20th century The Fourth Republic at Versailles (1951-1957)

At the end of the Second World War, the Palace of Versailles found itself in a rather alarming state of deterioration. Beyond the absence of maintenance work, it suffers from a certain form of disinterest at a time when priority is given to the reconstruction of the country. The dramatic situation in which the Versailles estate found itself nevertheless led successive governments of the Fourth Republic to commit to its preservation. An ambitious restoration program, with exceptional financial measures, coupled with a media campaign to appeal to the generosity of the French, will contribute to the renaissance of the castle.

Since the major works carried out at the start of the reign of King Louis-Philippe I, in the 1830s, to create the museum dedicated “to all the glories of France”, Versailles has not undergone any major renovations. The only funds allocated to the current maintenance of the estate are insufficient because they depend on the goodwill of governments, for whom the conservation of Versailles is far from being the priority. After the First World War, it was the generosity of an American patron, John Davison Rockefeller, which made it possible to finance the rehabilitation of the estate, in particular the structural work and the ponds, in the park. John Davison Rockefeller made a first payment in 1924, then a second in 1927. With a total donation of thirty-four million francs, the generosity of this American national saved Versailles from ruin for a time and led to a parallel effort from the French government of the order of eighteen million francs. Then, the arrival of the Second World War interrupted this plan of restoration and led, once again, to a certain lack of interest in the Palace of Versailles. A lack of resources and materials makes it impossible to carry out large-scale work and prevents routine maintenance of the area. Not to mention that the absence of heating, during harsh winters, only accelerates the deterioration of the palate. At the end of the 1940s, the observation was edifying: behind the sumptuous facades, the woodwork is rotting under the effect of humidity, the walls are cracking, the paintings and tapestries are deteriorating and eleven hectares of roof threaten to collapse, as well as the corroded framework of the Royal Opera. Trianon and the Hameau de la Reine are not spared and are also blatantly deteriorating. Under the collapsed joists, “a real mushroom farm” is even discovered. In the park, it's the same desolation since the pools no longer hold water and wild weeds invade the flowerbeds, particularly in the orangery. Large-scale action with in-depth work becomes urgent. In addition to the danger of seeing a masterpiece of classical architecture and a national symbol collapse, the safety of visitors is called into question: some of them "pass through the parquet floors" of the apartments of Napoleon at the Grand Trianon, as revealed in an article in the newspaper Liberté du Center, published on October 24, 1949. That same day, the torrential rains that poured onto the Versailles estate only confirmed the very poor general condition of the roofs, frames, and buildings, both at the castle and at Trianon.

Five billion francs of work

Four men will then combine their efforts to alert the public authorities to the dramatic situation in which the Sun King's palace finds itself: Charles Mauricheau-Beaupré, the chief curator of the Versailles and Trianons museums since May 1941, and André Japy, the chief architect since 1940, then had as interlocutors Georges Salles, the director of the museums of France since 1945, and René Perchet, the director of Architecture at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs since 1947. From the numerous letters sent to them by Charles Mauricheau-Beaupré and André Japy, Georges Salles and René Perchet became well aware of the alarming situation of the estate, without however, at their level, acting in favor of Versailles given the limited means with which they have. In an attempt to alert the higher authorities of the government, André Japy and René Perchet wrote, in this year 1949, a report putting at five billion francs the amount of "absolutely urgent and essential" work for the conservation of the Versailles estate, starting with backup operations relating to the masonry, framework, and roofing. This report of around twenty pages receives little response in the spheres of power.

Charles Mauricheau-Beaupré then tried to mobilize public opinion through the press, which has experienced unprecedented growth since the end of the Second World War. On April 14, 1949, an article appeared in the newspaper Le Figaro written by journalist Robert Bruyez entitled “Will we let the Palace of Versailles collapse? », which ends with a challenge addressed both to readers and to the government: “There is no French person who will not join [Mauricheau-Beaupré] in raising a cry of alarm. Nor is there a Frenchman who – aware of the profitability of such splendor – will not speak out against the parsimony of public authorities. » Even more interesting is the article published in the local daily Alle les nouvelles de Versailles dated December 15, 1949. Under the title “Expedition to the castle. The misery of the Palace is not even golden", the seriousness of the situation of the Versailles estate is denounced not without humor and derision. Illustrations created by Robert Traut represent potential visitors to the castle and the equipment they should equip to face the dangers associated with visiting the castle. To warn of the worrying situation of the estate, René Perchet even went so far as to call a press conference on April 19, 1950, and bluntly announced: “The Palace of Versailles […] is today in a serious state which will require continuous action for several years, supported by a financial effort which it is not an exaggeration to put at nearly five billion for the most essential operations. » For the moment, the credits allocated to the office of civil buildings and national palaces, to which the Versailles architecture department is attached, the amount for the year 1950 to 2.5 billion francs, to be distributed between nearly of 600 civil buildings and around thirty national palaces. The five billion needed to restore the estate therefore represents double the annual budget of the service on which it depends. To these sums are nevertheless added the appropriations for the special chapter "Conservation work at the Palace of Versailles", voted each year by Parliament since 1949. The first year, 150 million were granted to the castle, then 200 million in 1950 and 190 million in 1951. Sums that barely cover maintenance costs, and which are still very far from the five billion necessary to undertake major restoration work.

