The great chateau at Versailles symbolized the power and prestige of the French king Louis XIV and his court. Very quickly this public image of the ruler became the model which most other European courts sought to follow. French culture became the height of fashion for the period and Versailles became a compulsory destination for every young nobleman (and lady) who wished to emulate this culture in their own country. The palace itself became the most influential building of its kind ever built. Its model, inside and out, was replicated and adapted in Berlin, Vienna, Stockholm, Warsaw, St. Petersburg, and dozens of other major and lesser capitals.

After an introduction to Versailles itself, you will visit the opulence of the Spanish Bourbons at Madrid, the Prussian Brandenburgs at Berlin and Sans Souci, the Italians at Caserta, the Wittelsbachs in Munich, the Russians at Peterhof, the Viennese Habsburgs at Schonbrunn and, perhaps surprisingly, the English at Hampton Court. Indulge in this visual feast of the “Versailles Effect” on all of Europe.

In person and simulcast

Mondays, 6 weeks, April 14 - May 19 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM