text: what was the home of king louis xiv? what is it called the château de versailles —or simply versailles— is a royal château, outside the gates of which the village of versailles, france, has grown to become a full-fledged city. from 1682, when king louis xiv moved from paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in 1789, the court of versailles was the center of power under the ancien régime. those who are not french tend to call it the "palace".