The appointment of André Cornu

The year 1951 marked a major turning point. On August 11, the day after the composition of the second government led by René Pleven, André Cornu, senator of Côtes-du-Nord (current department of Côtes-d'Armor), was appointed Secretary of State for Fine Arts attached to the Ministry of Education. This appointment – ​​a first under the Fourth Republic – gives rise to a wave of hope in the cultural and artistic community. “The Minister of Public Instruction or National Education later considered the Fine Arts a bit like an Ingres violin. This was my situation when I accepted the offer from Pleven,” André Cornu recounted many years later. Despite the low importance given to its State Secretariat, its new holder intends to demonstrate a strong desire for action. Barely appointed, André Cornu read the report written by André Japy and René Perchet two years earlier: “I had not waited to be Minister of Fine Arts to love Versailles, but like everyone else, I was unaware of its secret miseries,” he confided. A few months later, in November 1951, a heavy snowfall in Versailles served as the trigger. Due to the state of the roof, the melting of the snow causes dramatic water infiltration which directly damages the interior of the castle. Charles Mauricheau-Beaupré immediately sent a telegram to the Secretary of State for Fine Arts as a call for help and to alert him that it was raining in the Hall of Mirrors. The paintings are threatened. It is the same in the King's bedroom and in several salons. This state of disrepair in Versailles requires, without further delay, immediate intervention by the public authorities to avoid the worst.

Sensitive to the call from the chief curator of the Versailles and Trianons museums, André Cornu immediately decided to go there and see the situation for himself. For this visit, set for November 24, the Secretary of State for Fine Arts invites numerous journalists and political figures so that everyone can appreciate the poverty in which the castle is located. The assembly first went to the Royal Opera where André Japy strongly insisted on the need to redo the frame and roof, which was estimated at around 330 million francs. The visit then continues through the roofs and the Grand Apartments, ending in the park. At the end of the day, to the microphones held out to him, André Cornu declared bluntly: “I would like to say in a very clear way that I hope that we will find these credits in one way or another and that in any case, it is an urgent question […]. We intend to repair [the castle] as quickly as possible if we can afford it. » This visit of November 24, 1951, found a relatively significant response in the press and proved more effective than the campaign begun in 1949. Journalists alternated between dismay and indignation at the government's inaction. Les Actualités françaises, a program broadcast before cinema screenings and therefore likely to reach a large audience, even went so far as to dedicate, in its December 13 edition, a short report entitled “Save Versailles! » The images and commentary illustrate some of the ills from which the castle suffers, and the report ends with this declaration: “Versailles must be saved! »

The launch of a national subscription

After having considered launching a loan of five billion francs to raise the funds necessary for this gigantic restoration work, André Cornu finally opted for the solution of a national subscription: “I did not want the restoration of Versailles, an integral part of French heritage, was ensured only by foreigners, even if they were as good friends as the Americans", argued André Cornu some twenty years later. The objective is therefore not only to raise money but also to try to make the French aware of the fate of their heritage and to unite them around Versailles, which shows straight away that the movement also has morals and patriotism. André Cornu is a man accustomed to the media and perfectly aware of their importance in mobilizing opinion. The Secretary of State has, in fact, a solid network of acquaintances in the press, of great use for the campaign on which he is embarking.

