History of the Palace of Versailles History of the Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles is a royal château in Versailles, in the Île-de-France region of France. When the château was built, Versailles was a country village; today, however, it is a suburb of Paris, some 20 kilometres southwest of the French capital. The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as
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