Appartement du roi

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Le chambre du roi. This room, dating from Louis XIV 4th building campaign, formed the physical and ideological center to the palace of Versailles.
Le chambre du roi. This room, dating from Louis XIV 4th building campaign, formed the physical and ideological center to the palace of Versailles.

Overlooking the cour de marbre, these rooms in the Palace of Versailles, which are situated in the château vieux, were once the private apartment of Louis XIII. During Louis XIV’s 3rd building campaign, this suite of rooms were enlarged and decorated for the king’s daily use. In 1684, the apartment du roi comprised the following rooms:

  • Salle des gardes — this room served as a guard room for the king’s body guard (this room issued from the loggia and landing of the Queen’s Staircase).
  • Première antichambre or antichambre du grand couvert — in this room, Louis XIV ate in public, a ceremony known as the grand couvert. Additionally, once a week Louis XIV would personally accept petitions from his subjects.
  • Antichambre des Bassans — this room took its name from the collection of paintings by the 16th century Venetian master Jacop Bassano that were displayed in this room.
  • Chambre du roi — this was the king’s bedchamber, until 1701.
  • Salon du Roi — located in the center of the château, this room served for the king’s grand levé — the daily morning ritual in which the king was dressed in public.
  • Cabinet du roi — the room served as a council room for Louis XIV.
  • Cabinet des termes — this room was thus named owing to its decoration; it served, however, as the room in which Louis XIV’s wigs —- more than 500 — were kept.

In 1701, as part of Louis XIV’s 4th building campaign, the configuration of the appartement du roi altered.

  • The salle des gardes remained unchanged.
  • Première antichambre or antichambre du grand couvert — this room likewise remained unchanged.
  • The antichambre des Bassans and the chamber du roi were combined to form the seconde antichambre — better known as the salon de l’oeil de boeuf.
  • The salon du roi was converted into the chamber du roi.
  • The cabinet du roi and cabinet des termes remained until 1755 at which time Louis XV combined them to create the cabinet du conseil.