European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 30 stars and stripes thursday april 26 2007 renovation restores Itter to Versailles Hall of mirrors by Angela Doland the associated press pfc t last the chateau of Versailles Hall of mirrors is once again fit do Alfor a King workers at the Palace just outside of Paris Are putting the finishing touches on a three year renovation of the gilded gallery of 357 mirrors where King Louis Xiv entertained and intimidated diplomats and courtiers the Halls grand reopening will Likely come this summer for now the scaffolding is still up and buckets sandpaper and brushes Are stacked up on make shift shelves yet already it is Clear just How much of the Origi Nal splendor has been restored the vaulted ceiling is especially astonishing before the renova Tion Charles be Bruns overhead paintings marking important moments in the Sun Kings reign were dark and faded and visitors rarely looked up skies that were supposed to be sunny Blue were a ghoulish Green details were lost covered Over by grime darkened varnish and overzealous restorations of the past now a pair of Chubby children playing cards is visible again in another panel restorers revived a strand of pearls in a treasure Chest a detail that was masked Over in the 19th Century past restorers often peeled the panels off the ceiling so they could restore them More easily but that had devastating consequences some times when they put the paintings Back up pieces were patched into the wrong place pulling them Down meant there were always rips and that made the sky look like a Patch work restorer Vero Nique Stedman said this time her team worked with a Light touch trying to keep touch ups to a minimum while restoring the Over All Harmony the ceilings Are an allegory of absolute Power a muscular Louis Xiv appears Wear ing Gold roman body Armor while prances onetime enemies were bashed with visual jokes Germany for example is depicted As a woman sitting on a Cloud a Meta phor for a regime propped up by hot air if s almost a work of propaganda said Petronille Eynaud de Fay an official in charge of sponsorship for Vinci the French construction company that funded the renovation Pri a photos work continues on the ceiling of the Hall of mirrors at the chateau de Versailles in Versailles West of Paris the Hall is expected to reopen to visitors this summer workers Are put Ting the finishing touches on a three year million restoration a steady hand and a keen Eye Are Neces sary tools for the workers returning the great Hall to its original splendor vate patronage is much More common in Frances traditionally state reliant Art world since a 2003 Law gave companies More tax incentives to do so the 960square Yard Hall of mirrors built Between 1678 and 1684 is the chateaus Center piece adorned with massive mirrors at a time when even the tiniest hand Mirror was expensive it is Rich in history the italian restoration artist Nicoletta Rinaldi works on the ceiling of the Hail of mirrors treaty of Versailles that ended world War i was signed Here on june 281919 but the Galerie Des glaces As it is known in France faced problems right from its Start craftsmen first had to do touch up work is years after the Hall opened in part because of smoke from candles the most recent renovation came soon after world Ware during the new restoration mirrors were taken Down to be reinforced and some were re placed with historic period mirrors workers also put in a new parquet floor and touched up Marble and gilding the Hall was never completely shut to visitors renovated one half then the other so tourists could always get a sense of the gallery restoration teams uncovered some surprises they found that one restorer from the past carved his name into be Bruns autograph reads Charles closer 1864 age 22 that gave teams clues about an 1864 restoration that they knew Little about and when workers pulled Down the mirrors and looked behind them they found historic Graffiti one past worker at ver Sailles presumably venting about All his hard work even Drew a caricature of his Boss