A Year at the Chateau: As seen on the hit Channel 4 show

Product Information

The first of the subsidiary structures of the Palace of Versailles was the Versailles Menagerie [ fr], [199] [200] built by Le Vau between the years 1662 and 1664, [200] at the southern end of the Grand Canal. [199] The apartments, overlooking the pens, [46] [201] were renovated by Mansart from 1698 to 1700, [200] but the Menagerie fell into disuse in 1712. [199] [d] After a long period of decay, it was demolished in 1801. [200] The Versailles Orangery, just to the south of the palace, [203] was first built by Le Vau in 1663, [204] originally as part of the general moving of earth to create the Estate. [191] It was also modified by Mansart, who, from 1681 to 1685, totally rebuilt it and doubled its size. [205]

Oh and did I mention that the so called delightful Château might just need some TLC when things start to go wrong, with leaks, dodgy plumbing, power issues... what are they letting themselves in for! The Salon of Mars was used by the royal guards until 1782, and was decorated on a military theme with helmets and trophies. It was turned into a concert room between 1684 and 1750, with galleries for musicians on either side. Portraits of Louis XV and his Queen, Marie Leszczinska, by the Flemish artist Carle Van Loo decorate the room today. Palace of Versailles | palace, Versailles, France". Encyclopedia Britannica . Retrieved 28 August 2017.

The narrative changes multiple times per chapter eg paragraph for Beth, paragraph for Florida and then next paragraph for Dom. Even though this does slow it down every so often. It gives a rounded story from multiple perspectives.

We were getting married in two weeks, all our family and friends were coming to see us in our new home and we were entertaining a couple of hundred people in a château that hadn’t had running water or electricity eight months earlier. I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the first season of Escape to the Château but don't think this book adds much to it. If you've seen the tv show, you've probably seen enough. While there are certain insights that are interesting (such as expat life in France) but too much is devoted to describing wedding preparations and gushing about how "special" their life is (seriously, three times in one paragraph!). The concept of moving house let alone moving to another country sounds like a massive headache, however the positive way in which this book is written would allow people to at least contemplate a move to a ‘better way of life’ where you could possibly live self sustainably or just be in a place where you can appreciate the culture more. This book is pure escapism for the soul. Following the end of the Franco-Dutch War with French victory in 1678, Louis XIV appointed as First Architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, [25] [66] an experienced architect in Louis XIV's confidence, [67] who would benefit from a restored budget and large workforce of former soldiers. [64] [68] Mansart began his tenure with the addition from 1678 to 1681 of the Hall of Mirrors, [69] a renovation of the courtyard façade of Louis XIII's château, [70] and the expansion of d'Orbay's pavilions to create the Ministers' Wings in 1678–79. [71] Adjacent to the palace, Mansart built a pair of stables called the Grande and Petite Écuries from 1679 to 1682 [72] [73] and the Grand Commun [ fr], which housed the palace's servants and general kitchens, from 1682 to 1684. [74] Mansart also added two entirely new wings in Le Vau's Italianate style to house the court, [75] first at the south end of the palace from 1679 to 1681 [76] and then at its north end from 1685 to 1689. [18]

Limited Edition Snow Globe

Doyle, William, ed. (2001). Old Regime France. Short Oxford History of France. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-873129-9.