Editing Versailles, Yvelines

{{Short description|Prefecture of Yvelines, Île-de-France}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox French commune
| name               = Versailles
| commune status     = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
| image              = Versailles collage.jpg
| image size         = 270
| caption            = From top left to bottom right: ''Le Soir'' ("The Evening" in the [[gardens of Versailles]]); ''rue des Deux-Portes''; the [[Château de Versailles]] taken from the gardens; [[Versailles Cathedral]]; [[equestrian statue]] of [[Louis XIV]], ''place d'Armes'', in front of the Château; [[Church of Notre-Dame, Versailles]], parish church of the Château; the ''bassin d'Apollon'' in the [[gardens of Versailles]]; ''la salle du Jeu de paume'' (where the [[Tennis Court Oath]] was signed); the [[Musée Lambinet]] (municipal museum of Versailles); the ''[[Temple de l'Amour]]'' ("Temple of Love", garden of the [[Petit Trianon]])
| image flag         = 
| image coat of arms = Coat of Arms of Versailles.svg
| adjustable map     = Versailles_map.png
| map size           = 270px
| map caption        = Location (in red) within Paris inner and outer suburbs
| coordinates        = {{coord|48.8050|2.1350|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| arrondissement     = Versailles
| canton             = [[Canton of Versailles-1|Versailles-1]] and [[Canton of Versailles-2|2]]
| INSEE              = 78646
| postal code        = 78000
| demonym            = Versaillais
| party              = [[Miscellaneous right|DVD]]
| mayor              = [[François de Mazières]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires |url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503 |publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises |date=13 September 2022 |language=fr |access-date=7 October 2022 |archive-date=28 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628030259/https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| term               = 2020–2026
| intercommunality   = [[Communauté d'agglomération Versailles Grand Parc|CA Versailles Grand Parc]]
| elevation m        = 132
| elevation min m    = 103
| elevation max m    = 180
| area km2           = 26.18
| population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
| population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
| population footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}

'''Versailles''' ({{IPAc-en|v|ɛər|ˈ|s|aɪ|,_|v|ɜːr|ˈ|s|aɪ}} {{respell|vair|SY|,_|vur|SY}},<ref>{{cite web|title=Versailles|url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/versailles|website=[[Dictionary.com]]|access-date=1 July 2021}}</ref> {{IPA|fr|vɛʁsɑj|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-Jules78120-Versailles.wav}}) is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the [[Departments of France|department]] of the [[Yvelines]], [[Île-de-France]], known worldwide for the [[Château de Versailles]] and the [[gardens of Versailles]], designated [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]s. Located in the western suburbs of the French capital, {{convert|17.1|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the [[Kilometre Zero|centre of Paris]], Versailles is a wealthy suburb of [[Paris]] with a [[tertiary sector of the economy|service-based economy]] and is a major tourist destination. According to the 2017 census, the population of the city is 85,862 inhabitants, down from a peak of 94,145 in 1975.<ref name=pophis>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-78646#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508053534/https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-78646#ancre-POP_T1 |date=8 May 2024 }}, INSEE</ref>

A [[new town]] founded at the will of King [[Louis XIV]], Versailles was the ''de facto'' capital of the [[Kingdom of France]] for over a century, from 1682 to 1789, before becoming the cradle of the [[French Revolution]]. After having lost its status as a royal city, it became the ''préfecture'' (regional capital) of the [[Seine-et-Oise]] [[département]] in 1790, then of [[Yvelines]] in 1968. It is also a Roman Catholic [[diocese]].

Versailles is historically known for numerous treaties such as the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris]], which ended the [[American Revolution]], and the [[Treaty of Versailles]], after World War I. Today, the [[Congress of France]] – the name given to the body created when both houses of the [[French Parliament]], the [[French National Assembly|National Assembly]] and the [[French Senate|Senate]], meet – gathers in the [[Château de Versailles]] to vote on revisions to the [[French constitution|Constitution]].

