A Day at Versailles

The world's most iconic chateau has welcomed tourists the world over, yet this handsome slipcased volume offers up the charm of a thousand and one hidden places in the chateau, its gardens, and pavilions. All were designed to surprise and delight the eye and all the senses at every turn, their exquisite decoration forming an integral part of the elite lifestyle of the eighteenth-century. This comprehensive volume captures the exquisite setting and inimitable ambiance of Versailles and its gardens, from its intimate private spaces usually closed to the general public to the charming Petit Trianon and dairy farm created for the pure pleasure of Marie-Antoinette. Concise, informative, and evocative texts describe the practical, social, and aesthetic considerations that informed the creation of the home to three kings, while newly commissioned photography features the chateau's architecture, gardens, paintings, drawings, and decorative arts that bring to life the beauty and the daily routines of this golden age of French culture. This jewel of a volume is a rich homage to Versailles and the perfect souvenir for visitors and armchair travelers alike who, while turning these pages, will embark on a private tour of the lavish chateau and grounds.