Madame Du Barry’s Apartment at the Palace of Versailles has been renovated

You might know the Great Apartment of the King, or even the Queen, the Dauphin or the Queen’s Hamlet, but do you know Countess Madame Du Barry’s apartment? Set right by the King’s small apartment (with direct access to Louis XV’s bedroom), upstairs, are nestled the gorgeous rooms where King Louis XV’s last lover used to live.

Closed in February 2021, this apartment enjoyed major renovation to give it its former glory back, but especially its intimate and delicate features. It took about 18 months and fifty artisans to overcome the aging of paintings and damages caused by the ceilings’ humidity and climate changes.

Set on the palace’s second floor, you can access it via the king’s small apartments and an antechamber leading to a small and discreet bookcase.

The apartment consists of a series of three rooms that used to be the king’s cabinet – leading from the dining room to the bedroom set above the king’s, with a bed, the exact copy of the original one.

We love the bathroom antechamber with pink wood paneling, the large cabinet featuring beautiful alcoves of gold windows, the dining room and the green Martin polish.

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As requested by Madame Du Barry, the very glorious main rooms are decorated with hues of white and gold, a princely privilege. Marginalized by the court, the King’s favorite decorates the place with sophistication, adding trendy pieces of furniture and art items.

Renovated as exact copies, these decors show the taste of the 18^th century. At the same time, the refurbishing of the apartment continues to show you how these rooms where when the countess live there. The original pieces of furniture being scattered in the world, more or less contemporary pieces from this time, already in the palace, try to recreate what the apartment used to be.

For your information, Madame Du Barry – whose real name was Jeanne Bécu also known as “Mademoiselle Vaubernier” – was a commoner. To make her King Louis XV’s lover – widowed in 1768 – Count of Barry-Cérès has her marry his brother, Guillaume Du Barry, so she can make it to the nobility of Versailles. She was the king’s last lover after Madame la Marquise Pompadour who died of tuberculosis.

Because it is very intimate, the apartment is visited in small groups. Discover Madame Du Barry’s taste, as well as Dauphine Marie Joseph de Sax’s to whom the apartment was devoted until she died in 1767. Madame Du Barry took over the place in 1770, and stayed until 1774, after the king died, dismissed by Louis XVI.

In other words, to (re)discover this apartment and the very colorful and gorgeous rooms that are like new, do not forget to book a guided tour, in addition to a classic visit ticket, charged or not. At the same time, visit the “Louis XV, passions of a king” exhibition.