==Name==
The argument over the [[etymology]] of ''Versailles'' tends to privilege the [[Latin]] word ''versare'', meaning "to keep turning, turn over and over",<ref>University of Notre Dame, William Whitaker's Words, http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/wordz.pl?keyword=versare</ref> an expression used in medieval times for ploughed lands, cleared lands (lands that had been repeatedly "turned over"). This word formation is similar to Latin ''seminare'' ("to sow") which gave French ''semailles'' ("sowings", "sown seeds").

During the [[Revolution of 1789]], city officials had proposed to the convention to rename Versailles ''Berceau-de-la-Liberté'' ("Cradle of Liberty"), but they had to retract their proposal when confronted with the objections of the majority of the population.<ref>[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k67101h.notice Georges Moussoir, ''Versailles, "Berceau de la Liberté", in ''Revue de l'histoire de Versailles et de Seine-et-Oise'', 1899, pp. 215–224] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728034642/http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k67101h.notice |date=28 July 2014 }} (Gallica)</ref>

==A seat of power==
[[File:Town hall of Versailles August 5, 2012.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Hôtel de Ville, Versailles|Hôtel de Ville]]]]
From May 1682, when [[Louis XIV]] moved the court and government permanently to Versailles, until his death in September 1715, Versailles was the unofficial capital of the kingdom of France. For the next seven years, during the ''[[Régence]]'' of [[Philip II, Duke of Orléans|Philippe]] d'[[Duchy of Orléans|Orléans]], the royal court of the young King [[Louis XV]] was the first in Paris, while the Regent governed from his Parisian residence, the [[Palais-Royal]]. Versailles was again the unofficial capital of France from June 1722, when Louis XV returned to Versailles, until [[The Women's March on Versailles|October 1789]], when a Parisian mob forced [[Louis XVI]] and the royal family to move to Paris. Versailles again became the unofficial capital of France from March 1871, when [[Adolphe Thiers#Collapse of the Empire and the Paris Commune|Adolphe Thiers]]' government took refuge in Versailles, fleeing the insurrection of the [[Paris Commune]], until November 1879, when the newly elected government and parliament returned to Paris. During the various periods when government affairs were conducted from Versailles, Paris remained the official capital of France.

Versailles was made the ''[[préfecture]]'' of the [[Seine-et-Oise]] [[Departments of France|''département'']] at its inception in March 1790 (at which time Seine-et-Oise had approximately 420,000 inhabitants).<ref name=hist_pop>{{cite web |url=http://splaf.free.fr/78o.html |title=Ancien département: Seine-et-Oise |author=SPLAF |access-date=7 July 2009 |language=fr |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326002004/http://splaf.free.fr/78o.html |archive-date=26 March 2010}}</ref> By the 1960s, with the growth of the Paris suburbs, the ''Seine-et-Oise'' had reached more than 2&nbsp;million inhabitants,<ref name=hist_pop /> and was deemed too large and ungovernable, and thus it was split into three ''départements'' in January 1968. Versailles was made the ''préfecture'' of the [[Yvelines]] ''département'', the largest chunk of the former ''Seine-et-Oise''. At the 2017 census the ''Yvelines'' had 1,438,266 inhabitants.<ref name=pop2017>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/4265429/ensemble.pdf Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005055240/https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/4265429/ensemble.pdf |date=5 October 2020 }}, [[INSEE]]</ref>

The [[Hôtel de Ville, Versailles|Hôtel de Ville]] has been the meeting place of the town council since 1900.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://locations.filmfrance.net/location/versailles-town-hall-town-council-room|title=Mairie de Versailles – Salle du conseil municipal|date=26 July 2005 |publisher=Film France|access-date=3 February 2024}}</ref>

Versailles is the seat of a Roman Catholic [[diocese]] (bishopric) which was created in 1790. The [[diocese of Versailles]] is subordinate to the [[archdiocese of Paris]].

In 1975, Versailles was made the seat of a [[Court of Appeal (France)|Court of Appeal]] whose jurisdiction covers the western suburbs of Paris.

Since 1972, Versailles has been the seat of one of France's 30 nationwide ''académies'' (districts) of the Ministry of National Education. The ''académie de Versailles'', the largest of France's thirty ''académies'' by its number of pupils and students, is in charge of supervising all the elementary schools and high schools of the western suburbs of Paris.