To open the subscription in the most effective way possible and to give it wide distribution, André Cornu chose to launch an appeal on the radio to symbolically mark the start of the safeguarding campaign. In his radio address of February 1, 1952, the Secretary of State announced two important measures, the first being the opening of a subscription placed under the high patronage of the President of the Republic, the Presidents of the Grand Assemblies, the President of the Council and ministers of National Education, Finance, Foreign Affairs, War and Information. Contributions for this subscription can be sent via two bank accounts. The second measure is the creation of a “National Committee for the Safeguarding of the Palace of Versailles”. As André Cornu reported in his memoirs, his speech on February 1, 1952, played a major role: “his impact […] in the country was even greater than I could have expected. The press echoed my call. Public opinion was concerned, and moving letters began to flow into the Ministry. » If the press is unanimous in recognizing the importance of the issue and the merits of the approach, some reservations are nevertheless expressed, as evidenced by an article published in the newspaper Le Monde on February 12, 1952, which calls for the success of the “quest”, but also desires “that its success does not encourage the State to discharge a task which falls to it on the generosity of the public”.

The birth of the National Committee for the Safeguarding of the Palace of Versailles

Established by the decree of January 30, 1952, the “National Committee for the Safeguarding of the Palace of Versailles”, chaired by André Cornu, brings together political figures, academicians, senior civil servants, religious representatives, representatives of employers or representatives of press unions. This Committee then set three objectives: to highlight the estate of Versailles, to create and coordinate “propaganda” in its favor, and to initiate activities likely to raise the funds necessary for its restoration. From the start, it was defined that these objectives must be not only in the short term but also in the long term so that the castle can subsequently meet its maintenance costs. Under the circular of February 15, 1952, departmental committees were created to give greater effectiveness to the national campaign for the preservation of the Palace of Versailles and allow prefects to take the initiative to provide funds for the restoration of the domain. At the same time, exceptional financial measures are being put in place to provide the funds required by the restoration program. Based on the 1949 report which estimated the amount of the work at five billion francs, it was decided, in 1953, to divide the work into five annual installments of one billion.

While awaiting the result of the subscription, action is being taken to obtain new budgetary resources from the government. Thus, Parliament votes on the credits that André Cornu was able to obtain from the government, that is to say, 765 million per year over five years. On the other hand, the entrance fees to the Palace of Versailles, as well as to the Grand and Petit Trianon, have been revised significantly upwards, just as an entrance fee has been introduced to the park on the occasion of the Grandes game. Waters. This last measure proved particularly effective, since it brought eleven million francs for the restoration of the castle in 1952, fifteen million in 1953, and twenty million in 1954. In the weeks and months following the radio appeal launched by André Cornu, it is a real outpouring of generosity that is emerging in favor of Versailles, not only from the big bosses but also from the most modest people. The most numerous subscriptions are, in fact, of the order of 1,000, 500, and 200 francs. They come from employees, civil servants, workers, and retirees, and are very often accompanied by moving letters that show the response received by the campaign that the National Committee has undertaken. Among the patrons who made themselves known were the governor of the Bank of France, who donated ten million francs, and the president of the National Council of French Employers.

Artists and patrons mobilize

Many intellectuals also favored this new attraction for Versailles. Writers like Roger Nimier, and André Maurois, and painters like Henri Matisse and Maurice Utrillo are committed to the palace. Support committees were formed, collections were organized at all levels and money flowed into Versailles, both from France and abroad, where the place did not leave anyone indifferent. This is how the donation that would have the greatest impact came on January 5, 1954, when the Rockefeller brothers, wishing to renew the gesture of generosity of their father, John Davison Rockefeller, in favor of the estate in the 1920s, sent a check for 100 million francs to the National Committee. Having greatly enjoyed their visits to Versailles, in 1953, the Rockefeller brothers expressed the wish that their money be used to restore the Petit Trianon, the Queen's Hameau, the French Pavilion, and the water features. A proposal was accepted by the National Committee, although these parts of the estate were not affected by the initial five-year plan. If this donation from the Rockefeller family makes it possible to open these new projects, the damage turns out to be more significant than expected. Therefore, to carry out the work successfully, it will be necessary to call on credits from the safeguard fund.

The cost of these restorations, completed five years later, ultimately amounted to 475 million francs. Although the National Committee was responsible for financing nearly 80% of it, it is nevertheless the name of Rockefeller that will remain associated with the rebirth of this part of the field. Indeed, the publicity surrounding such a donation and the positive image that the Rockefeller family derives from it can attract new patrons who also wish to associate their name with the prestige of Versailles. Alongside this gigantic search for funds, to restore the castle to its splendor, there also appears a desire to refurnish this unique monument in the world and restore all its splendor, which involves investigations to find and repurchase furniture, paneling, tapestries, accessories, and works of art that were notably dispersed during the French Revolution and subsequent periods.

