Where did the word Versailles come from?
Etymology 1 Borrowed from French Versailles, of uncertain Latin origin (see French entry below), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wértti (“to be turning around”).
What did Versailles originally began as?
The original residence was primarily a hunting lodge and private retreat for Louis XIII (reigned 1610–43) and his family. In 1624 the king entrusted Jacques Lemercier with the construction of a château on the site. Its walls are preserved today as the exterior facade overlooking the Marble Court.
What is Versailles a symbol of?
absolutism Coming to the throne at a tender age, tutored by Cardinal Mazarin, the Sun King embodied the principles of absolutism. In 1682 he moved the royal Court to the Palace of Versailles, the defining symbol of his power and influence in Europe.
What is Versailles in French Revolution?
The Palace of Versailles found itself at the very heart of the revolution. Built to act as the official residence of the French monarchy during the reign of Louis XIV, the Palace still held this status under Louis XVI. The collections of the Palace of Versailles bear witness to this defining period in French history.
What is the name Versailles mean?
Versailles Origin and Meaning This French place name, which may derive from a word meaning "plowed land", is occasionally used for girls. It is best-known for two things: the grand Palace of Versailles, the historic seat of the French royal family; and the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War.
What is the meaning of Versailles in French?
Name. The argument over the etymology of Versailles tends to privilege the Latin word versare, meaning "to keep turning, turn over and over", an expression used in medieval times for plowed lands, cleared lands (lands that had been repeatedly "turned over").
Why is Versailles so important?
The Palace of Versailles was important because, for the members of the third estate, it represented the excesses and failure of the king and queen as the French Revolution began. The Palace of Versailles was originally built by Louis XIII in 1623, as a hunting lodge.
What did Versailles smell like?
Built on swampland, Versailles was described by a visitor in 1764 as an odiferous cesspool of dead cats, urine, excrement, slaughtered pigs, standing water, and mosquitoes. Inside the palace, things smelled different. Many royals in Louis XIV's day eschewed hot water baths, believing them bad for the health.
Why is Versailles famous?
The Palace of Versailles is an opulent complex and former royal residence outside of Paris. It has held sway in the public imagination for years because of its architectural grandeur and political history.
Why were babies not allowed in Versailles?
It was feared – and with good reason considering the times – that a girl might be exchanged for a boy or even a boy might be exchanged if he was born severely disabled. It was all about securing the legacy, in royal cases even the throne.
What was Versailles used for?
From 1682 it became the main residence of the French Court and government. Louis XIV moved not only the aristocracy to Versailles, but also the main body of administration.
How do you pronounce Versailles in France?
Versailles, KY (ver-SAYLES) You know the palace in France that's spelled the exact same way? Yeah, you don't say this horse-country hamlet's name like that.
How do you pronounce Versaille?
0:381:03How To Say Versailles – YouTubeYouTube
Why is Versailles called Versailles?
The argument over the etymology of Versailles tends to privilege the Latin word versare, meaning "to keep turning, turn over and over", an expression used in medieval times for plowed lands, cleared lands (lands that had been repeatedly "turned over").
Did Marie Antoinette live in Versailles?
Upon her arrival in Versailles, Marie Antoinette lived in the Queen's State Apartment and was bound by the official rituals of her royal position: the waking-up ceremony, the elaborate preparations, royal audiences, public meals, etc.
How did Royalty poop?
In the 1500s, the King of England's toilet was luxurious: a velvet-cushioned, portable seat called a close-stool, below which sat a pewter chamber pot enclosed in a wooden box. Even the king had one duty that needed attending to every day, of course, but you can bet he wasn't going to do it on his own.
Which French King did not bathe?
King Louis XIV King Louis XIV (1638-1715) was terrified of bathing; he's said to have taken only three baths in his life. That fear was shared by the noblility in the 17th Century – it ws thought that was thought that water spread disease (so the less you bathed, the less vulnerable you were).
Where did they poop in Versailles?
Anthony Spaworth's Versailles: A Biography of a Palace informs us, “In the eighteenth century there were public latrines placed in the corridors and stairwells of the palace (of Versailles), the Grand Commons, and the other annexes: these latrines consisted of a room with a wooden seat, or lunette, closed by a cover in …
Which French queen had a black child?
Sister Louise Marie-Thérèse, the Black Nun of Moret, was a French Benedictine nun who history remembers for a very scandalous reason: many believe she was the illegitimate daughter of Queen Maria Theresa of France and her African servant, a dwarf named Nabo.
Why is Versailles pronounced differently?
Specifically, I wish to know why the "lles" in Versailles (vər-ˈsī) is not pronounced in American English. If you listen to a French person pronounce it then you'll hear them end the word with "yeh" (ver – sigh – yeh), and this is because of the ll which is pronounced like an English y.
Is it pronounced Versailles or Versailles?
Versailles, KY (ver-SAYLES)
How is Versailles pronounced in Kentucky?
Versailles, KY (ver-SAYLES)
How do you say Versailles in Spanish?
vɛrˈsaɪ, vər-Ver·sailles.
Which French city is Versailles?
Versailles, town and capital of Yvelines département, Île-de-France région, north-central France, 14 miles (22 km) southwest of Paris.
What was Marie Antoinette’s last words?
Found guilty, she was condemned to death and was guillotined on 16 October 1793. Her last words, after accidentally stepping on the foot of her executioner, were "Pardon, monsieur. I did not do it on purpose" (Fraser, 440). The legacy of Marie Antoinette is of a tragic figure, a victim of her time and circumstance.
What happened to Marie Antoinette’s head?
Lamballe refused to take an oath against the monarchy, and on September 3, 1792, she was delivered to the hands of a Parisian mob; they cut off her head and paraded it on a pike outside Marie-Antoinette's windows.
Which king did not bathe?
Louis XIV Marie-Antoinette bathed once a month. The 17th century British King James I was said to never bathe, causing the rooms he frequented to be filled with lice. It was the Sun King himself, Louis XIV, whose choice to no longer travel from court to court would lead to a particularly putrid living situation.
Who was the smelliest king?
Louis XIV Louis XIV was the Smelliest King of All Time.
Why is the baby black in Versailles?
Montpensier says that Philippe, Louis' younger brother, told her that the baby was born with a very dark, almost violet complexion. If true, the cause of the baby's coloration was probably a lack of oxygen.
How do Americans pronounce Versailles?
This article from Crain's Chicago Business reports that U.S. Midwesterners typically pronounce the name of the town Versailles, Indiana, "ver-SALES." I think the standard British pronunciation is much the same as the American, but without the "r". Oxford shows it as /vɛːˈsʌɪ/.