Notre-Dame Church and Market
On Gingerguide's self-guided Versailles audio tour, Notre-Dame Church and Market is a stop worth about ~30 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type market
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Versailles Versailles guide
About Notre-Dame Church and Market
A classical church where the royal family's births and deaths were entered in the registers, standing beside four covered market halls that have fed Versailles for generations.
The church of Notre-Dame was commissioned by Louis XIV and built between 1684 and 1686 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart in a sober classical style, replacing the older, smaller church of Saint-Julien. Consecrated on 30 October 1686 and dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, it became the parish church of the royal court after its permanent move to Versailles: baptisms, marriages and burials of the royal family were recorded in its registers, even when the ceremonies were held in the palace's Royal Chapel. During the Revolution it was briefly declared a cathedral and, in 1793, a Temple of Reason.
Immediately to the north-west lies the place du Marché Notre-Dame, ringed by four covered market halls, the 'Carrés'. The present nineteenth-century halls rebuilt a much older market and still host one of Versailles' principal markets.
Did you know? Royal weddings and christenings were often celebrated inside the palace's own chapel, but the paperwork came here: Notre-Dame was the parish that recorded the royal family's births, marriages and deaths in its registers.
How much time do you need at Notre-Dame Church and Market?
Around ~30 min works well for Notre-Dame Church and Market — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Notre-Dame Church and Market?
Yes — Notre-Dame Church and Market made the cut as one of 15 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Versailles. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Versailles
Day 1 of the Versailles in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Notre-Dame Church and Market
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