Versailles is also an important node for the French army, a tradition going back to the monarchy with, for instance, the military camp of [[Satory]] and other institutions.

==Geography==
Versailles is located {{convert|17.1|km|mi|abbr=on}} west-southwest from the centre of Paris. The city sits on an elevated plateau, {{convert|130|to|140|m|ft}} above sea level (whereas the elevation of the centre of Paris is only {{convert|33|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level), surrounded by wooded hills: in the north the forests of ''[[Forêt de Marly|Marly]]'' and Fausses-Reposes, and in the south the forests of Satory and [[Meudon]].

The city ([[Commune in France|commune]]) of Versailles has an area of {{convert|26.18|km2|sqmi acre|abbr=on}}, which is a quarter of the area of the city of Paris. In 1989, Versailles had a population density of {{convert|3,344|/km2|/mi2|abbr=on}}, whereas Paris had a density of {{convert|20,696|/km2|/mi2|abbr=on}}.

Born out of the will of a king, the city has a rational and symmetrical grid of streets. By the standards of the 18th century, Versailles was a very modern European city. Versailles was used as a model for the building of [[Washington, D.C.]], by [[Pierre Charles L'Enfant]].<ref>Phillips, P. Lee, F. R. G. S., List of maps and views of Washington and District of Columbia in the Library of Congress, Map Division, Government Printing Office, 1900, p. 16 [https://books.google.com/books?id=fJUuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA16]</ref>

==Climate==
Versailles has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''). Summer days are usually warm and pleasant with average temperatures between {{convert|15|and|25|°C|°F}}, and a fair amount of sunshine. in the winter, sunshine is scarce; days are cool, and nights are cold but generally above freezing with low temperatures around {{convert|3|°C}}.<ref>{{cite web |author=Courtney Traub |date=31 January 2018 |url=https://www.tripsavvy.com/visiting-paris-in-the-winter-1618789 |title=Visiting Paris in the Winter: A Complete Guide |website=tripsavvy |access-date=27 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011030400/https://www.tripsavvy.com/visiting-paris-in-the-winter-1618789 |archive-date=11 October 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Light night frosts are however quite common, but the temperature seldom dips below {{convert|-5|°C}}. Snow falls every year, but rarely stays on the ground. The city sometimes sees light snow or flurries with or without accumulation.

{{Weather box
|location = Versailles ([[Palace of Versailles]]), 1981–present
|collapsed = N
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 17.5
|Feb record high C = 22.9
|Mar record high C = 25.4
|Apr record high C = 31.5
|May record high C = 36.0
|Jun record high C = 37.6
|Jul record high C = 41.9
|Aug record high C = 40.2
|Sep record high C = 35.7
|Oct record high C = 30.7
|Nov record high C = 22.5
|Dec record high C = 17.5
|year record high C = 
|Jan high C = 6.9
|Feb high C = 9.1
|Mar high C = 13.0
|Apr high C = 16.4
|May high C = 20.4
|Jun high C = 23.5
|Jul high C = 25.9
|Aug high C = 25.8
|Sep high C = 22
|Oct high C = 17.2
|Nov high C = 11.5
|Dec high C = 8.1
|year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 5.4
|Feb mean C = 6.1
|Mar mean C = 9.3
|Apr mean C = 11.9
|May mean C = 15.6
|Jun mean C = 18.6
|Jul mean C = 20.8
|Aug mean C = 20.7
|Sep mean C = 17.3
|Oct mean C = 13.5
|Nov mean C = 8.8
|Dec mean C = 5.9
|year mean C = 
|Jan low C = 3.0
|Feb low C = 3.1
|Mar low C = 5.5
|Apr low C = 7.3
|May low C = 10.8
|Jun low C = 13.7
|Jul low C = 15.8
|Aug low C = 15.6
|Sep low C = 12.7
|Oct low C = 9.8
|Nov low C = 6.1
|Dec low C = 3.7
|year low C = 
|Jan record low C = -13.8
|Feb record low C = -11.6
|Mar record low C = -6.2
|Apr record low C = -2.0
|May record low C = 2.3
|Jun record low C = 6.1
|Jul record low C = 8.7
|Aug record low C = 8.6
|Sep record low C = 5.0
|Oct record low C = -1.0
|Nov record low C = -6.3
|Dec record low C = -8.0
|year record low C = 
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 53
|Feb precipitation mm = 43
|Mar precipitation mm = 50
|Apr precipitation mm = 55
|May precipitation mm = 68
|Jun precipitation mm = 55
|Jul precipitation mm = 61
|Aug precipitation mm = 57
|Sep precipitation mm = 54
|Oct precipitation mm = 64
|Nov precipitation mm = 53
|Dec precipitation mm = 62
|year precipitation mm = 674
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 10.5
|Feb precipitation days = 9.4
|Mar precipitation days = 10.6
|Apr precipitation days = 9.3
|May precipitation days = 9.9
|Jun precipitation days = 8.4
|Jul precipitation days = 7.9
|Aug precipitation days = 7.8
|Sep precipitation days = 8.0
|Oct precipitation days = 10.1
|Nov precipitation days = 10.6
|Dec precipitation days = 11.1
|year precipitation days = 113.6
|Jan sun = 60.0
|Feb sun = 85.6
|Mar sun = 131.7
|Apr sun = 171.4
|May sun = 197.9
|Jun sun = 222.2
|Jul sun = 243.4
|Aug sun = 223.2
|Sep sun = 179.1
|Oct sun = 128.4
|Nov sun = 75.3
|Dec sun = 52.1
|year sun = 1770.3
|source 1 = Meteociel<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=75106001 |title=Meteociel.fr 1981–2010 normales/records |language=fr |publisher=Méteociel |access-date=2 October 2022 |archive-date=8 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508053646/https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=75106001 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|source 2 = [[Weather2Travel]] (sunshine hours)<ref name="Versailles Climate Normals">{{cite web |url= https://www.weather2travel.com/france/versailles/climate/|title=Climate normals – Weather2Travel |access-date=2025-03-28}}</ref>
}}

