Google is now offering everyone the chance to take a virtual tour of the Palace of Versailles. You’ll be able to tour the royal residence, view hundreds or artworks in ultra high resolution, and more besides, all using the Google Arts and Culture app.
What Is The Palace of Versailles?
The Palace of Versailles is the former royal residence of France. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lived there when the French Revolution began in 1789. And it’s now a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most visited monuments in France.
Unfortunately, not everyone can visit the Palace of Versailles in person. Which is why Google has teamed up with the Palace to create an online exhibition dedicated to Versailles, its history, its occupants, and the many works of art contained within its walls.
Take a Virtual Tour of Versailles
Google announced the new effort in a post on The Keyword. The company describes Versailles: The Palace Is Yours as “a new online exhibition for everyone who can’t make it to Paris or who wants to explore this majestic place in a new way”.
While Versailles was already a part of the Google Arts and Culture app, there are now “18 new online exhibitions featuring 340 artworks”. This includes hi-res portraits of the royal family, and tours of Versailles’ most famous rooms.
The headline feature is a new virtual reality app called VersaillesVR. Available on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Valve Index, VersaillesVR lets you wander around the palace alone, exploring rooms, and inspecting hundreds of works of art up close and personal.
Visit the Palace of Versailles in Person
Versailles: The Palace Is Yours is a monumental undertaking. However, even Google admits that “nothing will ever replace the emotion of actually stepping into the Palace.” So the company hopes “this visual immersion might inspire you to do just that.”
We urge anyone who hasn’t visited the Palace of Versailles to take the virtual tour. Not only is it entertaining, it’s also educational. And Google Arts and Culture as a whole is one of Google’s hidden gems that can still surprise you.
Image Credit: Herbert Frank/Flickr
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