《Travel and Donation #5》 Palace of Versailles (Suburbs of Paris)

#4Continuing from the previous story, I also went to the Palace of Versailles. Something unexpected happened here. As I was walking through the palace gardens, someone called out to me, saying, "You're Izumi-san, right? I'm [Name], we were in the same P.E. class together."
I'm not good at remembering faces, and to be honest, I wasn't sure if I had met them before or not, but I was simply stunned that someone would call out to me in a place like this.

The splendor inside the palace goes without saying. Among the exhibits, I saw a tapestry that was partially under repair. Its colors had faded and parts of the fabric were damaged, and I remember feeling sentimental, thinking, "Even exhibits will deteriorate without daily maintenance."

The Palace of Versailles is a national facility under the jurisdiction of the French Ministry of Culture, and in addition to the national budget, donations and corporate sponsorship support are vital funding sources for maintaining the vast buildings and gardens.
Many restoration projects, such as those for tapestries, wall decorations, and garden statues, are supported by donations from individuals and organizations,and there is also a system in place that allows for support targeting specific rooms (e.g., Marie Antoinette's private rooms, the Dauphin's apartments, the ceiling of the Diana Room, etc.) or works of art.

Looking at the tapestry under repair, I now think about how much support and time from so many people must be poured into maintaining the palace's magnificent appearance.