==History==
The name of Versailles appears for the first time in a medieval document dated 1038. In the feudal system of medieval France, the lords of Versailles came directly under the king of France, with no intermediary overlords between them and the king; yet they were not very important lords. At the end of the 11th cenieval castle and the Saint Julien church. Its farming activity and its location on the road from Paris to [[Dreux]] and [[Normandy]] brought prosperity to the village, culminating at the end of the 13th century, the so-called "century of [[Louis IX of France|Saint Louis]]", famous for the prosperity of northern France and the building of [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] cathedrals. The 14th century brought the [[Black Death]] and the [[Hundred Years' War]], and with it death and destruction. At the end of the Hundred Years' War in the 15th century, the village started to recover, with a population of only 100 inhabitants.

In 1561, [[Martial de Loménie]], secretary of state for finances under King [[Charles IX of France|Charles IX]], became lord of Versailles. He obtained permission to establish four annual fairs and a weekly market on Thursdays. The population of Versailles was 500 inhabitants. Martial de Loménie was murdered during the [[St. Bartholomew's Day massacre]] (24 August 1572). In 1575, [[Albert de Gondi]], a man from [[Florence]] who had come to France with [[Catherine de' Medici]], bought the [[Manorialism|seigneury]] of Versailles.

===Louis XIII===
[[File:Louis XIIIval grace.jpg|thumb|200px|right|upright|[[Louis XIII]] built the original hunting lodge that would become the [[Palace of Versailles]] under his son and successor Louis XIV]]
Henceforth Versailles was the possession of the [[Gondi family]], a family of wealthy and influential parliamentarians at the ''[[Parlement]]'' of Paris. Several times during the 1610s, the de Gondis invited King [[Louis XIII]] to hunt in the large forests around Versailles. In 1622, the king purchased a parcel of forest for his private hunting. In 1624, he acquired more and entrusted [[Philibert Le Roy]] with the construction of a small hunting lodge of red bricks and stone with a slate roof. In 1632, the king bought the totality of the land and seigneury of Versailles from [[Jean-François de Gondi]]. The hunting lodge was enlarged to the size of a small château between 1632 and 1634.

At the death of Louis XIII, in 1643, the village had 1,000 inhabitants.

