The Hall of Mirrors at the Chateau de Versailles (78 Yvelines, Ile de France), the centrepiece of Louis XIV's magnificent edifice has been re-opened after an 18-month makeover.
The huge "Galerie des Glaces", opened in 1684 and is where the 1919 Treaty of Versailles ending World War I was signed. Admirers of the hall, the seat of the Sun King's court, have been awed by the re-emergence of the bright blue lapis lazuli that Charles le Brun, Louis's painter, used to decorate the vaulted ceiling. "The heart and the emblem of Versailles has recovered its splendour," says Christine Albanel, the chateau's director.
In 2006 there will also be a whole series of spectacular "spectacles" including displays of the water fountains "Grandes Eaux Musicales", Night Festivals with fireworks "Les Fetes de Nuits" and Concerts - as if there was not enough reason to visit anyway!
For more on the Chateau de Versailles see www.chateauversailles.fr/
For more on French Wine, Food & Travel see www.frenchduck.co.uk
Keywords: France,Paris,Versailles,Hall of Mirrors,Yvelines
