Palace of Versailles Colbert's mercantilism, but also to display the finest that France could produce. Estimates of the amount spent to build Versailles are speculative. An estimate in 2000 placed the amount spent during the Ancien Régime as US$2 billion, this figure being, in all probability, an under-evaluation. France's Fifth Republic expenditures alone, directed to restoration and maintenance at Versailles, may have surpassed those of the Sun King. Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles (; ; ) was the principal royal residence of France from 1682, under Louis XIV, until the start of the French Revolution in 1789, under Louis XVI. It
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