Successful actions

The most memorable event put in place by the National Committee will undoubtedly remain the creation of a sound and light show entitled À tous les Glories de la France. Enthusiastic by a show he attended during the summer of 1952 at the Château de Chambord, André Cornu decided to create a similar one in Versailles. Inaugurated in June 1953, the show received a more than favorable reception and criticism. Its success will even exceed all expectations. In three years, 650,000 spectators attend, including 300,000 in the first year, and the profit at the end of these three years, after amortization, will amount to no less than eighty-five million francs. The novelty of this type of stereophonic show and the prowess that it constitutes make a double contribution to the preservation of Versailles: financial first of all, but also cultural and political. While reinforcing the influence of France, the show retraces, in fact, the glorious hours of the country's history through the Palace of Versailles, which contributes to exalting its significance and establishing it as a national and republican symbol. to the spectators.

The year 1955 will be marked by a major exhibition dedicated to Queen Marie-Antoinette, to mark the bicentenary of her birth. Nearly 1,200 objects are presented in sixteen rooms, most of them coming from private collections never before revealed to the public. With around 270,000 visitors, this exhibition was a great success. From then on, the museum measures how much an event of this nature can encourage attendance at the site. This period thus saw the emergence of the first experiences intended to improve the comfort and intellectual satisfaction of visitors.

Versailles, movie set

It is the projectors and cinema cameras that will then bring national and international influence to the Palace of Versailles. Sacha Guitry got the ball rolling by directing, during the summer of 1953, his film If Versailles was told to me, for which he brought together a sparkling cast including the greatest actors of the time. The authorization granted to the filmmaker to shoot his film in natural settings was the subject of a contract concluded between the State Secretariat for Fine Arts and the film's production company. In return for this material assistance estimated at ten million old francs, article 3 of the said contract provides that: “Until full payment of the sum of ten million francs, representing State assistance, 100% of the revenue will be allocated to the State; all subsequent revenues will be distributed indefinitely at the rate of 20% to the State, 80% to the production company. » It is also specified that the sums accruing to the State will be “charged to a special line entered in the general budget and entitled: resources allocated to the restoration and conservation of the National Estate of Versailles”. In February 1954, when it was released in theaters, Si Versailles May conté was acclaimed by the public and received a triumph by rising to first place at the box office with nearly seven million admissions. The same year the film was released in Italy and the United Kingdom and three years later in the United States. By the financial agreement agreed with the State in exchange for certain authorizations to film on natural settings, part of the profits from the film, which will therefore have been greater than expected, will be intended for the restoration of the Palace of Versailles.

While the National Safeguarding Committee had, at the time of signing the contract between the State Secretariat for Fine Arts and the film production company, counted on a sum of around forty million francs, it was ultimately fifty -six million francs which will be paid to contribute to the rebirth of Versailles. The success of the film goes well beyond the borders of France, as reported by an inspector general for tourism who does not fail to point out that the publicity made abroad by If Versailles was told to me is sensational. Called by chance to visit the French tourist offices in Switzerland during an inspection, he noticed in Zurich and Geneva four times more requests for information relating to Versailles since the walls of these cities were covered with advertising posters. On the other hand, the repercussions of the success of the film were not long in coming for Versailles since, thanks to the work of Sacha Guitry, the cinema took a liking to the castle, starting in 1954, during which filmmaker Christian-Jaque shot his film Madame du Barry there with actress Martine Carol. The following year, in 1955, it was the director, Jean Delannoy, who installed his cameras in Versailles to shoot his film Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France, on the occasion of the bicentenary of her birth, with Michèle Morgan in the title role.

Restoration and modernization

Different parts of the Versailles estate were affected by the restoration work carried out as part of the safeguarding. As for the roofs, the effort focused mainly on the northern part of the castle, where the north wing was completely redone, on the park side and on the rue des Réservoirs side, as well as the roof of the Royal Opera. Those of the Dufour pavilions and the south wing of the Ministers were also redone, as well as the Orléans wing and the Provence wing, then the Midi wing on the park side. In addition to these roofing works on the castle, there are those of Trianon, not initially planned but carried out under the impetus of the Rockefeller donation. Thus, the roofs of the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, the French Pavilion, and the Hameau de la Reine were redone. Concerning the floors and arches, the restorations were mainly focused on the Hall of Mirrors and the Grand Apartments. In the park, in addition to the restoration of statues, the repair of roads, and replanting, the work targeted the basins and pipes essential to the Great Waters game, always with the idea of ​​encouraging events intended to raise funds for the backup.

