Grande Écurie

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Grande Écurie, Versailles

The Grande Écurie ( French for large stables ) is a monumental building on the Place d'Armes in Versailles (France). It is located opposite the main courtyard of the Palace of Versailles , on the north side of the Avenue de Paris, the central axis of the city map of Versailles. The Grande Écurie was built in 1682, during the reign of Louis XIV , under the direction of the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart . Mirror image opposite on the south side of the avenue de Paris is the Petite Écurie , in which the driving horses and carriages were housed.

During the Ancien Régime , the Grande Écurie was under the command of the Grand Stable Master of France and housed the hunting and war horses of the king and prince. Between 1680 and 1830, the Versailles riding school was located here, the cradle of classical equestrianism in France.

In the 17th and 18th centuries (Louis XIV and Louis XV ) the Grande Écurie was an important element of court life, music was performed and horse riding was accompanied by music. During this period there were five different ensembles named after the instruments used: “Trompettes”, “Violons, hautbois, saqueboutes et cornets”, “Hautbois et musettes du Poitou”, “Fifres et tambours” and the “Cromornes” et Trompettes marines ”. Well-known musicians, for example Jacques-Martin Hotteterre , Marc-Antoine Charpentier and Charles Dieupart were members of the music ensembles of the Grande Écurie.

The facades facing the inner courtyard, avenue de Paris and avenue de Saint-Cloud and the facades of the two pavilions are considered historical monuments .

Today the Grande Écurie houses the administration of Versailles, the Académie du spectacle équestre and a carriage museum .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Grandes Ecuries in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)

Web links

Commons : Grande Écurie  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 48 ° 48 ′ 13.8 ″  N , 2 ° 7 ′ 42.1 ″  E