Massive Grounds of the Palace of Versailles
I was awestruck by the sheer size of the Palace of Versailles. There was a massive queue of visitors waiting to get in the palace and this queue fits in the grounds of the palace. This was just the front of the palace. Think of it as the place where vehicles, either carriages or cars would enter and drop their passengers. However this was far larger than any driveway that I have seen. The palace started as someone else territory, but the king of France managed to get this territory and from time on it served as the royal palace. Numerous improvements have been made to this palace at it is now one of the largest palaces in the world.
Closer Look at the Palace of Versailles
The only other palace which I can compare this to is the Forbidden city in Beijing which is actually just as imposing. The Versailles feels a little more “royal” though. From Louis XIII to the more well known Louis XIV, it was expanded to what it is today. In comparison, the Forbidden city was incrementally expanded over the course of numerous emperors. The Palace of Versailles was expanded primarily during the reign of Louis XIV. Why would he need such a large palace is anyone’s guess, perhaps it is to impress visitors. It is said that the construction of the Palace of Versailles almost bankrupted France. It it weren’t for the French Revolution, it would have been bigger.
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