk, disco, tech ...
have some link to the city, as does the director
Michel Gondry Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker and producer noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scティne. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one o ...
.


Sport

Football Club de Versailles 78 is a semi-professional
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
club founded in 1989. Their home stadium is the Stade de Montbauron, which has a capacity of 6,208 people.


Population


Immigration


Education

The headquarters of the
Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (, ; UVSQ), also known as Paris-Saclay University (), is a French public university created in 1991, located in the Departments of France, department of Yvelines and, since 2002, in Hauts-de-Sein ...
is located in the city, as well as the ISIPCA, a post-graduate school in perfume, cosmetics products, and food flavour formulation.


Transport

Versailles is served by Versailles-Chantiers station, which is an interchange station on Paris
RER line C RER C is one of the five lines in the Rテゥseau Express Rテゥgional (English: Regional Express Network), a hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system serving Paris and its suburbs. The line crosses the region from north to south. Briefly, betwee ...
, on the
Transilien La Dテゥfense Transilien Line U, also known as "La Dテゥfense - La Verriティre" or more often simply "ligne U", is a tangential commuter train link, which serves the western Paris region from La Dテゥfense. It links the Paris's business district of La Dテゥfense to ...
suburban rail line, on the Transilien Paris-Montparnasse suburban rail line, and on several national rail lines, including low-frequency TGV service. Versailles is served by two other stations on Paris RER line C: Versailles-Chテ「teau窶迭ive Gauche (the closest station to the
Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of テ四e-de-France, テ四e-de-France region in Franc ...
and consequently the station most frequently used by tourists) and Porchefontaine. Versailles is also served by two stations on the
Transilien Paris-Saint-Lazare Transilien Paris-Saint-Lazare is one of the sectors in the Paris Transilien suburban rail network. The trains on this sector depart from Gare Saint-Lazare in central Paris and serve the north and north-west of テ四e-de-France region with Transilien ...
suburban rail line: and .


Twin towns 窶 sister cities

Versailles is twinned with: *
Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...
, Tunisia *
Gyeongju Gyeongju (, ), historically known as Seorabeol (, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of ...
, South Korea *
Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
, Japan *
Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...
, Germany *
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
, Taiwan


Notable people

*
Philip V of Spain Philip V (; 19 December 1683 窶 9 July 1746) was List of Spanish monarchs, King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724 and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign (45 years and 16 days) is the longest in the ...
(1683窶1746), King of Spain *
Charles-Michel de l'テ英テゥe Charles-Michel de l'テ英テゥe (; 24 November 1712 窶 23 December 1789) was an 18th-century French philanthropic educator who has become known as the "Father of the Deaf". He founded Institut National de Jeunes Sourds de Paris, the first public sch ...
(1712窶1789), philanthropic educator * Louis-Augustin Richer (1740窶1819), singer and composer * Louis-Alexandre Berthier (1753窶1815),
Marshal of the Empire Marshal of the Empire () was a civil dignity during the First French Empire. It was established by on 18 May 1804 and to a large extent reinstated the formerly abolished title of Marshal of France. According to the ''Sテゥnatus-consulte'', a Mar ...
* Lazare Hoche (1768窶1797), general * Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry (1778窶1820), prince of France * Georges Pfeiffer (1835窶1908), composer and pianist * Lテゥonie Yahne (1867窶1950), actress * James Hazen Hyde (1876窶1959), American businessman, bibliophile, and patron of the arts * Pierre Vaillandet (1888窶1971), politician * Yves Brayer (1907窶1990), painter * Hテゥlティne Boucher (1908窶1934), pilot * Albert Malbois (1915窶2017), Roman Catholic bishop *
Jean-Franテァois Lyotard Jean-Franテァois Lyotard (; ; 10 August 1924 窶 21 April 1998) was a French philosopher, sociologist, and literary theorist. His interdisciplinary discourse spans such topics as epistemology and communication, the human body, modern art and p ...
(1924窶1998), philosopher * Stテゥphane Audran (1932窶2018), actress * Jean-Raymond Abrial (1938窶2025), computer scientist * Joテォlle Mテゥlin (born 1950), politician *
Boris Williams Boris Peter Bransby Williams (born 24 April 1951) is an English musician, best known as the drummer for The Cure from 1984 until 1994, and for forming the band Babacar (band), Babacar in the late 1990s. Biography Williams was born in 1951 (som ...
(born 1957), musician * Marine Jahan (born 1959), dancer * Bruno Podalydティs (born 1961), writer, director, and actor *
Michel Gondry Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker and producer noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scティne. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one o ...
(born 1963), film and music video director * Stテゥphane Franke (1964窶2011), Franco-German athlete * Jean-Benoテョt Dunckel (born 1965), musician * Grテゥgoire de Galzain (born 1971), racing driver * Mabrouk El Mechri (born 1976), director, screenwriter, and actor *
Thomas Mars Thomas Pablo Croquet (born 21 November 1976), known professionally as Thomas Mars, is a French musician and the lead singer of the French indie pop band Phoenix. Early life Thomas Pablo Croquet was born on 21 November 1976 in Versailles, Fran ...
(born 1977), rock musician * Mory Correa (born 1979), basketball player * Arabelle Raphael (born 1989), pornographic film actress and artist * Hoshi (born 1996), singer and songwriter * Neal Maupay (born 1996), footballer


See also

* テ液ablissement public du chテ「teau, du musテゥe et du domaine national de Versailles * Potager du roi, Versailles


References


External links


Official website

Wikimapia satellite view

City council website

Satellite Image of Versailles

Palace of Versailles photos
{{Authority control Communes of Yvelines Cities in テ四e-de-France Prefectures in France