Editing Palace of Versailles (section)

==Royal Opera==
{{Main|Royal Opera of Versailles}}
<gallery mode="packed" heights="170">
File:Royal Opera de Versailles, Paris, MA56.jpg|The Opera towards the Royal Box
File:Opéra du château de Versailles - foyer (2) - DSC 0921.jpg|Foyer of the Royal Opera
File:Opéra-vue de l'Opéra 1770.jpg|The Royal Opera during the celebration of the marriage of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette (1770)
File:Opera royal versailles 0004.jpg|Stage of the Royal Opera
File:Durameau Opéra Versailles II.jpg|Ceiling of the opera, painted by [[Louis Jean-Jacques Durameau]]
</gallery>

The Royal Opera of Versailles was originally commissioned by Louis XIV in 1682 and was to be built at the end of the North Wing with a design by Hardouin-Mansart and [[Carlo Vigarani]]. However, due to the expense of the King's continental wars, the project was put aside. The idea was revived by [[Louis XV]] with a new design by [[Ange-Jacques Gabriel]] in 1748, but this was also temporarily put aside. The project was revived and rushed ahead for the planned celebration of the marriage of the Dauphin, the future [[Louis XVI]], and [[Marie Antoinette]]. For economy and speed, the new opera was built almost entirely of wood, which also gave it very high quality acoustics. The wood was painted to resemble marble, and the ceiling was decorated with a painting of the Apollo, the god of the arts, preparing crowns for illustrious artists, by [[Louis Jean-Jacques Durameau]]. The sculptor [[Augustin Pajou]] added statuary and reliefs to complete the decoration. The new Opera was inaugurated on 16 May 1770, as part of the celebration of the royal wedding.{{Sfn|Saule|2013|page=60}}

In October 1789, early in the [[French Revolution]], the last banquet for the royal guardsmen was hosted by the King in the opera, before he departed for Paris. Following the [[Franco-German War]] in 1871 and then the [[Paris Commune]] until 1875, the French National Assembly met in the opera, until the proclamation of the [[French Third Republic]] and the return of the government to Paris.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica">{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Palace-of-Versailles|title=Palace of Versailles {{!}} palace, Versailles, France|work=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=28 August 2017|language=en}}</ref>