The museum of Versailles

Created in 1837, the Museum of the History of France was installed in the wings of the château, then in a state close to abandonment. It brought together a vast ensemble of portraits and historical scenes, most of them canvases commissioned from the artists of the day. Today, the collections gather nearly 6,000 paintings and around 1,500 sculptures, dating from the fifteenth to the twentieth century, making Versailles a major iconographic source for the history of France. Few places offer so complete a panorama of the national story.

The most important of the historical galleries is the Gallery of Battles, which occupies almost the entire first floor of the South Wing. About 394 feet (120 meters) long and about 43 feet (13 meters) wide, it is the largest room in the château. It brings together 33 paintings of the great battles that shaped the nation's history, from the victory of Clovis at Tolbiac to that of Napoleon at Wagram in 1809, evoking all the dynasties that reigned over France, from the Merovingians to the Bourbons. To walk through the gallery is to cross fourteen centuries of history in a few steps.

Conceived and executed from 1833, the Gallery of Battles was solemnly inaugurated on June 10, 1837, becoming the highlight of the museum visit. Louis-Philippe's aim was in part to reconcile the supporters of the different regimes that had governed France since the Revolution, and to anchor his own legitimacy as King of the French in a shared national narrative. Behind the paintings, then, lies a whole political intention, characteristic of its time.

• The Museum of the History of France was created by Louis-Philippe in 1837.
• The Gallery of Battles, about 394 feet (120 meters) long, is the largest room in the château, with 33 paintings.
• The collections include nearly 6,000 paintings and around 1,500 sculptures.