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It was a small country residence and, according to the Maréchal de Bassompierre, “a mere gentleman would not have been overly proud of the construction.” Louis XIII decided to rebuild it in 1631. Construction continued until 1634 and laid the basis of the Palace we know today. -
Versailles became the headquarters of the government. Although Paris never ceased to be the official capital, the decision made Versailles the de facto centre of the kingdom until 1789. -
Both being 14 years old this marriage was to soon be quite possibly one of the factors leading to the revolution. It also strengthened the bond France had with Austria. -
The Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man, signed in Paris on 10 December 1948, just like the European Convention on Human Rights, signed in Rome on 4 November 1950, have the same origins. -
The Tennis Court Oath was a commitment to a national constitution and representative government, taken by delegates at the Estates-General at Versailles. It has become one of the most iconic scenes of the French Revolution. -
This state prison on the east side of Paris, known as the Bastille, was attacked by an angry and aggressive mob. The prison had become a symbol of the monarchy's dictatorial rule, and the event became one of the defining moments in the Revolution that followed. -
The Women's March on Versailles, also known as the October March, the October Days or simply the March on Versailles, was one of the earliest and most significant events of the French Revolution. -
In November 1792, a secret cupboard containing proof of Louis' counter-revolutionary beliefs and correspondence with foreign powers was discovered in Tuileries Palace. He was brought to trail for treason and executed by guillotine. -
The Reign of Terror, also called the Terror, was a period of state-sanctioned violence and mass executions during the French Revolution. France's revolutionary government ordered the arrest and execution of thousands of people.