Seeing Versailles in person, as opposed to what I’ve seen in photos or film, and taking in the true beauty of the palace gave me a new understanding of the people of France and the strong distinction between classes. Every inch of the palace seems to go out of the way to show the extreme wealth of the monarch. This is proven in the excess of red dye (the most expensive color,) the decorations of pure gold on almost every wall, the hall of mirrors, and the elaborate paintings in every room.

It is obvious that those living in Versailles lived a life in luxury. As I mentioned in my journal entry, it was not difficult to imagine the anger and frustration felt by the impoverished citizen of France demanding bread during the Women’s March on Versailles, when they marched through the rain from Paris to Versailles on the night of October fourth, 1789 and the early morning of the fifth.