architecture

Monday, November 23, 2009

Marie Antoinette at Versailles

One of the most popular rooms at Versailles is the queen's bedroom, most famous for its' last queenly occupent, Marie Antoinette. Her bust is seen on the mantlepiece.Meant to impress, the room is also very personal and displays her love of everything floral.
The beautiful tapestried walls hide a jib or hidden door that leads to her private boudoir.The room faces the gardens, as do most rooms in the palace, and the shutters feature exquisite gilding.The palace is designed in enfilade style and there is a series of rooms devoted to her, all elegant (as seen below) but none as pretty as her bedroom.It was here where the angry mob descended looking to rape and kill her (The women's march on Versailles) and finding her missing, due to her quick escape to the King's bedroom, destroyed the room instead. Marie and Louis of course left Versailles after that to live out the revolution in Paris at the mob's demand and Marie never used her bedroom at Versailles again.

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