The Sun King Rides into the Sunset

Louis XIV. I wonder what it is about me and the aristocracy of Europe. You would think, with my politics, I would have more cynicism than I do. Instead, I tend to  romanticize the whole deal. Today at Versailles, I indulged in my love of grandeur, something I apparently share with the French. Our guide was the same French woman, Kathrine is her name, that spoke to us at Notre Dame. She's been a palace guide for over twenty years. She was clever and efficient, not only giving us a lot of historical information, but providing a lot of attitude as well.

I found it intriguing to "get" the implications inherent in her words and energy. When she spoke of Saint Denis at Notre Dame, she exuded respect and awe even. When it came to the wealth and opulence of Versailles, she lacked a certain reverence. Clearly she loves the beauty of the place; it's hard not to. But when she spoke of The Revolution, she pointed to Versailles as the reason. The people of France were starving, she said, while its ruling elite drowned in the excesses of grotesque wealth.

The view of so much gold is staggering, as is the fact that the King was never alone. Never. They applauded when he moved his bowels. I asked her if she thought Louis XIV had any desire to be alone. She shrugged. He was The King, after all, when he wanted something, didn't he get it? On the other hand, certain conventions were expected of him and apparently he attempted to test the boundaries of his circumstances, hoping to outrage someone somewhere even though he was the King. It seems to a certain extent he was trapped in a role that provided little freedom in spite of its power.

Three of the King's chambers and three of the Queen's are open now. We saw the room Marie Antoinette was in when the angry crowds came for her, saw the route they took through the room where her "security" was overwhelmed. I had a moment of feeling her disbelief and confusion. Louise XVI was King when the Revolution broke out. Two generations earlier, Louis XIV just plain got away with it all. He experienced royalty at the height of its power. There are statues of him dressed in Roman garb, the fascination with Roman power and prestige preceded Napoleon.

Much of the vast and extensive collection of art that defines Europe, came from the royalty—this is one of things Kathrine explained. The royals were collectors, patrons and appreciators of art in all of its many expressions. They valued grandeur and beauty in everything, including the arts. They rewarded beauty. They basked in elegance. They rewarded intelligence and wit. Both l'Académie Française and the playwright Molière thrived under Louis XIV's patronage. Versailles set a standard, she said, that every other European center sought to follow.

The Hall of Mirrors is an extremely long promenade that anyone coming for an audience with the king walked in their approach. It was designed, Kathrine told us, to make the person, whatever his or her rank, feel small. It was quite the experience, I must say, to saunter along the Hall of Mirrors, imagining myself dressed in one of those huge gowns that took up three of four feet in all directions.

The history helps me understand France, I think. I don't believe I've ever been through anything quite like Versailles, except in Saint Petersburg where I saw the Summer Palace of the Czars. There too, the gold was staggering.

Just to put everything into perspective: Versailles is a tourist attraction. We were there on a Friday morning in October, right at the end of tourist season. Many things shift at the end of September because the tourist population drops significantly. I would hate to have been in Versailles during the summer, during the height of tourist season. It was overwhelming enough to share the space with so many people and so many tours in so many different languages. The guides are well-trained and interact with one another with the utmost respect, really, but the number of people moving through the space was stifling.