Versailles
Definition
A city in France best known as the site of the Château de Versailles, the opulent royal palace that served as the residence of French kings from 1682 until the French Revolution.
A metaphor for extreme luxury, excessive extravagance, or the dangerous detachment of the ruling class from the public.
A historical reference to the Treaty of Versailles (1919), often invoked to describe peace agreements viewed as punitive or precursors to further conflict.
Examples
Il a décoré son salon avec un tel luxe qu'on se croirait à Versailles, même si la moitié des meubles est probablement une contrefaçon à la Pallot.
He decorated his living room with such luxury that you would think you were at Versailles, even if half the furniture is likely a Pallot-style forgery.
Vivre dans sa propre Versailles personnelle tout en ignorant les problèmes du monde est une stratégie de relations publiques audacieuse, bien que risquée.
Living in your own personal Versailles while ignoring the world's problems is a bold public relations strategy, albeit a risky one.
Les visiteurs s'émerveillent devant la Galerie des Glaces, oubliant que derrière chaque dorure se cachent souvent des décennies de caprices royaux et de fraudes antiques.
Visitors marvel at the Hall of Mirrors, forgetting that behind every gilding, decades of royal whims and antique frauds often hide.