The Palace of Versailles’ Architectural Nightmare

Feature image: Pierre Patel, Chateau de Versailles, 1668 via Wikipedia

There is a price to pay when upholding the integrity of historic buildings like the Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, and Colosseum—literally and figuratively. It costs roughly $4.4 million to paint the Eiffel Tower, something done every 7 years per Gustave Eiffel’s recommendation. Such upkeep is required to allow future generations to explore and learn about its history and societal impact. 

Before modern upkeep and renovations to withstand the buildings’ antiquities, the original construction of these iconic buildings endured immense architectural and engineering adversities. With the lack of contemporary technology and equipment, these tourist-attracting landmarks were built by hand and typically by the hands of enslaved men. It was a challenge, at the least, to create massive, complex structures to withstand thousands of visitors. Take Sagrada Familia as an example of how complicated the architectural and construction process can be; over a century later, the basilica is still under construction today, though the church estimates completion by 2026, 144 years after its initial construction in 1882.

The Sagrada Familia’s construction longevity is primarily due to financial difficulties, wars, and chief architect Antoni Gaudi’s death in 1926. However, a new level of difficulty arises when there are not just wars and financial struggles to endure. Still, the owner is a lavish-loving, absolute monarch who gets whatever he wants. 

Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, reigned from 1643 to 1715. His reign began at age four—a catastrophic way to begin childhood. This title gave him a new definition of a spoiled child. Although the Sun King did not make governing choices until age 18, he grew up never experiencing refusal or opposition. After the chief minister died in 1661, Louis XIV declared it was time for his rule.

The Sun King immediately began his all-powerful reign with endless demands, one of the first being a new compound for his cabinet. Despite the area being one of the worst spots he could have chosen, Louis proclaimed Versailles as the country’s latest political epicenter. 

What was once a swampy, underdeveloped town became a highly populated city filled with nobles and royals. The King chose Versailles to expand off of Louis’ father’s hunting lodge; sentimental, one might think, but with Louis’ narcissism, this choice was likely an opportunity to show the world what he could do with an impossible scenario. 

Although the lodge was thrice the size of a typical hunters’ retreat, Louis needed more. He demanded only the most admirable materials to flaunt his love for luxury: velvet curtains, gilded ceilings, marble floors, and extravagant chandeliers—all the while, French citizens struggled to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. 

The King’s wishes also included complex fountains throughout the gardens. At this time in France, hydraulics was still a new concept that needed further development. Of course, this did not matter to Louis, for he would simply fire anyone who told him his ideas were impossible and only hire the finest landscape architects.

So, the planning for a brand new palace began with Louis Le Vau, the first of many architects. 

Louis chose the worst location for his ideas but remained determined to execute his dream palace by any means necessary.

Louis Le Vau, the Sun King’s first architect for the palace, is credited with the overall design and expansion we see today. Le Vau took the original hunting lodge and added three large buildings on the sides; this design was known as The Envelope. It was a tumultuous journey with many accidents and deaths among the 40,000 construction workers. After reimagining Le Vau’s original design, his successor, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, designed the palace’s famous Hall of Mirrors, a grandeur room filled with opulence that had never been seen before: golden walls lined with 17 windows, 17 mirrors, and ceilings painted by Charles Le Brun depicting major military victories in Louis XIV’s reign. 

Although the Hall of Mirrors did not impose structural difficulties, its cost is far greater than that of any other room in France. It is difficult to pinpoint a confident number, but estimates say that if the Palace were built today, it would cost around $2 billion, with the Hall of Mirrors taking a large chunk of the cost. In addition to the golden details, mirrors were a luxury at the time of construction, let alone 17 of them and at that scale.

Louis’ exquisite garden and landscape desires caused tribulations that defined Versailles as an architectural nightmare. Because the hunting lodge was located in an undesirable, swampy piece of land, digging into the ground to install mediocre hydraulic technology was nearly impossible, not to mention the intricate marble, gold, and stone carvings for fountains like Apollo’s Fountain.

But to defy the Sun King was a death wish.

So, Andre Le Notre, the King’s second architect and the lead landscape architect, took his role seriously. 

The only way to effectively bring tons of pressurized water to the fountains was manually as the technology for automated fountains was still highly underdeveloped. The gardeners had to devise a signal for when Louis was approaching the gardens and nearing the fountains. The workers would rush to the levers to trigger the water wheels that pulled water from the Seine, giving just enough pressure to please the King. Once he passed, the flow stopped. 

The gardens of Versailles are one of its most notable features; this is exactly what Louis was striving for. He had grand ideas of luscious bushes and tall trees—and he wasn’t going to get anything below his expectations.

Louis’ patience was nonexistent. This posed quite a challenge when he demanded tall, bushy trees in a swampy landmark. So, Le Notre had to go to extreme lengths in order to fulfill the King’s desires. Tree saplings would do no good if they could not grow overnight. So Le Notre had to arrange for fully grown trees to be uprooted and replanted on the Palace grounds. 

Though not an architectural hardship, the cost of construction, furnishing, and maintaining the Palace is one of the biggest nightmares about the building. Even through times of war when the country had little money, and the French were poor and starving, Louis continued to live in luxury with his velvet curtains, gilded ceilings, and plush carpets. In addition to the Hall of Mirrors’s exorbitant price tag, the 60,000-piece art collection, intricately carved marble and wood details throughout, and a room full of rare items to flaunt to his visitors undoubtedly add to the incredulous construction cost.

After nearly 400 years, the Palace still stands, though not without a hefty price. France spends roughly 15 million euros on annual maintenance, including gardening, roofing, heating, restoration projects, and more. 

It’s entertaining to ponder the Sun King’s reaction if he knew of the millions of commoners who walk upon his gilded hallways and lavish grass lawns. Though he occasionally allowed non-noble people to view the Palace’s interior, it’s unlikely the late King would happily welcome the Palace’s 19,000 monthly visitors. Nevertheless, his lavish style gave future generations one of the world's most preposterously exquisite and excruciatingly designed homes.

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