Art: Royal House of Cards

Louis XIV’s labyrinthine palace at Versailles took 56,000 men, 9,000 horses and 20 years to build, and cost $100 million. But in recent years it has become increasingly apparent that King Louis’ builders valued surface splendor above sturdiness. In 1925, John D. Rockefeller Jr. went to Versailles’ rescue with $1,360,000, most of which was used to repair the 27 acres of roofs. Last week André Cornu, under secretary of fine arts, warned that unless the government can raise another $15 million for repairs* the palace may go to pieces without much further warning.

The chief reason for Versailles’ sad state: inadequate gutters to lead off rainwater, and jerry-built interiors. Seepage has rotted away the wooden beams supporting the parqueted floors, loosened the gold and plaster ceilings which are nailed precariously to deteriorating laths. “It is like a house of cards,” says Government Architect André Japy. “If one part begins collapsing, everything else will follow. It is no longer a question of repairing one part of the building; everything must be restored.”

Last week Versailles’ future looked parlous indeed. The French government, weighed down with a record budget, has taken no steps to appropriate funds. So far, no U.S. millionaire has volunteered to go to the rescue. The most generous contribution toward the palace’s rehabilitation to date: $600,000 from the state-controlled gambling casino at nearby Enghien.

* The White House, a century younger and considerably smaller than Versailles, is being repaired at a cost of $5,800,000.