La trs vridique histoire de la Chaise Volante de Versailles

In the Year of Our Lord 1743, Louis XV, Roi de France, ordered to build a "Chaise Volante" ( Flying Chair) for his new favorite, Madame de Chateauroux.

Actually, the Royal private appartments were located on the 1er tage of Versailles, and hers on the 3e tage .

So the Chaise Volante or Flying Chair was designed to help Madame de Chateauroux to go up and downdirectly from the King's Room to hers and back, on the quadruple purpose of providing a short cut,as well asease, comfort , and of course discretion.

When Madame de Chateauroux died at the age of 27, it was rumored that the very same Chaise Volante was used by the next favorite, Madame de Pompadour.

This clever system was modeled after a recent invention by Monsieur le Comte de Villayer, and built by Blaise-Henri ARNOULT, who designed the sophisticated machineries behind the scenes of the Royal Opera in Versailles.

It was made of a human-sized box with a seat, looking somewhat like a sedan-chair, sliding up inside an elevator shaft, manoeuvred by its occupant by mean of a rope vertically going through the box or cabin, and linked to a system of pulleys and counterweights. Thanks to these, the favorite, by her own energy, could reach her bedroom two stairs above, unseen and without effort.

By now, everybody has understood, that this 'Flying Chair' was indeed the forerunner of the modern elevators, and a simplified and motorless version of these.

As a conclusion, may I humbly suggest to the admirable builders of SL Versailles to include this device in their future building plans and schedules? Would'nt it be at the same time accurate and funny?

( I would enjoy personally to look at Noailles and Montbazon ra cing and rocketing through the floors:-) Although, at second thought, I doubt if they wouldlower themselves to following the same path as Courtesans and Favorites...unless they would be certain no one sees them, that is!)

The drawing besideshows someplansfor this 'Chaise Volante' - whichdoes not exist anymore-that are stored in French National Archives in Paris.

Here is a link to the website of the 'Sciences et Curiosits La Cour de Versailles' exhibition, which was held last year in the Castle ( just to show you I did not invent the whole story!)

http://sciences.chateauversailles.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=146&Itemid=468&lang=fr

And last,but not least, the portrait hereunder shows Madame de Chateauroux, as painted by Nattier (?)