Palace of Versailles

I. Connaissance  ("Knowledge")  - Located in Versailles, France -The main architect was Louis Le Vau; Charles Le Brun was the painter and decorator, and Andre Le Notre as the landscape architect -Construction began in 1682 when King Louis the XIV moved the French government to Versaille, and it lasted for nearly a century intended for royal residents. There were two major expansions of the mansion, 1661–78 and 1678–1715 (Hall of Mirrors) respectively. II. Importance of the Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles was built for Louis the XIV and his family. With overwhelming wealth, the royal mansion could accommodate up to 5,000 people, and about 14,000 soldiers and servants were quartered in annexes and in the nearby town. In today's money, it is estimated to be about $2 billion USD, making it one of the world's most expensive constructions and the world's largest royal domai n. A. Global influence: Versailles became the “model” f