Nestled at the heart of a site full of history in Versailles, the Quartier des Antiquaires de la Geôle et du Bailliage is a must-see for antiques amateurs and Art professionals. Located between the Château de Versailles, the Notre-Dame market and the Lambinet museum, the Quartier des Antiquaires de la Geôle et du Bailliage (also known as the Groupement des Antiquaires et Galeries d'Art de Versailles) permanently hosts some fifty Antiquarians and Experts in Antiquities, Art galleries and craftsmen. It is considered one of the largest center of art and antiquities in the west of Paris, and an internationally renowned market.
In this place full of history, the Quartier des Antiquaires de la Geôle et du Bailliage is truly a privileged walk for both antiques professionals and amateurs, as well as home decor experts. From fine antiques, weapons, jewelery and silverware, to art deco furniture, contemporary paintings, old books, engravings, Goldsmithery, ceramic, porcelain, vintage toys and archaeological remains, this antiques market has more than enough in stock to satisfy one's curiosity and hunger for beautiful antiques.
Organized around 4 spaces, the Bailliage, the Village, the Passage and the Carré linked by narrow streets, the Quartier des Antiquaires de la Geôle et du Bailliage de Versailles offers a charming route to the rediscovery of the past.
Le Baillage: the Bailliage, a magnificent 18th century building built in 1724 by Tavenot (a pupil of Mansart) which once was the first court and the first prison of Versailles, now houses antique shops and galleries that sell furniture, modern paintings and Art objets in a charming setting.
Le Village: the Village hosts old outbuildings of the hôtel de Picardie where the small houses arranged in horseshoe around the well, welcome passersby. A picturesque staircase guides visitors to the Galerie BLB Antiquités and the Galerie Rémi Dubois, from which it possible to reach the Rue de la Pourvoierie and the Notre Dame market.
Le Passage: the Passage is located in the former inmate walk of the prison of La Geôle. Samson, who executed king Louis XVI of France, held there his office of executioner until 1788. Madame Du Barry, the celebrated favorite of Louis XV of France, was locked up there during the French revolution. Nowadays, elegant antique shops selling furniture of the 18th and 19th century, shelf or sellettes of the beginning of the century, old paintings, ceramic, faience and porcelain of the 17th and 18th century, glassware, crystalware as well as antique watches and jewelry, make the admiration of all passersby.
Le Carré: the Carré des Antiquaires, which originally was the stables of the Bailliage, was transformed into a shed during the 19th century to house wines and spirits intended for the Notre Dame market (hence the name given to Cour de l’Etape aux Vins). Today, le Carré des Antiquaires has been transformed into many galleries hosting a variety of antique dealers and workshops for arts and crafts, revealing the richness and the art of living of past centuries.
Set in a magical and preserved place where history has been written since 1640, the Quartier des Antiquaires de la Geôle et du Bailliage is an invitation to a daydream stroll along one of France's most glorious past.
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