The Comtesse du Barry had taken up residence in Versailles, near her lover, King Louis XV, her apartment has just been renovated.
18 months of work
On the occasion of the tercentenary of the coronation of Louis XV and of an exhibition dedicated to him, the places where the last favorite of the king lived are the subject of a major restoration. The renovation of its furniture has just been completed after 18 months of work at the Palace of Versailles. Visitors can now discover them.
30 years younger than him
It was in the attic of the Palace of Versailles, just above the king’s bedroom, that the Comtesse du Barry had taken up residence in 1770, in an apartment specially designed for her. Madly in love with his mistress, 30 years younger than him, Louis XV granted all his requests. Furnished by Jacques-Ange Gabriel, the fourteen-room apartment covers more than 350m2. To refurnish these rooms, Madame du Barry has carte blanche and she imposes her style. Influencer of the 18th century, the king’s courtesan chose the furniture and objects for her apartment herself. Louis XV has several accesses for him only like a staircase which leads directly in the room of his mistress. Madame du Barry must also be wary of those around her, so sometimes she and Louis XV find themselves alone, behind a double door, in a library, well out of sight. In February 2021, a large-scale project began in the heart of the Palace of Versailles.
Charm and harmony
Madame Du Barry’s apartment, which is one of the most refined ensembles of the former royal residence and a witness to the intimate Versailles of Louis XV, has now regained all its charm and harmony. The work, which lasted seventeen months, focused on the fourteen rooms of the apartment and mobilized many crafts. Beyond the alteration and aging of the paintings, the decorations and the ceilings suffered from water ingress. The humidity and the significant climatic variations of this floor, located in the attic and facing south, have also contributed to the state of dilapidation of the decorations which now require a new campaign of work. The objective was to be able to offer the public the atmosphere of intimacy and delicacy that emanated from this place, an expression of the quintessence of the art of living in the 18th century. So you can now immerse yourself in the intimacy of the royal couple…