This small château was the site of one of the historical events that took place during the reign of Louis XIII, on 10 November 1630, when, on the [[Day of the Dupes]], the party of the queen mother was defeated and [[Cardinal Richelieu|Richelieu]] was confirmed as Prime minister.

===Louis XIV===
King [[Louis XIV]], son of Louis XIII, was only four years old when his father died. It was 20 years later, in 1661, when Louis XIV commenced his personal reign, that the young king showed interest in Versailles. The idea of leaving Paris, where, as a child, he had experienced first-hand the insurrection of the [[Fronde]], had never left him. Louis XIV commissioned his architect [[Le Vau]] and his landscape architect [[Le Nôtre]] to transform the castle of his father, as well as the park, in order to accommodate the court. In 1678, after the [[Treaty of Nijmegen]], the king decided that the court and the government would be established permanently in Versailles, which happened on 6 May 1682.

At the same time, a new city was emerging from the ground, resulting from an ingenious decree of the king dated 22 May 1671, whereby the king authorized anyone to acquire a lot in the new city for free. There were only two conditions to acquire a lot: 1- a token tax of 5 shillings (''5 sols'') per arpent of land should be paid every year ($0.03 per {{convert|1000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} per year in 2005 US dollars); 2- a house should be built on the lot according to the plans and models established by the ''Surintendant des [[Bâtiments du Roi]]'' (architect in chief of the royal demesne). The plans provided for a city built symmetrically with respect to the ''Avenue de Paris'' (which starts from the entrance of the castle). The roofs of the buildings and houses of the new city were not to exceed the level of the Marble Courtyard, at the entrance of the castle (built above a hill dominating the city), so that the perspective from the windows of the castle would not be obstructed.

The old village and the Saint Julien church were demolished to make room for buildings housing the administrative services managing the daily life in the castle. On both sides of the ''Avenue de Paris'' were built the Notre-Dame neighbourhood and the Saint-Louis neighbourhood, with new large churches, markets, and aristocratic mansions, all built in a very homogeneous style according to the models established by the ''Surintendant des Bâtiments du Roi''. Versailles was a vast construction site for many years. Little by little came to Versailles all those who needed or desired to live close to the maximum power. At the death of the Sun King in 1715, the village of Versailles had turned into a city of approximately 30,000 inhabitants.

[[File:Map of Versailles in 1789 by William R Shepherd (died 1934).jpg|thumb|300px|right|Versailles in 1789.]]

===Louis XV and Louis XVI===
When the court of King [[Louis XV]] returned to Versailles in 1722, the city had 24,000 inhabitants. With the reign of Louis XV, Versailles grew even further. Versailles was the capital of the most powerful kingdom in Europe, and the whole of Europe admired its new architecture and design trends. Soon enough, the strict building rules decided under Louis XIV were not respected anymore, real estate speculation flourished, and the lots that had been given for free under Louis XIV were now on the market for hefty prices. By 1744, the population reached 37,000 inhabitants. The cityscape changed considerably under kings Louis XV and [[Louis XVI]]. Buildings were now taller. King Louis XV built a Ministry of War, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (where the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)]] ending the [[American Revolutionary War]] was signed in 1783 with the United Kingdom), and a Ministry of the Navy. By 1789, the population had reached 60,000 inhabitants,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N024666 |title=Volume 31 (on page 882) |author=La Grande Encyclopédie |year=1902 |access-date=20 June 2007 |author-link=La Grande Encyclopédie |language=fr}}</ref> and Versailles was now the seventh or eighth-largest city in France, and one of the largest cities in Europe.

===French Revolution===
Seat of political power, Versailles naturally became the cradle of the [[French Revolution]]. The [[Estates-General of 1789|Estates-General]] met in Versailles on 5 May 1789. The members of the Third Estate took the [[Tennis Court Oath]] on 20 June 1789, and the [[National Constituent Assembly (France)|National Constituent Assembly]] abolished [[feudalism]] on 4 August 1789. Eventually, on 5 and 6 October 1789, a crowd of women joined by some members of the national guard from Paris invaded the castle to protest bread prices and forced the royal family to move to Paris. The National Constituent Assembly followed the king to Paris soon afterwards, and Versailles lost its role as capital city. During this turbulent time, [[Jean-François Coste (Physician)|Jean-François Coste]], who had also been the chief physician of the King's Armies, was appointed mayor of Versailles.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lane |first=John E. (John Edward) |url=http://archive.org/details/b30626870 |title=Jean-Francois Coste: chief physician of the French expeditionary forces in the American revolution |date=1928 |publisher=[Somerville, N.J.] ; [New York city] : [The American historical society, inc.] |others=Wellcome Library}}</ref>

