The Palace
The Palace of Versailles is the central part of a complex that housed the French government, most notably its royalty, during the reigns of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. After the French Revolution in 1789, it ceased to be a permanent royal residence. Located about 10 miles southwest of Paris, it is beside the settlement of Versailles. Before the construction of the palace by Louis XIV, this settlement was little more than a house but by the time of the revolution it had a population of more than 60,000 people, making it one of the largest urban centers in France. The Versailles complex included the palace, gardens, a walled-in royal hunting ground, a smaller palatial structure known as the Grand Trianon and an estate used by Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI’s queen. 35,000 people were needed to construct the palace and it took over 30 years to make it as well.