Rhinoceros of Versailles Rhinoceros of Versailles The Rhinoceros of Versailles was a living Indian rhinoceros which was kept in the Palace of Versailles menagerie from 1770 until 1793. The live rhinoceros was a gift from M. Chevalier, French governor of Chandernagor, to Louis XV. It left Calcutta, West Bengal on 22 December 1769, and arrived six months later in the seaport of Lorient, in Brittany on 11 June 1770. From there it was transported to the royal Ménagerie which had been built in response to increasing interest in zoology and Louis XIV's passion for the exotic, in 1664. The rhino was installed in
La Lanterne (Versailles) La Lanterne (Versailles) La Lanterne is a hunting lodge in Versailles. It serves as the official retreat of the President of France. It is located next to the Palace of Versailles, in the city of Versailles. It is four hectares wide, bordered by a tall wall and poplars, and it is forbidden to fly over the property. It takes 30 minutes by car to get there from the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the President of France. It was built in 1787 for Philippe Louis de Noailles (1752–1819). From 1959 to 2007, it was the secondary residence of the