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Palace of Versailles : how the architecture has evolved over the centuries

The archtiecture of Versailles evolved considerably from 1623/24 when it was originally built by Louis XIII as a hunting lodge, until the death of Louis XIV in 1715, the date chosen for the panorama.
The construction of the palace as we know it today began in 1662, around the framework of Louis XIII's original castle. The new building was called the enveloppe, which indicates the nature of it's evolution.
The building of the "enveloppe" was heavily influenced by the historical events of the time (four war interrupted the building sheldule) and by the various important historical figures, male and female, close to Louis XIV.
It is therefore difficult to describe The Versailles Palace in detail, unless it is fixed in time at a certain period, as in this panorama of 1715, where the future modifications and extensions added after Louis XIV (the pavillon Gabriel, Marie-Antoinette's hamlet, the modifications made in the XIXth and XXth centuries) do not appears.
All type of building work were being carried out simultaneously over the half-century necessary to complete the construction. An impressive number of people were involved, apprentices and master masons, fulll-time and part-time workers, building contractors and a large number of soldiers, who represented cheap labour for the King.
The Versailles Royal Estate housed some 3000 permanent residents, responsible for the upkeep of and the entertainment in the palace. These staff had the advantage of living in outhouses, contrary to the workmen, including the soldiers, who were lodged in large tents in the grounds.
Amongst the permanent members of household staff there were, for exemple, the sailors responsible for the flotilla of ships on the Grand Canal. They lived in a place called Little Venice, a village situated at hte top of the Grand Canal. These French and Italian sailors formed a corporation where membership, passed down the generation, were extremly sought after.