Magazine N°23 - Château de Versailles

9,90 €

The Palace of Versailles, from the Ancien Régime to the present day

Dossier: Games, music and courtyard walks

Time to relax

Outside of cumbersome etiquette and a daily life under constant scrutiny, life at the Palace of Versailles had some moments when relaxation was permitted, or virtually institutionalised. Games, concerts and walks were some of the few recreational pursuits where differences between the various figures at the court seemed to be put to one side for a moment.
However, this apparent freedom was only relative: at the game table in particular only the richest participants indulged in placing large bets, which therefore served to make their status clear to all the spectators present.

(David Chanteranne, editor-in-chief of the Palace of Versailles. From the Ancien Régime to the present day)

Summary:

On the cover
The passion for games at the court
The king’s trumpets and timpanists
Sledding parties
Versailles and me
Francis Kurkdjian ‘Bringing Madame de Pompadour’s perfumes back to life’
Secrets
A new Royal Chapel at the Palace
Event
From one Dauphin to the next
Death at Meudon (1711-1789}
Report
Watchmakers, keepers of knowledge
Portfolio
Illustrious portraits from the Palace of Versailles to Angers
Key figures
Mesdames de France, a portrait of the daughters of Louis XV
Objects
The easel of the historic galleries
20th century
Pétain and Versailles, frustrated ambition
Heritage
When the Prime Minister decrees refurbishment