At   the   end   of   the   11th   century,   Versailles   was   a   village   huddled   around   the   castle   and   the   church   of   Saint-Julien   (today   the   site   of   the Grand   Commun).   Owing   to   its   agricultural   activities   and   its   position   on   the   road   from   Paris   to   Dreux   and   Normandy,   Versailles   was relatively   prosperous   up   until   the   end   of   the   13th   century.   After   the   misfortunes   of   the   Hundred   Years   War,   life   once   again   returned   to normal and Versailles at that period numbered about a hundred people.  In   1561,   Martial   de   Loménie,   advisor   to   the   king,   became   lord   of   Versailles, then   with   a   population   of   about   five   hundred.         In   1575,   the   Gondi   family   became the   ruling   clan,   and   they   received   the   future   Louis   XIII   on   his   hunting   visits   and during   dinner   parties.      Soon   after,   in   1622,   the   king   became   the   owner   of   a   forest onto   which   he   built   a   “small   house.”         Finally   in   1632,   he   acquired   the   lordship   of Versailles,   whereupon   he   enlarged   the   Château   in   the   years   1632-34.   These   were   the only   changes   of   importance   occurring   in   this   small   town   which,   at   the   death   of Louis XIII in 1643, had a population of about one thousand. It   was   only   about   twenty   years   later,   in   1662,   that   Louis   XIV   began   to   take   an interest   in   Versailles,   when   further   construction   on   the   Château   commenced.   Then in   1671   and   1672,   in   order   to   encourage   the nobility      and      tradesmen      to      move      to Versailles,   the   king   decided   to   make   an   offer of   some   of   his   land   at   exceedingly   good   values.      Almost   immediately   the   town   became   a   vast building   site,   despite   the   fact   that   there   were   very   strict   rules   governing   construction   (which   not only   ensured   great   harmony   of   style,   but   it   also   prevented   the   view   from   the   Château   being blocked   by   any   sort   of   “undesirable”   building).      Surprisingly,   despite   the   efforts   of   the   people   of Versailles,   the   town's   population   began   to   decrease,   dropping   from   50,000   in   1790   to   28,000   in 1824.   For   the   whole   of   the   19th   century,   Versailles   was   a   sort   of   “sleeping   beauty,”   a   place   for sentimental   pilgrimages   and   nostalgia.      Up   to   1914,   life passed   peacefully   enough,   marked   only   by   the   visits   of royalty, writers and artists. In   1919,   the   Château   provided   the   venue   for   the   signing   of   the   peace   treaties   marking   the end   of   World   War   I.      It   is   from   this   period   that   Versailles   began   her   demographic   and   economic rise   which   turned   it   into   the   great   modern   city   seen   today.      Now,   after   more   than   150   years   in the   shade,   Versailles   is   once   again   in   the   limelight,   perfectly   in   phase   with   modern   society.     Today,   the   population   of   the   town   is   about   90,000,   and   the   palace   receives   some   three   million visitors   each   year   and   nearly   twice   that   many   come   to   visit   only   the   grounds.   For   further detailed information, visit the Chauteau Versailles  website.

Curious Facts About Versailles - *  2,000 acres of grounds *  12 miles of roads   *  27 miles of trellises                      *  200,000 trees *  2,100 sculptures *  6,000 paintings *  80 miles of rows of trees *  12 miles of enclosing walls *  50 fountains *  620 fountain nozzles *  21 miles of water conduits   *  2,153 windows *  700 rooms *  67 staircases   *  210,000 flowers planted every year  *  1,500 drawings and 15,000 engravings   *  150 varieties of apple and peach trees in the Vegetable Garden