European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 9, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Robert h. Newall. King Inui Xiv spared no francs in raising a Palace that was designed As a testimony to his glory. A a. The i  of Versailles was intended to overwhelm the French hint s subjects and foreigners and it was so successful that monarchs All Over Europe copied louis1 grandiose plans. Sauntering through its rooms a sole handsomely furnished others still showing the fury of the revolution in the sparseness of the furnishings Many palaces were destroyed and others were looted a today s visitors Are equally impressed a Versailles the Model for Peter the great s Poter Hof outside St. Petersburg and King Ludwig la s bavarian a Palace called  among others was a costly undertaking. The Cost weighed heavily on the National Treasury and was cat least one cause of the French revolution though Louis did not live to see that turmoil. The Salle Des g laces a the site of the Post world War i deliberations that helped to foment world War ii a has been renovated. The room s ornate ceiling part of which was dislodged by a bomb falling nearby during world War ii has been returned to its former grandeur from its Gigantic windows one has a commanding View of the lavish formal gardens designed by Andre Lenotre. In the smaller Council chamber to the North of the Long Hal of mirrors a Marble Bas Relief Over a fireplace shows Louis in the a Irb of a greek Warrior a fashionable pose Louis left his fingerprints everywhere. A the White and Gold Chapel is a delectable spot. From the rear Balcony a visitor can peer Down onto the High altar within a Semi circular apse. As a Young Man a Mozart performed in the Chapel. Nearby is the restored opera House redolent of the Luster elegance and Charm of the 17th Century. Today it is the Pivotal spot for the annual Versailles festival of music. When one tires of sauntering through what seems to be a labyrinth he May slip away from the magnificence of the Interior to stroll in the gardens. On frequent summer Days the fabled and fabulous fountains will play. A a. / a. A there Are Many grand fountains in the formal gardens but the dragon Fountain is the most dramatic. Taking a sloping walk from a spot close to the Wing that houses the opera a visitor passes along the Allee d eau with basins of murmuring Waters on either Side. At the foot of this tree shaped path is a Clearing dominated by the celebrated Bassin de dragon set off gloriously by a screen of streaming jets. Not far away is the almost equally stunning Bassin Fie Neptune with its feathery spurts of water. On a Fine. Sunday afternoon thousands will converge on this area with its inimitable imaginative a display of water spectacles yet the grounds will not seem crowded. The logical starting place for a tour of the gardens is the Multi tiered Bassin de Latone at the foot of the Steps from the major parterre just facing the Serene classical facade of the Palace. Depending on the Way one s fancy leads a visitor will in time reach the Salle de bal with its Waters cascading Over several tiers into an artificial Pool the Bosquet de la colonnade in which each Jet is framed by an Arch the Bosquet de i in Vlade wit i its rocks giving a primitive Effet to and the opulent for Ilaine de i Obelisque. Each  Lias its own character and Beauty. To Supply water for All these Mammoth mountains Lenotre had a battalion of engineers devise Hydraulic Means by which water from the Seine could be transported to Versailles an ingenious Teal accomplished Between 16gb and 1672.,. The owl Vas so overwhelming however that even Louis Binim of dared not let the fountains run except at those times when he took the air in his admirably appointed gardens. And when he returned to tax palate the fountains were peremptorily shut off a a and he did not look Back. Liu bulk of the visitors to Versailles Are herded through big main palate in huge group during the summer Mouths. Not me May traipse dots n to the Ivill . Where Marie Antoinette arid her ladies i waiting a a it v a rented with the Bat k to nature movement p no gated by Jean Lacque Rousseau. I his but och Ham. Rms h in the St be of a Law iss t Vialet could Easitis serve As the decor Tor a Ballet like Giselle for instance others May glimpse the charming be Petit Rianon where Louis Xiv dallied with his mistresses. Fewer go As far As the Rianon de Marbre or grand Rianon but this Tow lying handsome building is Worth a visit. Although it serves As a Retreat for the. President of France Many of its rooms beautifully revamped Are a feast in which the Public May share. Especially fascinating is the Long gallery in which paintings of Versailles As it was when it was first built Are Hung. It is not difficult to recognize the scenes As they still exist. Recently the Grotto near the classically oriented Belvedere was restored. It was in the Grotto that Marie Antoinette sat when she was told of the fall of the Bastille an event that marked the beginning of the end of a storied Era. Versailles about 10 Miles from Paris is easily reached by train bus or automobile. Admission to the Park is about $3. To see the whole Complex with some thoroughness will consume a full Day. Newall. A journalist in Hampden. Maine also is a tree dance travel Miter cos i ii. Of Quot a from top tourists wait in a Long line to visit Louis Xiv s Palace an ornate ballroom at Versailles and the nearby Petit Hameau the cozy quarters favored by Marie Antoinette. I it August 9, /99w stripes Magazine