From then on, Versailles lost a good deal of its inhabitants. From 60,000, the population had declined to 26,974 inhabitants by 1806.<ref name=ehess/> The castle, stripped of its furniture and ornaments during the Revolution, was left abandoned, with only [[Napoleon]] briefly staying one night there and then leaving the castle for good. [[Louis-Philippe]], who took the throne in the [[July Revolution]] of 1830, transformed the palace into a National Museum dedicated to "all the glories of France" in 1837. Versailles had become a sleepy town, a place of pilgrimage for those nostalgic for the old monarchy.

===19th century to the present day===
The [[Franco-Prussian War]] of 1870 put Versailles in the limelight again. On 18 January 1871, the victorious Germans proclaimed the king of [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], [[Wilhelm I]], emperor of [[Empire of Germany|Germany]] in the very [[Hall of Mirrors]] of the castle, in an attempt to take revenge for the conquests of Louis XIV two centuries earlier. Then in March of the same year, following the insurrection of the [[Paris Commune]], the [[French Third Republic]] government under [[Adolphe Thiers|Thiers]] relocated to Versailles, and from there directed the military suppression of the insurrection.

Restoration of a monarchy almost occurred in 1873, with parliament offering the crown to [[Henri, comte de Chambord]], but his refusal to accept the [[Flag of France|tricolour flag]] that had been adopted during the Revolution made the restoration of monarchy impossible for the time being. Versailles became again the political centre of France, full of buzz and rumours, with its population briefly peaking at 61,686 in 1872,<ref name=ehess /> matching the record level of population reached on the eve of the French Revolution 83 years earlier. Eventually, however, left-wing republicans won a string of parliamentary elections, defeating the parties supporting a restoration of the monarchy, and the new majority decided to relocate the government to Paris in November 1879. Versailles then experienced a new population setback (48,324 inhabitants at the 1881 census).<ref name=ehess /> After that, Versailles never again functioned as the seat of the capital of France, but the presence of the [[National Assembly (France)|French Parliament]] there in the 1870s left a vast hall, built in one aisle of the palace, which the French Parliament uses when it meets in [[Congress of the French Parliament|Congress]] to amend the French Constitution, as well as when the [[President of France]] addresses the two chambers of the French Parliament.

[[File:Versailles Cour Royale Sud.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The [[Château de Versailles]] (Pavillon Dufour) in the spring of 2006.]]
Only in 1911 did Versailles definitely recover its level of population of 1789, with 60,458 inhabitants at the 1911 census.<ref name=ehess /> In 1919, at the end of the First World War, Versailles came into the limelight again as the [[Treaty of Versailles|various treaties]] ending the war were signed in the castle proper and in the [[Grand Trianon]]. After 1919, as the suburbs of Paris continued to expand, Versailles was absorbed by the urban area of Paris and the city experienced a strong demographic and economic growth, turning it into a large suburban city of the metropolitan area of Paris. The role of Versailles as an administrative and judicial centre has been reinforced in the 1960s and 1970s, and somehow Versailles has become the main centre of the western suburbs of Paris.

In the present times, the centre of the town has kept its very bourgeois atmosphere, while more middle-class neighbourhoods have developed around the train stations and on the outskirts of the city. Versailles is a chic suburb of Paris, well linked with the centre of Paris by several train lines. However, the city is extremely compartmentalized, divided by large avenues inherited from the monarchy which create the impression of several small cities ignoring each other. Versailles was never an industrial city, even though there are a few chemical and food-processing plants. Essentially, Versailles is a place of services, such as public administration, tourism, [[business]] congresses, and festivals. From 1951 until France's withdrawal from the NATO unified command in 1966, nearby [[Rocquencourt, Yvelines|Rocquencourt]] functioned as the site for [[SHAPE]]. Versailles is an important military centre, with several units and training schools headquartered at the [[Satory]] military base, which hosted the headquarters of the famed [[2nd Armored Division (France)|2nd French Armored Division]] until 1999, and where a military exhibition is organized{{by whom|date=August 2019}} annually.

