Palace of Versailles

Since 1997, the Public Establishment of the Palace of Versailles has been following an ambitious restoration master plan. The three priorities of this program are the restoration of the historic monument and its decorations, the safety of the entire site (improvement of public and building safety measures, including the renovation of technical networks and climate control), and the improvement of visitor services (a wider and more accessible range of tours, simplified access procedures, and improved accessibility).

Since its creation, the agency has been involved in the resurrection of this exceptional heritage, working on numerous restoration and technical compliance projects. Indeed, the scale and quality of its château and gardens make Versailles a unique artistic achievement, exerting a decisive influence in Europe in the XVIIᵉ and XVIIIᵉ centuries. A mecca of monarchical power, it was also a center of artistic, scientific and political creation, now listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Forty years after its last restoration, the chapel benefited from a major intervention on its framework and roof, including the removal-reinstallation of the decorative leadwork and sculpted groups, which were restored to their gilded state, and the identical replacement of all the slates. The facings were purged of grafts made in the XIXᵉ and XXᵉ centuries, then meticulously cleaned. All the statuary and stained glass windows also benefited from special attention, and were fully restored. For three centuries, the Royal Chapel has presented an exceptional architectural wealth, whose restored sculpted decor and roof ornamentation contribute to the exaltation of the sacred at Versailles.