The Gallery of Great Battles

This gallery stretches 120 meters, making it the largest room in the Palace of Versailles.

Its vast walls are covered with paintings.

Do you notice what they all have in common?

That's right. Every one of them depicts a battle.

Now, try looking from the left side to the right.

Do you notice a difference?

On the left, the soldiers mainly carry swords and spears. On the right, you'll see muskets and cannons.

The paintings are arranged in chronological order, beginning at the far left and continuing clockwise around the room.

Beneath each painting, you'll find the year and the title of the battle.

This Gallery of Battles was the centerpiece of Louis Philippe's transformation of Versailles into the Museum of the History of France.

He filled what had once been the royal residence with thirty-three monumental paintings depicting major French military victories from the fifth century to the nineteenth century.

The busts placed between the paintings honor more than eighty generals who died in battle.

But why did Louis Philippe place so much emphasis on French history?

After the Revolution, with absolute monarchy gone, France was deeply divided.

Royalists, republicans, and those who still longed for Napoleon's glory were constantly at odds, threatening to tear the country apart.

Faced with this division, Louis Philippe chose not to side with any one group. Instead, he tried to embrace them all.

The monarchy, the Revolution, and even Napoleon, he declared, were all part of France's great history.

One of the ways he put that vision into practice was right here at the Palace of Versailles.

He boldly transformed this place, once reserved for the royal family and a handful of nobles, into a museum and opened it to the public.

Imagine how ordinary people must have felt as they walked through this gallery, surrounded by these monumental paintings celebrating France's victories.

Perhaps they thought, "I'm proud to be part of a nation like this."

In the end, Louis Philippe, too, hoped to unite the French people through their shared history.

Now, continue walking through the gallery and take your time looking at the paintings.

You'll spot many familiar figures, including Louis XIV, Napoleon, and Louis Philippe himself, the king who created this gallery.

When you're finished, leave the gallery, turn right, and start the next chapter.