The busts in the Marble Courtyard and Royal Courtyard, some of them ancient and others dating to the 17th century, depict major figures from Roman history, emperors in particular. On display outdoors for over three centuries, this out-of-the-ordinary sculpted decor was the subject of an ambitious, ten-year-long restoration campaign made possible by the generosity of numerous patrons. 2025 saw the completion of this large-scale project, the result of exceptional commitment on the part of private individuales and companies alike.
Busts of the Marble Courtyard
VERSAILLES, a vision of antiquity
The busts decorating the Royal Courtyard and the Marble Courtyard were among Louis XIV's first sculpture commissions for Versailles, a "pleasure palace" in the 1660s. When the monarch moved his court and government to Versailles in 1682, Antiquity was celebrated so as to provide the image of a new Rome recreated to his glory. The Palace's Marble Courtyard and Royal Courtyard, their facades decorated with almost a hundred busts set on pedestals, were the first vision of Antiquity presented to visitors.
bringing the marble courtyard's faces back to life
Following the launch of the "adopt a bust" campaign in 2014, many of the worst damaged and most fragile among them were removed from the facades for restoration. Organised in several phases, the patronage campaign brought this exceptional sculpted decor back to life, with some of the busts returned to the facades and others stored safely away in the Palace's visible storage areas.
Many thanks to our patrons
Many thanks to everyone who worked on this restoration campaign over the past ten years : Société ATRE Décoration, Jean-Pierre de Beaumarchais, Boston University, Jean-Pierre Charnier, Nelly Chevalier, Solène Chevalier, Famille Clérin Baptiste et François, Jean-Marie Collin, Forum Connaissance de Versailles*, Pierre Constantin*, Valérie et Christophe Deldicque, Sophie et Jean-Jacques Delmer, Franck Donnersberg, Jean-Philippe Dubois, Société E-Dentic, Marie-Claire et Didier Erard, Madeleine Faucheux-Bureau*, Financière Thierry du Plessis d’Argentré, Guillaume Fromont, Dominique Gérard*, Anne-Marie Héloir, Jeunes Amis de Versailles avec le soutien de Monsieur Yves Vandewalle*, Patrick Jolly, Anne Laplanche, Association Les Trailers de Paris Île-de-France, Anne Maillot-Milan et Matthieu Maillot en mémoire de Maurice et Paule Maillot*, Philippe Maire*, Herminio Marinas, Société New Ortho, Société Novem Consulting, Alain Péan-Châtelain*, Olivier Poirier, Erwan Poisson, Bruno, Karen et Cassandra Pollet, Société Provost Distribution, Jean-Pierre et Solange Reichenbach*, Céline et David Sarda, Xavier Seurat, Thierry, Véronique et Pauline Simon, SIS Technologies, Jean-François Thiault, Karen Treanton, Victoria Waltrip, Sylvie Wargnier, and to the donors brought together by the Society of Friends of Versailles.
Many thanks to all our generous donors
*Through the agency of the Society of Friends of Versailles
Adoption
Adopt a statue in the gardens of Versailles
Thanks to you, it has been possible to save and preserve the sculpted masterpieces commissioned by Louis XIV.
Become a patron
Individuals, companies, foundations, help the Palace of Versailles to shine worldwide. From just five euros, anyone can contribute to a patronage project and be part of the history of Versailles.
How to become a patron
