The Palace of Versailles in France

The Palace of Versailles is a royal chateau in Versailles which is around 20 kms from Paris. What began as a modest hunting lodge during the time of Louis XIII, the king of France turned into one of the grandest known chateaus ever. The Palace was converted into a museum in the 1830s. In 1979 UNESCO designated the palace and the gardens as a World Heritage site.






There are around 50 fountains at the Palace.

The Latona Fountain - which illustrates the legend involving Apollo's mother protecting her children against the Lycian peasants. She calls upon Jupiter to help avenger them. Jupiter hears her request for help and transforms them into frogs and lizards. The central figure in the fountain is Latona, surrounded by her children. The central structure is surrounded by six frogs and there are 24 frogs and lizards surrounding it.



The Apollo Fountain - shows Apollo on his chariot which is pulled by four horses. He is getting out of the water while being surrounded by sea monsters. All statues of Apollo (the Sun god) represent Louis XIV (the Sun King) in Versailles.



There are other fountains like the Saturn fountain, the Ceres Fountain, the Flora Fountain, the Neptune fountain, the Dragon Fountain and the Pyramid Fountain.





Palace and garden opening times

From 1 April to 31 October
Palace: All days except Mondays from 9am – 6.30pm
Garden: Open daily from 8am – 8:30pm
Park: Open daily from 7am – 7pm for vehicles and until 8.30pm for pedestrians

From 1 November to 31 March
Palace: All days except Mondays from 9am – 5.30pm
Garden and Park: All days except Mondays from 8am – 6pm

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