==Culture==
Versailles' primary cultural attraction is the [[Palace of Versailles|Palace]], with its ornately decorated rooms and historic significance. The [[Potager du roi]] is a kitchen garden created under Louis XIV to supply fruits and vegetables to the Court. It is officially recognized as a [[List of Remarkable Gardens of France|Remarkable Garden of France]].

The town also has other points of cultural notability; in recent times, its position as an affluent suburb of Paris has meant that it forms a part of the Paris artistic scene, and musical groups such as [[Phoenix (French band)|Phoenix]], [[Air (French band)|Air]], [[Fuzati]], and [[Daft Punk]] have some link to the city,<ref>Sound Opinions Show #204: 10.23.09</ref> as does the director [[Michel Gondry]].

==Sport==
[[Football Club de Versailles 78]] is a semi-professional [[association football]] club founded in 1989. Their home stadium is the Stade de Montbauron, which has a capacity of 6,208 people.

==Population==
{{Historical populations
|1793 | 35093
|1800 | 27574
|1806 | 26974
|1821 | 27528
|1831 | 28477
|1836 | 29209
|1841 | 35412
|1846 | 34901
|1851 | 35367
|1856 | 39306
|1861 | 43899
|1866 | 44021
|1872 | 61686
|1876 | 49847
|1881 | 48324
|1886 | 49852
|1891 | 51679
|1896 | 54874
|1901 | 54982
|1906 | 54820
|1911 | 60458
|1921 | 64753
|1926 | 68574
|1931 | 66859
|1936 | 73839
|1946 | 70141
|1954 | 84445
|1962 | 86759
|1968 | 90829
|1975 | 94145
|1982 | 91494
|1990 | 87789
|1999 | 85726
| 2007|86979
| 2012|85424
| 2017|85862
| source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|39569|Versailles}}</ref> and INSEE<ref name=pophis/>
| percentages = pagr
| cols = 2
| align = none
| graph-pos = bottom
}}

===Immigration===
{{France immigration
|collectivity_name=Versailles
|census_year=1999
|metropolitan_France=87.9
|outside_metropolitan_France=12.1
|overseas_France=0.9
|foreign_French=4.2
|EU-15=3.2
|non-EU-15=3.8
}}

== Education ==
The headquarters of the [[Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University]] is located in the city, as well as the [[ISIPCA]], a post-graduate school in perfume, cosmetics products and food flavour formulation.

==Transport==
[[File:Rue Neuve Notre-Dame.jpg|thumb|300px|Rue Neuve Notre-Dame in Versailles]]
Versailles is served by [[Versailles-Chantiers station]], which is an interchange station on Paris [[RER C|RER line C]], on the [[Transilien La Défense]] suburban rail line, on the [[Transilien Paris-Montparnasse]] suburban rail line, and on several national rail lines, including low-frequency [[TGV]] service.

Versailles is also served by two other stations on Paris RER line C: [[Versailles-Château-Rive Gauche station|Versailles-Château–Rive Gauche]] (the closest station to the [[Palace of Versailles]] and consequently the station most frequently used by tourists) and [[Porchefontaine (Paris RER)|Porchefontaine]].

Versailles is also served by two stations on the [[Transilien Paris-Saint-Lazare]] suburban rail line: {{stn|Versailles-Rive Droite}} and {{stn|Montreuil}}.
{{clear left}}

