Do It Yourself and Other Educational Chimney and Fire Safety Articles

Here is the fireplace in King Louis XIV’s Entrance Room to his Grand Apartment in the castle of Versailles. The room is called the Salon de Hercules and its centerpiece is this amazing gold gilded fireplace with the head of the Sun God on it. Above the fireplace, you can see a large painting called “The Meal at the House of Simon” by Veronese which depicts the Apotheosis of Hercules.

Versailles began as King Louis XIII’s hunting lodge and was drastically expanded by King Louis XIV who spent over half of France’s GDP at the time to build his magnificent chateau and surrounding gardens.  The Grand Apartments of the king and queen were built in the 1670’s along with the famous hall of mirrors and they were just part of the opulence constructed within the chateau. 

Each apartment or hall in Versailles has an immaculate fireplace to accompany it.  The fireplace in Le Salon de la Guerre, the War Room, was built in 1678 and features a large oval marble statue above it with King Louis riding on his horse as they trample over his enemies.  This masterpiece by Coysevox is surmounted by two gilded Renommées supported by two prisoners in chains.  The Queen’s bed chamber features a fireplace and furniture from the 1780’s when Marie Antoinette was the Queen of France.  She performed most of her private affairs here such as sleep, bathe, and give birth even though they were all public events at that time.  Another famous fireplace in Versailles is the one in the Hall of the Nobles of the Queen.  This fireplace is black and gold with a giant mirror above it.  One more famous fireplace antique, this one commissioned by Louis XV was made out of marble and decorated the Salon d'Abondant.  Today, it can be seen in the Louvre Museum rather than Versailles.