The equipment work on the estate, such as the electrical installations, heating, viability, security, and stage arrangements of the Louis with such great magnitude. Once completed, this work will still have absorbed 28% of the credits. In addition, their realization has often been linked to the establishment of events as part of the preservation of places. For example, the electrical installations were necessary for the launch of the sound and light show. In 1953, only the lighting of the facade for the show was installed, but, the following year, a generator was installed in the palace to allow, as the work progressed, to electrify the entire site. The equipment work also includes the installation of the telephone, which provides connections to all points of the castle, in addition to offering additional security. The heating system has also been completely revised, to contribute to the good conservation of the collections. Five years after the launch of its restoration campaign, Versailles seems to have regained its magnificence. The gala evening chaired by the President of the Republic, René Coty, in the presence of the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, and her husband, Prince Philip, on April 9, 1957, demonstrated that the castle had changed its face in less than a decade. After a tour of the Grand Apartments and a lunch for more than a hundred people organized in the Hall of Mirrors, the British royal couple and President Coty inaugurated the newly restored Royal Opera. For the occasion, guests attend a performance of Les Indes Galantes, one of the opera ballets composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau.

Summary of the sums collected as part of the safeguarding campaign

When the saving of Versailles is mentioned, it is first of all the call for the generosity of the French which is highlighted. However, the report that the National Committee for the Restoration of the Palace of Versailles presented on January 1, 1959, goes against this preconceived idea. It appears from this report that the total amount of sums collected over six full years, from 1953 to 1958, amounted to 5,588,000,000 francs. Of this sum, budgetary appropriations represent no less than 4,335,000,000 francs, or 77.6%, and competition funds, 1,253,000,000 francs, or 22.4%. Regarding the resources from the competition fund, they are distributed as follows: cash donations, 509 million francs (40.6%); museum revenues, photographic and cinematographic taxes, 465 million francs (37.2%); royalties and miscellaneous products (concessions, rentals, sales, etc.), 115 million francs (9.2%); profits from the sound and light show, 108 million francs (8.6%); road taxes: 56 million francs (4.4%). When reading these figures, a first observation emerges: it is the State that financed the vast majority of the five-year safeguard plan. However, if the national subscription had considerable importance on the media level and if it made it possible to interest the French in the fate of Versailles, it only represented approximately 9% of the total resources for safeguarding. It therefore seems that this appeal to the French had above all a unifying role in patriotic gathering around Versailles. The appeal to the population also acted as a lever to put pressure on the State and force it, in a way, to vote for credits in favor of Versailles, as André Cornu will mention during a debate before parliamentarians. in April 1954: “I must point out to you that, about the Palace of Versailles, appeal was not made solely to public generosity. However, I believe that it is thanks to this appeal that it has been easier for both Parliament and the Government to do their duty. »

The restoration of the Royal Opera

The restoration of the Royal Opera was carried out between 1952 and 1957. At the beginning of the 1950s, the building, built 180 years earlier, was in an advanced state of disrepair and denaturation. The dressing rooms in the hall no longer exist, the stage rooms and theater workshops have disappeared, a whitewash covers the gilding and the ceiling was pierced for the installation of a glass roof. This, fleeing from all directions, caused the rotting and collapse of the frames, which have since been supported by immense scaffolding. Work began in 1952 based on plans by architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel found in the archives. Memories of orders placed around 1760 to Lyon silk workers, painters, and glaziers are also used. In a storage room, André Japy will be surprised to discover, carefully rolled up, the canvas that was used on the ceiling of the Opera, created by the painter Louis-Jean-Jacques Durameau and entitled Apollo crowning the Arts. The restorers also reveal the “sheepfold” scenes under the whitewash and fragments of fake marble in the corners. Just a sample of the original fabric, found in the blower's pit, will be used to reweave the blue velvet room. The previous restoration of the Opera, which took place more than a century earlier under the reign of King Louis-Philippe I, had, destroyed the harmony of colors so skillfully studied, leading to the room being repainted red. This new restoration, of a considerable scale carried out over five years, therefore makes it possible to reconnect with the initial decoration of the room: faux-francolin, porphyry, morello cherry marbles, arabesque panels, and restoration of the proportions of the royal box among others. Only the stage machinery dating from the 18th century will be destroyed to make way for the installation of technical rooms.

In preparation for the sound and light show entitled À tous les glories de la France projected in the summer of 1953, deep pits were dug intended to accommodate enormous projectors placed in particular in front of each parterre of water and other places. A mechanical device allows the projectors to be raised in the evening and then lowered by folding down the plates serving as a cover. Nothing remains of these external devices. Technical progress has considerably simplified similar lighting systems when the need arises.