Visit to the Exhibition ‘Versailles: Science and Splendour’

Versailles: Science and Splendour

Exhibition open until Monday 21 April 2025

Matthew Howles, Associate Curator, will give FPS members a special tour of this fascinating exhibition.

Discover how the French monarchy wielded science as a tool of power from the Palace of Versailles, in this illuminating new exhibition. Versailles is famous around the world for its opulent architecture and rich history. But in the 17th and 18th centuries, it also became a major site of scientific thinking and practice. Visitors will be transported to the world of the French royal court to discover spectacular objects of astronomy, horology, natural history, botany, engineering, medicine, and more – many on display in the UK for the very first time. Highlights include Louis XV’s magnificent rhino, Madame du Coudray’s extraordinary obstetrics mannequin, and arguably the world’s most famous watch, designed for Marie-Antoinette, which represents the pinnacle of artistic ingenuity and engineering. Open until April 2025, Versailles: Science and Splendour explores the vitally important role science played at the Palace and beyond.

The tour is limited to 15 people, book your ticket here.

We will meet by the main entrance to the museum at 15:45 to allow enough time to pass security and leave our bags in the lockers.

Image: Detail from print showing the ascent of a Montgolfier balloon at Versailles on 19 September 1783. Published by Le Noir, 1783. Science Museum Group Collection.