In 2008, the Palace of Versailles' golden gate was replaced. During the French Revolution, the ordinary people smashed these gates. Private contributors provided 5 million euros to make replicas of the 80-metre steel gate covered with 100,000 gold leaves (8 million dollars). These new gates were opened in 2004 by Queen Elizabeth II.
The original gate was made out of oak and weighed about 70 tons. The new one is made of stainless steel and weighs about 22 tons.
They say that one must not judge a book by its cover, but rather by its content inside. This saying also applies for gates: they should not be judged by their appearance but by what's behind them.
The truth is that we can't know for sure if the Versailles Gate is really made out of gold because no one except the owners of the palace (the French government) are allowed in.
However, one thing is for sure: it's very expensive!
Here's how to get to Versailles' gilded gates. The Chateau of Versailles is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in French history, aristocracy, and power. While it's not far from Paris, getting there takes a 40-minute train trip. The best way to see all there is to see is with a guide; consider hiring one at DiscoverVersailles.com.
The chateau was built between 1662 and 1721 for Louis XIV and later expanded by Louis XV. Today, it is home to the Royal Family when they're in town. Thousands of visitors walk through its doors each year, so expect to wait in line even if it's just to see the inside of a room.
You can take a tour inside the chateau or visit on your own. Either way, you'll need to buy a ticket. There are two types: those for adults (18 years old and up) and those for children (under 12). Adult tickets cost €22.80 ($26.50) and include entry into the chateau's museums but not into its gardens. Children's tickets are €12.60 ($14.70).
There are several ways to get around Versailles. The easiest is with the bus service, which operates from about 30 minutes before opening until half an hour after closing.
Land at Versailles costs roughly $5,000 (PS4k) per square meter, hence the worth of the palace's land alone is $40.7 billion (PS30.99bn). The building and its furnishings are anticipated to be worth another $10 billion (PS7.6 billion), bringing the total value of Versailles to $50.7 billion (PS39bn).
The price of real estate has increased by more than 20 times since Louis XIV decided to sell off parts of his kingdom and bought Versailles as its capital. Even after including the cost of construction, this amount is more than any other country's entire economy.
In fact, the only country that comes close is France itself, which estimated that the total cost of constructing and furnishing Versailles was around $57 million (PS42.3m) in 1682. This makes it even more evident that money can't buy happiness.
Of course, this number includes people who want to live in a fancy house. If we were to estimate that each square meter costs $100,000, then the total value of the mansion market would increase dramatically to $700 billion (PS490bn).
This doesn't take into account future increases in property prices or anything like that. It's just an estimation of what people think the house values are now.
The Palace of Versailles has been a World Heritage Site for 30 years and is regarded as one of the most significant achievements in French 17th-century art. The palace now has 2,300 rooms distributed on 63,154 m2. The French Revolution led Louis XVI to flee Versailles for Paris in 1789. The former royal residence was then occupied by the National Assembly and later by the French Committee of Public Safety. In 1793, the last king of France, Louis XVII, was found hidden in a room here. He had been living under guard since his father's execution in 1791.
After the death of Napoleon in 1814, Louis XVIII returned to Versailles where he lived until his death in 1824. Then his body was moved to the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris where it remains today. His wife Marie Louise became empress of France and she too is buried here.
In 1845, Charles X was forced to abdicate in favor of his younger brother, Louis-Philippe, who would become known as "Louis-Philippe I". But the people of France rejected this monarchy too and in 1870 they declared war on Germany, which helped them win their own independence from France. This is how the first French republic was born. Louis-Philippe went into exile in England, but he died there in 1850 before being able to return to France.
Gates made of wrought iron. Buckingham Palace's Royal History Gates made of wrought iron. The first set of gates was built for King George III and opened in 1762.
The second set of gates were built between 1816 and 1824 to a design by James Wyatt. These gates are also made of wrought iron and feature lions, which are the royal family's symbol, and other decorations. The third set of gates were built in 1851 by Edward Blore. They too are made of wrought iron and include statues of kings William and Mary along with other figures.
Buckingham Palace is a royal palace located on The Mall, London, England. It is home to the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The palace was built between 1661 and 1665 for King Charles II after he was exiled from France following his defeat in the English Civil War. It replaced an earlier palace built by Henry VIII near where today's St. Martin's Church stands. The new palace was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and has been described as one of the most beautiful buildings in Europe.
Palace Museum, Versailles Palace/Functional, and Gardens/Gardens are all open for tourism.
The palace is used for state ceremonies and official events. It can accommodate up to 3,000 people for a ceremony or reception.
The gardens are open year-round for tourism, although some areas may be closed during very cold or rainy weather. There are more than 800 trees, shrubs, and plants from around the world at Versailles.
There are many restaurants in the area surrounding Versailles that feature French cuisine. Shoppers will also find a variety of goods available in the town's shops.
People come from all over the world to see the palace and its famous gardens. Visitors can take guided tours of the palace or wander at will through the gardens. The best time to visit is between April and October when the weather is most likely to be acceptable.
You should plan on spending a day at Versailles if you want to see everything there is to see. There are several different tour options available, so consider what kind of experience you want to have while visiting.
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