A sparkling royal chapel above the rooftops, a king's cabinet that has rediscovered its original bright colors: two gems have just been restored at the Palace of Versailles, witnesses to both the majesty and the intimacy of the Bourbons.
"You contemplate the chapel as desired by (the architect Jules) Hardouin-Mansart, as Louis XIV was able to contemplate it, with the exception of the large lantern, removed in 1765", congratulates AFP Frédéric Didier , chief architect of historical monuments who has been piloting the site for four years.
A restoration project on the exterior of the chapel which required more than 16 million euros of investment, financed in particular thanks to the Swiss Philanthropia Foundation and several patrons, including Saint-Gobain and LVMH.
"It's dazzling, this roof radiates the city, the whole Versailles is rebalanced", ignites Catherine Pégard, president of the public establishment, noting that it is "work of the same magnitude as those of the Hall of Mirrors in 2007 ".
Frédéric Didier accompanies AFP under the framework dating from 1705: a "forest" of blond oak, like that of Notre-Dame destroyed by the fire of 2019. "We were able to restore identically in retaining the old woods, ”he says.
Almost all of the hourglasses, horizontal pieces of several tons supporting the framework, had to be replaced. The infiltrations had caused subsidence of 20 cm.
"Babies weighing 200 kg"
The presence of asbestos in the mastic of the stained-glass windows forced them to be deposited and decontaminated. And for the first time since the Ancien Régime, the gilding on all the leads which have become dull has been redone and sparkle.
Damaged bas-reliefs have been restored in modeling. The statues have not been replaced but only restored. "These big angels, beautiful babies weighing 200 kg, we had to dismantle them, crane them, restore them in the workshop, replace the internal frames and replace them", says the architect.
This royal chapel is "the only building from the XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries still intact with all its original statuary", he emphasizes.
The site mobilized around a hundred workers from many crafts, allowing the training of apprentices. Nooks and crannies were only documented by black and white photos from the 50s.
"Some historians consider that this is the most successful in the palace. This end of the reign of Louis XIV is a moment of perfection", underlines Laurent Salomé, director of the museum.
At 40 meters high, "it emerges from the horizontal line of the roofs and blurs the symmetry, represents a vertical momentum. It was wanted to symbolize the idea that the house of God dominates the home of men", explains the architect .
Secret drawers
A masterpiece of Rococo art, the King's corner cabinet, Louis XV's study room, has also regained its luster, financed in particular by patronage from Rolex. With in its center the brilliant cylinder desk, equipped with secret drawers and which took nine years to complete.
"This cabinet is one of the emblematic rooms of the castle by this duality of a place of power and a very intimate place", where the kings kept their collections of medals, notes Catherine Pégard.
The old gilding of the mirrors and woodwork has been completed. And the glue paint in "King's white", a cold and contrasting color, was found identically, explains Laurent Salomé.
"In the twentieth century, we believed that a creamy white was historically fairer, we found it more elegant," he laughs, comparing the corner cabinet with the neighboring rooms much duller.
"These achievements, in this Covid period, demonstrate the commitment of Versailles for all crafts and employment", underlines the president of the public establishment and the restorations never cease: one, that of the cabinet du Dauphin, is in progress, that of the apartments of Madame du Barry, favorite of Louis XV, has just started. Its completion will coincide with a major new exhibition in Versailles dedicated to Louis XV, for the fall of 2022, reveals to AFP Ms. Pégard.
