Journée-rencontre — Friday 9 october 2026 The United States and Versailles:
250 Years of Shared History

"Journée-rencontre" at THE AUDITORIUM 

Taking a chronological perspective, historians and art historians explore the rich and multifaceted relationship between Versailles and the United States, from the Eighteenth century to the present day.

The « journée-rencontre » opens by examining the origins of this transatlantic dialogue, focusing on the profound influence of Enlightenment ideals on the emergence of the American Republic, as well as on the pivotal role of figures such as Lafayette, Vergennes, Franklin, and Jefferson, each of whom had close ties to the court of Versailles and contributed to forging this foundational relationship.

Will also be considered the political and diplomatic legacies of this relationship across the centuries, as well as the enduring resonance of Versailles in the American imagination and culture until today.

Program

Opening

9.30 AM
Welcome Address by Pierre-Emmanuel Lecerf,
Interim President of the Palace of Versailles

9.45 AM  
Introduction

A Shared Enlightenment? 250 Years of Franco-American Friendship and Transatlantic Exchanges
Laurence Cossu-Beaumont, 
Professor at Sorbonne Nouvelle University
and Vice-President of the Institut des Amériques

Morning session

Chaired by Laurence Cossu-Beaumont,
Professor at Sorbonne Nouvelle University
and Vice-President of the Institut des Amériques

10.15 AM
Lafayette between War and Diplomacy: A Key Figure in the Franco-American Alliance
Vincent Bouat-Ferlier, 
Chief Heritage Curator,
Director of the Chambrun-Lafayette Foundation

Vergennes: Architect of a Grand Alliance
Bernard de Montferrand,
Former French Ambassador
and Former President of the French Society of the Cincinnati

11 AM
BREAK

11.15 AM
From Empire to Independence. The Transformation of Benjamin Franklin, 1774 –1776
Bertrand Van Ruymbeke,
Professor at Paris 8 University, Coordinator of the ANR America 2026 project
and member of the American Philosophical Society (Philadelphia)

Thomas Jefferson: Between Americanism and Francophilia; Between Humanism and Slavery
Laurent Zecchini, 
Historian and journalist

12 NOON 
From the American Revolution to the French Revolution, Influences and Echoes
Timothy Tackett,
Professor Emeritus, University of California

Afternoon session

Chaired by Laurent Salomé,
Director of the National Museum of the Palaces of Versailles and Trianon

2.30 PM
Americans in Versailles in the 19th and 20th Centuries: New Archival Documents
Vincent Haegele,
Director of Versailles Municipal Library

3 PM
Versailles in the American Cultural Imagination: Marjorie and Eleanor Post, Major Patrons and Benefactors
Wilfried Zeisler,
Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, Washington 

3.30 PM
Americans in Love with Versailles: Selected Portraits from the 20th Century
Claire Bonnotte,
Research Associate, National Museum of the Palaces of Versailles and Trianon

4 PM
BREAK

 

Session

Chaired by Valérie Lagier,
Chief Heritage Curator at the Franco-American Museum of the Château de Blérancourt

4.15 PM
The Significance of State Visits by American Presidents to Versailles
Françoise Coste,
Professor at Toulouse — Jean Jaurès University

4.45 PM
A Contemporary Perspective: Versailles and the Shifting Dynamics of the Transatlantic Relationship
Gaëtan Bruel,
President of the French National Centre of Cinema (CNC), former Cultural Counsellor in New York,
and first Director of the Villa Albertine (2019–2023)

5.30 PM
Book Signing in the Auditorium Foyer

Dowload the program

booking

The United States and Versailles: 250 Years of Shared History

As part of the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence, this day of encounters, conceived as a dialogue "from past to present," will bring together historical, political, institutional, cultural, and philanthropic insights, along with testimonies and archival material, offering a well-documented and vivid perspective on more than two centuries of shared history.

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The United States and Versailles: 250 Years of Shared History

As part of the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence, this day of encounters, conceived as a dialogue "from past to present," will bring together historical, political, institutional, cultural, and philanthropic insights, along with testimonies and archival material, offering a well-documented and vivid perspective on more than two centuries of shared history.

Read more

The United States and Versailles: 250 Years of Shared History

As part of the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence, this day of encounters, conceived as a dialogue "from yesterday to today," will bring together historical, political, institutional, cultural, and philanthropic insights, along with testimonies and archival material, offering a well-documented and vivid perspective on more than two centuries of shared history.

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