Author(s): Thomas Garnier

Photographic/Gift

'It's as if Versailles was designed to be seen from the sky.'

For the first time, a photographer has been allowed to fly over the Château, revealing perhaps its best-kept secret: its extraordinary beauty from the air. Thomas Garnier, a photographer at the Château de Versailles, flew his drone over the Versailles estate to bring you never-before-seen images of the royal residence.

From the introduction:
'Everything is more beautiful when seen from above, and this is even truer of Versailles, because the geometry of gardens à la française lend themselves particularly to aerial views. The Grande Perspective, the fountains and the intricate parterres were often drawn up on architectural plans - it is as if Versailles was conceived from the sky. The groves in the Gardens of Versailles take on new forms: the Dome, Colonnade and Obelisk Groves resemble watch faces on which the channels feeding the jets of water mark out the time; the snow-shrouded Chestnut Grove assumes the shape of a violin; the Grand Canal at sunset becomes a landing stage for flying-boats. Aerial photography opens up a new perspective on the Palace of Versailles and its Estate. The view from above reveals the geometry of the different spaces and the genius of their creators, while also offering a panoramic view of the Estate in all its immensity.'