In the middle of the great perspective of Versailles, the Apollo basin shines again under the winter sun.
The fountain statue designed by Jean-Baptiste Tuby for Louis XIV has found its place after a year of restoration.
The area being open to the public, it was in front of fascinated tourists that Apollo and his heavy chariot were transported on Thursday, then placed back on their base.
The four immense horses, Phaeton, the son of Helios, tritons and dolphins will find their place on Friday.
The large fountain will be refilled with water in April with its gushing mouths, horns and characters crossed by the pipes.
One hundred years after its last restoration, the fountain was seriously degraded, its structure collapsing, and its frames and gilding gasping for air.
Their restoration was entrusted to Ateliers Saint-Jacques, located within the Coubertin foundry, in Yvelines.
Virtuosos in the restoration of metal and bronze, the artisans discovered lead diseases at the heart of the statues and had to rebuild parts eaten away by rust.
The project was financed by sponsorship from the CMA-CGM group.
Read alsoAt the head of the Palace of Versailles, Catherine Pgard hands over to Christophe Leribault
In majesty for the Olympics
Having regained its proud appearance, the restored sculpted group is not gilded like the Latona basin, whose flashy color took several years to fade.
“We chose a tanned complexion, as it appeared in the archives, and we added a patina,”
explains Jacques Moulin, chief architect of Historic Buildings, in charge of the exterior heritage of the estate.
However, Apollo, his chariot, his horses and the dolphins can be seen from afar.
And especially from the castle terrace, 2 kilometers away.
The god renowned for his beauty will be in majesty during the equestrian events organized for the Olympic Games, starting July 27.
Along the Grand Canal, a 5.3 kilometer cross-country course with 27 obstacles will be set up.
The events will be watched by spectators from all over the world, but also by the public who will be able to stroll near the Grand Canal.
Transfer of power in March
“The Games were an accelerator for the estate and the restorations of its heritage,”
says Louis-Samuel Berger, administrator of Versailles.
This sporting weather will give extraordinary visibility to Versailles.”
Embodying the sun, the symbol to
which
Louis
and Trianon.
There are still a number of restoration projects to be carried out in the area.
The maintenance of Versailles is an
“eternal beginning”
, according to the expression of Laurent Salomé.
It will therefore be up to the successor of the outgoing president of Versailles, Catherine Pgard, to make choices.
And to find the patrons without whom the restorations have no chance of being carried out.
While the castle staff was still waiting on Thursday for the officialization of the appointment of Christophe Leribault, current director of the Musée d'Orsay, the teams thought that the new president would arrive at the Versailles estate at the beginning of March.
In the whirlwind of uncertainty, heritage and fountains seemed to provide permanence.
Versailles will always be Versailles!