The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles contains 357 mirrors. They are arranged across 17 mirror-clad arches opposite 17 windows overlooking the palace gardens.
The gallery was built between 1678 and 1681 during the reign of Louis XIV. Architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart replaced an earlier open terrace with the long ceremonial hall, which connects the Salon of War and the Salon of Peace. Its 73-metre length and lavish decoration were designed to project the power and wealth of the French monarchy.
The mirrors were especially significant in the seventeenth century because large, high-quality mirror glass was an expensive luxury. France’s Manufacture royale de glaces de miroirs, later associated with Saint-Gobain, helped challenge Venice’s dominance in mirror-making. The reflective surfaces multiplied candlelight and visually brought the gardens into the interior.
The Hall of Mirrors also became a major historic setting after the monarchy. The German Empire was proclaimed there in 1871, and the Treaty of Versailles was signed in the gallery on 28 June 1919. The figures 357 and 17 are sometimes confused: 357 is the number of mirror panels, while 17 refers to the windows and arches.