International relations

Established ties of friendship

Since the 1970s, Versailles has maintained or continues to maintain privileged relations with the following cities, listed chronologically beginning with the oldest formal agreement:

Winchester (UK), capital of the ancient kingdom of Wessex from 519 AD

Charlottenburg (Germany), home of the largest surviving royal palace in Berlin

Potsdam (Germany), home of the palace and park of Sanssouci, which are often described as the "Prussian Versailles"

Nara (Japan), capital of the Japanese Empire AD 710 to 794, modeled after Chang’an, the capital city of Tang China

Gyeongju (South Korea), capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla

Carthage (Tunisia), once a rival to the Roman Empire and Mediterranean gateway to Africa

Xi’an (China), one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China as the capital of 13 dynasties

Chengde (China), summer residence of the early Qing Dynasty emperors

Saint-Petersburg (Russia), capital of the Russian Empire founded by Czar Peter I the Great

Székesfehérvár (Hungaria), ancient royal residence that was once home to the House of Anjou (1308-1395)

Canberra (Australia), seat of Australia’s government and site of the Parliament House and High Court of Australia

Caserta (Italy), renowned for the 18th-century royal palace designed by Luigi Vanvitelli for the Bourbon kings of Naples and Sicily

Siem Reap (Cambodia), located near the ruins of the temples of Angkor, capital of the Khmer Empire from the 9th century to the 15th century

Luxor (Egypt), site of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, capital of Egypt during the Eleventh and Eighteenth dynasties