a charter of the Abbey of Saint-Père de Chartres. During the Middle Ages, the area consisted of small villages, farmland, and woodland. In the 16th century, the lands that would become Versailles were owned by the Gondi family, who were influential at the French court. Louis XIII acquired part of the land in 1623 and purchased the remainder in 1632.

Before the later palace existed, Louis XIII built a modest brick-and-stone hunting lodge in 1623. The building