How Much Did It Cost to Build Versailles?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 26, 2020

According to PBS, actual building costs for Versailles vary between estimates, but experts think costs ranged from 116,438,892 livres or $2 billion to $300 billion. These values are in 1994 dollars.

Maintenance of the palace was estimated to be between 6 to 25 percent of the French government’s budget. Yet, Phillips Community College states these estimates might be inflated to overemphasize the lavishness of the French aristocracy. In addition, labor costs were also low as the French army was commissioned to help in construction in the absence of war. Although experts say the true cost might never be known, there were additional renovations starting in the 1950s considered to be more costly than the original construction.