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Article: Versailles' champagne rooms. (restoration at the palace of Versailles, France)
- Article from:
- Europe
- Article date:
- November 1, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Delegation of the European Commission. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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During the annual summer assault of tourists on the Chateau of Versailles, the multilingual babble of the hordes lining up to buy their tickets has been underscored by a distant, but persistent, high-pitched whine. Drills and chainsaws are being wielded in the north wing of the palace, where a series of immense, sky-lit rooms that have not been open to the public for 30 years are being restored.
Louis-Phillippe, last King of France (1830--1848), had planned these seven rooms as a picture gallery dedicated to the great historical exploits of France: Napoleon III, last Emperor of France (1852-- 1870), continued but never completed the project. They are known as the ...