The beauty of Versailles cannot be ignored once as you step into its gates. Even before entering, you can admire its grand size and magnificent golden gates from a distance. While the upkeep of Versailles costs over 15 million euros a year, Versailles continues to remain “one of the most excessively visited monuments on this planet” (according to Secrets of Paris). And while it is most definitely a site to see, I began to wonder if it’s logical to maintain such a place. After all, 15 million a year is a lot just to upkeep one place. 

Personally, I am so thankful to have seen this palace. The ceilings are lined up with astonishing artwork, and each room has its own theme accompanied by an audio guide explaining all there is to know about each room– you could easily spend days just exploring each room. 

And as stunning as the palace was, my personal favorite part was the gardens. Back in LA, one of my favorite places to visit was The Getty. I would get there at 11, spend maybe 2 hours indoors, and spend the rest just taking in the beauty of the central garden. This was my getaway from my daunting thoughts of the future. Walking around the gardens here gave me that same sense of comfort. 

Funnily enough, I felt slightly unsettled the entire time I was there, almost as if this place shouldn’t exist. And honestly, it shouldn’t have. No one should have had that much money to spend on themselves. The absurdity that took place at Versailles is, to say quite simply, ridiculous. The royal blood relieved themselves wherever they wanted, gave birth in public, and had unused rooms because of just how much space they had. 

So what does it mean that this thing stands tall to this day? Still kept up and polished after all these years? That the royal gate, destroyed during the French Revolution, was rebuilt back to its glory centuries later? Yes, it serves as a historical monument, but at what cost? It reminds us of the massive gap in incomes yet that still exists to this day. So, has anything really changed?

After going back home, I decided to do some research. While it costs 15 million euros to upkeep a year, Versailles also creates over 2,500 direct jobs. It contributes to long-term projects like The Démos project, which aims to “expand access to culture by teaching children from disadvantaged areas without any prior musical training to play an instrument as part of group classical music lessons.” It sponsors about 100 kids for free workshops and even supports private lessons for 15 kids. To learn more, take a look at https://en.chateauversailles.fr/news/life-estate/versailles-solidary-palace#long-term-projects. 

Reading all this provided me with a sense of relief. What was built and used as a statement of sheer power and money now stands for something more: equity. Versailles now stands for the enrichment of the people: a transition of power.