VersaillestodayUpdated
Clock above the Marble Court beneath the Palace's gilded roof

Who built the Palace of Versailles?

Louis XIV commissioned the Palace's major expansion from 1661. Louis XIII had ordered the original hunting lodge in 1623. Louis Le Vau and his successor Jules Hardouin-Mansart designed much of the Palace you see today.

Updated History Palace of Versailles: the Palace, read

Hunting lodge ordered1623Louis XIII first stayed there in June 1624 →Louis XIV's building works1661The start of the major expansion →Court and government move in1682Royal use ended with the Revolution in 1789 →

Kings and architects

A short history of the Palace of Versailles

Louis XIV began major building works on the Palace of Versailles in 1661. Louis Le Vau created the King's and Queen's State Apartments for the French king. Le Vau also built the white stone front that overlooks the Gardens. On your visit, look for his work along the garden front.

Louis XIII ordered a small hunting lodge at Versailles in late 1623. Louis XIII first stayed in the hunting lodge in June 1624. Philibert Le Roy later designed the palace that replaced Louis XIII's original hunting lodge.

Charles Le Brun directed the decoration of the royal residence at Versailles. André Le Nôtre took on the Gardens for Louis XIV in 1661. Jules Hardouin-Mansart designed the Hall of Mirrors on the Palace route. Work on Hardouin-Mansart's Hall of Mirrors began in 1678.

More than 50 years of work had passed when Louis XIV died. The Palace and its wider estate were still far from finished. Later kings continued to change the buildings that you see today. See how big the Palace of Versailles is to plan your visit.

Today's standard Passport costs €25 and includes your timed Palace entry. Residents or nationals of the European Economic Area pay €22. Book your Palace time slot before you visit the State Apartments. On opening days, you can enter the Palace from 9:00.

The Palace's garden façade reflected in a pool
Louis Le Vau's work included the white stone garden front

Building timeline

When was the Palace of Versailles built?

DateBuilding work or change of use
1623Louis XIII orders the hunting lodge
1661Louis XIV starts major works. Le Nôtre begins the Gardens
1678Construction starts on Hardouin-Mansart's Hall of Mirrors
1682The Court and government move to Versailles under Louis XIV
1710Work on the Royal Chapel is completed
1770Ange-Jacques Gabriel's Royal Opera opens under Louis XV
1789The French Revolution forces Louis XVI to leave for Paris
1837Louis-Philippe establishes the Museum of the History of France in the Palace
1979Versailles receives World Heritage status

The Royal Chapel was completed in 1710 under Louis XIV. Jules Hardouin-Mansart had presented his design for the Royal Chapel in 1699. Robert de Cotte finished the Chapel's building work after Hardouin-Mansart's death in 1708.

Ange-Jacques Gabriel designed the Royal Opera for Louis XV. The Royal Opera opened in 1770 for the wedding feast of the Dauphin and Marie-Antoinette. The Palace took shape across successive reigns.

More questions about who built the Palace of Versailles

Who designed the Palace of Versailles?

Louis Le Vau and his successor Jules Hardouin-Mansart designed Louis XIV's major Palace buildings. Le Vau created the King's and Queen's State Apartments on the Palace route. Hardouin-Mansart designed the Hall of Mirrors. Charles Le Brun directed the decoration. André Le Nôtre designed the Gardens from 1661. You can look for Le Vau's white stone façade from the Gardens.

When was the Palace of Versailles built?

Louis XIII ordered the first hunting lodge at Versailles in late 1623. Louis XIII first used the lodge in June 1624. Louis XIV began the major Palace building works in 1661. The royal Court and French government moved to Versailles in 1682. At the end of Louis XIV's life, the Palace and estate remained unfinished after more than 50 years of work.

Why was the Palace of Versailles built?

Louis XIII built the first lodge as a base for hunting. His decision dates from late 1623. Louis XIV later expanded the residence. In 1682, Louis XIV made Versailles the seat of the Court and government. The Palace grew from a hunting retreat into a place of royal rule.

Who lived in the Palace of Versailles?

Louis XIV and the royal Court lived at Versailles. The Court and government moved there in 1682. The Revolution forced Louis XVI to leave for Paris in 1789. The Palace never again served as a royal residence. You now visit a Palace that became the Museum of the History of France in 1837.

When was the Palace of Versailles completed?

Work on the Palace continued in stages without a single completion date. Louis XIV's Palace and estate remained unfinished after more than 50 years of work. The Royal Chapel was completed in 1710. Ange-Jacques Gabriel's Royal Opera opened under Louis XV in 1770. On your Palace visit, you see the work of different reigns.

Visiting the Palace

Palace rooms and entry guides