Versailles ( in French), formerly de facto capital of the kingdom of France, is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and is still an important administrative and judicial center. The city (commune) of Versailles, located in the western suburbs of Paris, 17.1 km. (10.6 miles) from the center of Paris, is the préfecture (capital) of the Yvelines département. The population of the city according to 2005 estimates was 86,400 inhabitants, down from a peak of 94,145 inhabitants in 1975. Versailles is made world-famous by the Château de Versailles, from the forecourt of which the city has grown. Name There are still doubts about the etymology of the name Versailles, but it seems the name comes from the Latin word versare, meaning "to keep turning over", and was used in medieval times for plowed lands, cleared lands (lands that had been repeatedly "turned over"). This word formation se

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