Versailles from the Sky

'It's as if Versailles was designed to be seen from the sky.'

For the first time, a photographer has been allowed to fly over the Château, revealing perhaps its best-kept secret: its extraordinary beauty from the air. Thomas Garnier, a photographer at the Château de Versailles, flew his drone over the Versailles estate to bring you never-before-seen images of the royal residence.

From the introduction:
'Everything is more beautiful when seen from above, and this is even truer of Versailles, because the geometry of gardens à la française lend themselves particularly to aerial views. The Grande Perspective, the fountains and the intricate parterres were often drawn up on architectural plans it is as if Versailles was conceived from the sky. The groves in the Gardens of Versailles take on new forms: the Dome, Colonnade and Obelisk Groves resemble watch faces on which the channels feeding the jets of water mark out the time; the snow-shrouded Chestnut Grove assumes the shape of a violin; the Grand Canal at sunset becomes a landing stage for flying-boats. Aerial photography opens up a new perspective on the Palace of Versailles and its Estate. The view from above reveals the geometry of the different spaces and the genius of their creators, while also offering a panoramic view of the Estate in all its immensity.' See more