Versailles: From Louis XIV to Jeff Koons

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Formerly editor in chief of Le Point newspaper, Catherine Pégard was appointed adviser to President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007. Since 2011 she has been president of the Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum and National Estate of Versailles. Pégard was awarded Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 2012.

With a doctorate from the Sorbonne, Mathieu da Vinha is the author of numerous articles and books and a regular participant in interviews and broadcasts on the subject of Versailles. Specializing in matters of the court of France and the daily functioning of the Palace of Versailles under the Ancien Régime, he has published Le Versailles de Louis XIV (2009); Versailles pour les Nuls, co-written with Raphaël Masson (2011); Versailles: Histoire, dictionnaire et anthologie (co-director, 2015); Au service du roi: Dans les coulisses de Versailles (2015); Dans la Garde-robe de Marie-Antoinette (2018); and Vivre à la cour de Versailles en 100 questions (2018).

Welcome to the most storied palace in the world, the glittering Château de Versailles. Recounting the most important historical, social, and cultural milestones of Versailles, beginning with the original proposal for a modest hunting lodge requested by Louis XIII in 1623, this volume encompasses the expansive property, from the palace and gardens to the Grand Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet.

From the first great constructions under Louis XIV, to its reimagining by Louis-Philippe in 1837 as a museum dedicated to all the glories of France, Versailles has truly seen many momentous occasions, including diplomatic summits, scientific advancements, and renowned visitors over the centuries, from Mozart, Benjamin Franklin and Queen Victoria to Fred Astaire and the Kennedys, not to mention exhibitions of today’s great artists, beginning with Jeff Koons in 2008.

Lavishly illustrated with archival images and beautiful photography, Versailles: From Louis XIV to Jeff Koons features insightful texts by Catherine Pégard, president of the Château de Versailles, with the collaboration of Mathieu da Vinha, scientific director of the Château de Versailles Research Center, revealing all the stories that have unfolded within this glorious monument.

• 234 pages
• 200 illustrations
• English language
• Released in November 2020
• W 15.75 x L 18.75 x D 3.15 in
• Handcrafted volume in a luxury silk clamshell case with metal plaque
• ISBN: 9781614289623
• 21.0 lb