Versailles from the Sky

Versailles seen from the sky is dreamlike. First to experience this remarkable sight on September 19, 1783, were three passengers aboard the world's first hot-air balloon flight: a sheep, a duck, and a chicken. These animals rose up into the sky in front of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, making Versailles a pioneering location in the conquest of the air.

In the twenty-first century, the advent of drone cameras makes it possible to capture an infinity of new perspectives from the air. Versailles is particularly beautiful when seen from above, and the stunning images in this volume reveal the ingenious geometry of its different spaces, while also offering a panoramic view of the estate in all its immensity. The classical gardens lend themselves well to aerial views: the Grande Perspective, the fountains, the intricate parterres, many of which were plotted out on architectural plans. The wooded groves seem to take on new forms: the Domes, Colonnade, and Obelisk groves resemble watch faces on which the channels that feed the fountains mark out the time; the Chestnut Grove shrouded in snow assumes the shape of a violin; the Grand Canal at sunset becomes a glowing ribbon.

Versailles from the Sky is perfect for anyone who loves Versailles. It is also for anyone who would love to take a trip through the four seasons; a journey that a bird's-eye view of Versailles encapsulates beautifully.