American Reacts Versailles, France: Ultimate Royal Palace - Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide

yeah I'll react to that sure can't believe I haven't watched this uh Rick Steve's video yet Vera one of you asked in a I watched a palace Kensington Palace a few days ago yesterday two days ago losing track of time um and I thought that was a great idea and Rick Steves Europe perfect preemptive like original link top of the description my name's Connor if you're new let's go guys vers Versailles is the palace other palaces were modeled after the one many tried to outdo but none succeeded this ultimate Royal Palace is all about this

man the ultimate Divine Monarch Louis the 14th he spent about half of France's entire annual GMP to turn his dad's hunting lodge into a palace suitable for Europe's King of Kings The Chateau started small just the middle stretch of this Grand facade that was the when did the period end where the Kings if you were a king like you could do whatever you wanted like there there's no when did that end French Revolution was it um but there's such a difference between modern day and even Kings a 100 years ago and kings and this time

that just seems like they they could spend half the money's GMP GDP whatever and just no one could do anything about Lodge where little Lou spent his happiest Boyhood and facade that was the hunting lodge where little Louis spent his happiest Boyhood years once King massive expansion began while today's crowds are tourists 300 years ago this Courtyard was a very different scene the palace hosted Nobles thousands of nobles each with an Entourage they'd Buzz around from games to parties to ous Rendevous in their sedan chair taxis imagine servants scurrying about delivering secret messages and roast

legs of lamb and it's crowded to this day smart Travelers avoid weekends come late in the day and use a museum pass to skip the ticket line the Palace of versailes was the residence of the king and the seat of France's government for a 100 years it's a long series of lavish rooms each with its own theme and with every inch sumptuously decorated in the late 1600s Louis the 14th showing here with his capable hand literally on the rder of state was guys would they the paint regard this are amazing would the paintings be done

on the ground so you could do it easier and then kind of hoist it up and or were they done just on stilts and ladders and Scaffolding and then you just sort of like lay down look at all of the detail the 14th Shen here with his capable hand literally on the rudder of state was creating the first modern centralized government and in order to personally control as much as possible he gathered everything here United under a strong King with the continent's biggest population a booming economy and a powerful military France under Louie was Europe's

superpower around the year 1700 Versa was the cultural heartbeat of Europe and French culture was at its Zenith throughout Europe when you said the king you were referring to the French King Louis the 14th French was the lingua franka France was in Vogue You Name It clothes hairstyles Music Theater table manners French taste spread across the continent do you think that during the his Reign was this France had its most powerful in history or was it more power powerful in the Napoleonic era maybe I mean on the battlefield probably in the Napoleonic era but just

in terms of your peace power you know Louie was a true Renaissance Man a century after the Renaissance an accomplished musician dancer Horseman Statesman art Lover Lover he called himself the Sun King because he gave life and warmth to all he touched he was symbolized by Apollo the Greek god of the sun Versa was designed to be the personal Temple of this God on Earth decorated with statues and symbols of Apollo of the son and of Louie himself the classical themes throughout the palace underlined the divine right of France's kings and queens to rule without

limit here Louis is Shan with his entire royal family all depicted as Gods on Earth ordained to rule without question Versailles celebrated man rather than God by elevating Louis the 14th to almost Godlike status Louie was a Hands-On King he ruled for about 70 years and was the perfect embodiment of the absolute monarch Lou summed it up best himself with his famous rhyme let seoa the state that's me pleasure ruled at Versailles the main suppers balls and receptions were held in this room the ceiling is like a sunroof opening up to heaven filled with action

parallel to the action right here in Louis's Court the style is pure Baroque which lends itself to propaganda art a riot of exuberant figures the Venus room is a reminder that love ruled at Versailles here couples would cavort blessed from above by the goddess of love how long did it take I want to know I'm so impressed by the look of everything and the detail that I want to know how it was constructed room by room okay like some of it was painted up there and a lot of this work was done on the ground

elsewhere and all just placed there and it just seems like every square foot of every piece of this building looks like it would have taken hours or days to do as if to encourage the fun Venus sends down a canopy of garlands to ens snare Mortals in delicious Amore Party Time Louie invited the nobility to versailes to control or domesticate them the domesticated aristocracy lived lives of almost enforced idleness games were part of Lou's political strategy by distracting his nobles with bilard gambling and dancing Louis was free to run the country the good life was

addictive and under Louie the Blue Bloods were hooked how old this Lou's ceremonial bedroom his daily life was a series of symbolic rituals for example while he'd actually sleep elsewhere right here the Sun King would rise and set with the sun each day once Mighty now domesticated dukes and Barons actually competed to see who would hold the candle while Lou slipped into his Royal jammies bedtime wake up meals it was all public ritual the Roy so that wasn't a bed that's not a bed see it was all public ritual the Royal bedroom faced the Rising

Sun it was the center of the palace and the center of France when you understand the themes of the palace's many rooms a stroll through versailes is a stroll through French history the War Room reminds us that Louie had Europe's Le leading Army and his Reign came with lots of expensive Wars Louie ruled from 1643 to 1715 by the end he was tired of fighting here in the peace room peace is granted to Germany Holland and Spain as Cupids play with discarded weapons and swords are pounded into violins Louie bestows an olive branch on is

that a lion pounded into violins Louie bestows an olive branch on Europe as his Queen cradles their baby twin [Music] daughters at the end of his long Reign Louie having exhausted France with his many wars gave this advice to his great-grandson the next Louie YouTube is super strict about any nudity and you'd think you'd be safe with like uh like artwork right in museum work nope I've gotten a strike or no a video taken down I I did I get a strike just because of like a tasp tapestry of like a woman a you know

breasted woman you know no and you'd think that fine nope nope YouTube doesn't play around ad the next Louie be a peaceful King the Hall of Mirrors was the highlight of the palace no one had ever seen anything like it mirors were a great luxury at the time and this long Hall was astounding imagine this place lit by the Flames of thousands of candles filled with elegant guests in fine silks wigs and fake moles as they danced to the orchestra under gilded candelabra and amid busts of Roman emperors servants would Glide by with silver trays

of ordures and from the palace guests would gaze asra at Louis amazing [Music] Gardens I want to see the outside all right it's a great video as always from Rick Steve's Europe that was freaking beautiful love you all hope you're all doing well uh I would love to visit that area would appreciate any answers to any of the questions I had about the construction or painting or anything at all any comments at all from you guys love to see it and uh I'll see you next video bye guys