Free History lessons The History at the Palace

All the year long, the Palace of Versailles will offer a new monthly event dedicated to history. Open to all, this programme will address the major themes of Louis XIV's reign: diplomacy, taxation, religion, and more. Classes will be taught by professors in the Palace auditorium, in French, offering a unique perspective on one of the most iconic reigns of the French monarchy.

Discovering the reign of louis XIV

Every first Wednesday of the month, starting in November 2025, the Palace of Versailles will offer a series of evening history classes to allow the public to discover the key events that marked the reign of the Sun King. Each class will focus on a theme from the reign of Louis XIV and will be taught by a renowned specialist. 

The first lecture introduces the functioning of royal power and the logic of absolute monarchy. The audience then follows the evolution of the kingdom's diplomacy and geopolitics, between military confrontations and periods of peace. The following lectures focus on how the king finances his authority through taxation and shed light on his complex relationship with religion and the Church.

The series continues with an in-depth look at the influence of the arts and sciences, when Versailles became a major cultural and intellectual centre in Europe. It continues with a reflection on the hierarchy of society and the interactions between the different classes of the socio-economic system of the Ancien Régime. Finally, it concludes with an analysis of the crises and revolts that shook the kingdom, revealing the social and political tensions of Louis XIV's time. Each one-hour lecture ends with a discussion with the audience, providing an opportunity to explore the topics covered in greater depth and engage in direct dialogue with the speakers.

the first lesson

Wednesday, 5 November - The Royal State

By Laurent Avezou, historian, archivist, palaeographer, senior lecturer (Chartres) at the Lycée Pierre de Fermat, Toulouse.

Upon the death of Cardinal Mazarin on 9 March 1661, Louis XIV, king since 1643, assumed power. Ministers, secretaries of state, and the Council were the institutions on which his power rested. However, traditional forces such as parliaments and the rural nobility remained. The distance and weakness of means of communication made the kingdom a juxtaposition of peoples and countries, rather than a modern state.

L'Histoire au château (saison 2025-2026)

Le château de Versailles propose, à partir de la rentrée 2025, un cycle de cours mensuel ouvert à tous (de 16 à 96 ans).

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L'Histoire au château (saison 2025-2026)

Le château de Versailles propose, à partir de la rentrée 2025, un cycle de cours mensuel ouvert à tous (de 16 à 96 ans).

0 €

Read more

L'Histoire au château (saison 2025-2026)

Dans la continuité de sa mission de transmission de l'Histoire, le château de Versailles propose, à partir de la rentrée 2025, un cycle de cours mensuel ouvert à tous (de 16 à 96 ans).
Ce programme s'adresse aux curieux non-initiés souhaitant découvrir l'histoire de France autrement, en bénéficiant des éclairages d'historiens spécialistes.

Le thème de la première édition est consacré au Siècle de Louis XIV (1638-1715), période emblématique du développement de la monarchie absolue.
Chaque cours, d'une durée d'1h suivie de 15 minutes d'échanges avec le public (de 18h à 19h30), constitue une entité autonome mais s'intègre dans un ensemble cohérent.

Tarifs

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Next lessons

Wednesday, 12 November – The Conquering King: War and Diplomacy from 1661 to 1688

By Jean-Philippe Cénat, teacher of Khâgne at the Lycée Auguste-Blanqui, Saint-Ouen.

At the beginning of his reign, Louis XIV inherited a favourable geopolitical situation: France was at peace. With the strongest army in Europe at his disposal, the young king sought to distinguish himself through the War of Devolution (1667-1668) and then the Anglo-French War (1672-1678), both of which ended in victory. Although the annexation of border territories in peacetime allowed him to consolidate the kingdom's borders, it led to the rest of Europe forming a coalition against France in a new war in 1688.

Wednesday, 3 December - The Setting Sun: War and Diplomacy from 1688 to 1715

By Clément Oury, Deputy Director General of Campus Condorcet in charge of the Humathèque.

France needed to make an unprecedented military effort to end the War of the League of Augsburg (1688-1697) in 1697. But five years later, Europe was once again embroiled in conflict over the Spanish crown. This new war brought the kingdom to the brink of collapse.

Wednesday, 7 January: ‘One King, One Faith’

By Etienne Bourdeu, former member of the Casa de Velázquez, teacher at Victor-Louis High School, Talence.

To better understand the conflicts between Louis XIV, the denominations considered heretical (Protestantism and Jansenism) and the Pope, it is necessary to grasp the central role of religion in modern societies. Faith was not simply a matter of spirituality; it was just as much about the organisation of society and its control.

Wednesday, 4 February - The French, the king and taxation

By Stéphane Guerre, professor of Khâgne at Lycée Blomet, Paris.

After discussing the financial resources available to the royal power, the aim of the course will be to highlight the tax reforms that shaped the reign of Louis XIV, while exploring the mechanisms of tax collection and society's reactions to increasing tax pressure.

Wednesday, 18 March - Art and science in the service of the king

By Isaure Boitel, lecturer in modern history at the University of Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens.

In order to discover how artists and scholars of the time placed themselves at the service of Louis XIV, the aim of the course is to understand why French culture fascinated foreign contemporaries so much and played such a significant role in sovereign power.

Wednesday, 8 April - Clergy, nobility, commoners: a hierarchical society

By Mathieu Lemoine, teacher of Khâgne at the Lycée Molière, Paris.

Seventeenth-century French society was a society of orders, in which each individual was distinguished according to the privileges they enjoyed, which positioned them within a hierarchy. Despite fixed patterns, French society was relatively open, allowing for social advancement.

Wednesday, 6 May - Misery in the Grand Siècle: crises and revolts

By Gauthier Aubert, professor of modern history, University of Rennes II.

Historians of the 17th century have highlighted the difficulties endured by Louis XIV's contemporaries, providing a counterpoint to the magnificence of his reign, symbolised by Versailles. To conclude this series, we will discuss the major crises faced by 20 million French people, as well as how they dealt with them, which in some cases led to rebellion.

patronage

These lessons are possible thanks to the patronage of The Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Fondation.

PRATICAL INFORMATIONS

• Language: French
• Dates: every month (5 and 12 November, 3 December, 7 January, 4 February, 18 March, 8 April, 6 May)
• Hours: from 6pm to 7.30pm
• Place: Auditorium
• Access:  Parking place d'Armes

Free on reservation

Partners

https://www.historia.fr/