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}
Versailles is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:
* [[Carthage (municipality)|Carthage]], Tunisia<ref>{{cite web |title=Twinning Relationship |url=http://www.commune-carthage.gov.tn/en/index.php?srub=275&rub=251 |website=commune-carthage.gov.tn |publisher=Carthage |access-date=13 April 2021 |archive-date=12 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212104054/http://www.commune-carthage.gov.tn/en/index.php?srub=275&rub=251 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Gyeongju]], South Korea<ref>{{cite web |title=Sister Cities |url=https://www.gyeongju.go.kr/open_content/eng/page.do?mnu_uid=1369& |website=gyeongju.go.kr |publisher=Gyeongju |access-date=13 April 2021 |archive-date=21 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621052510/https://www.gyeongju.go.kr/open_content/eng/page.do?mnu_uid=1369& |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Nara (city)|Nara]], Japan<ref>{{cite web |title=国内外の「姉妹都市」と「友好都市」 |url=https://www.city.nara.lg.jp/site/kankou/93751.html |website=city.nara.lg.jp |publisher=Nara |access-date=13 April 2021 |archive-date=4 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604042013/https://www.city.nara.lg.jp/site/kankou/93751.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Potsdam]], Germany<ref>{{cite web |title=Jumelage |url=https://www.versailles.fr/mairie/relations-internationales/ |website=versailles.fr |publisher=Versailles |language=fr |access-date=13 April 2021 |archive-date=8 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508053521/https://www.versailles.fr/66/decouvrir-versailles/relations-internationales.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Taipei]], Taiwan<ref>{{cite web |title=International Sister Cities |url=https://www.tcc.gov.tw/en/cp.aspx?n=13702 |website=tcc.gov.tw |publisher=Taipei City |access-date=15 December 2021 |archive-date=21 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621183320/https://www.tcc.gov.tw/en/cp.aspx?n=13702 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Philip V of Spain]] (1683–1746), King of Spain
* [[Charles-Michel de l'Épée]] (1712–1789), philanthropic educator
* [[Louis-Augustin Richer]] (1740–1819), singer and composer
* [[Louis-Alexandre Berthier]] (1753–1815), [[Marshal of the Empire]]
* [[Lazare Hoche]] (1768–1797), general
* [[Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry]] (1778–1820), prince of France
* [[Georges Pfeiffer]] (1835–1908), composer and pianist
* [[Léonie Yahne]] (1867–1950), actress
* [[Pierre Vaillandet]] (1888–1971), politician
* [[Yves Brayer]] (1907–1990), painter
* [[Hélène Boucher]] (1908–1934), pilot
* [[Albert Malbois]] (1915–2017), Roman Catholic bishop
* [[Jean-François Lyotard]] (1924–1998), philosopher
* [[Stéphane Audran]] (1932–2018), actress
* [[Joëlle Mélin]] (born 1950), politician
* [[Boris Williams]] (born 1957), musician
* [[Marine Jahan]] (born 1959), dancer
* [[Bruno Podalydès]] (born 1961), writer, director and actor
* [[Michel Gondry]] (born 1963), film and music video director
* [[Stéphane Franke]] (1964–2011), Franco-German athlete
* [[Jean-Benoît Dunckel]] (born 1965), musician
* [[Grégoire de Galzain]] (born 1971), racing driver
* [[Mabrouk El Mechri]] (born 1976), director, screenwriter and actor
* [[Thomas Mars]] (born 1977), rock musician
* [[Mory Correa]] (born 1979), basketball player
* [[Hoshi (singer)|Hoshi]] (born 1996), singer and songwriter
* [[James Hazen Hyde]] (1876–1959), American businessman, bibliophile and patron of the arts
* [[Arabelle Raphael]], pornographic film actress and artist
* [[Neal Maupay]] (born 1996), footballer

==See also==
* [[Établissement public du château, du musée et du domaine national de Versailles]]
* [[Potager du roi, Versailles]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Versailles|Versailles}}
* [http://www.versailles.fr Official website]
* [http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=48806637&x=2109461&z=13&l=0&m=a Wikimapia satellite view]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040808155456/http://www.mairie-versailles.fr/newspage.php?id=1&pg=21&lg=eng City council website]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?q=versailles,+france&ll=48.805733,2.118409&spn=0.015757,0.019855&t=k&hl=en Satellite Image of Versailles]
* [http://www.offrench.net/photos/gallery-8_location-84.php Palace of Versailles photos]

{{Prefectures of departments of France}}
{{Paris Metropolitan Area}}
{{Yvelines communes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Versailles| ]]
[[Category:Communes of Yvelines]]
[[Category:Cities in Île-de-France]]
[[Category:Prefectures in France]]