At the end of the 17th century, the King of France, Louis XIV, wanted somewhere to live that reflected his emblem: the sun!

So, he had the hunting lodge of his father, Louis XIII, transformed into a castle. It was 30 km from Paris, in Versailles.

From 1682 to 1715, Louis XIV lived there surrounded by his court and his government.

But what was so special about this castle?

It is spectacular! Louis XIV thought big: majestic buildings and 8000 ha of parkland, 10 times bigger than it is today!