Versailles - France

The scene was closer to a tale that was difficult to believe: the Palace of Versailles was crowded with attendees, and King Louis XVI and the royal family were watching, while a huge balloon was preparing to rise to the sky. But the surprise was not in the balloon itself, but in its passengers: a sheep, a duck, and a rooster.

On this day, in 1783, the brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier launched their experimental balloon in front of crowds of spectators, in an attempt to answer a question that seemed at the time very daring: Can living organisms survive at high altitudes before man risks himself?

A short flight that changed the history of aviation

The three animals were placed inside a wicker basket suspended below the balloon, and then the ascent began. According to the records of the Palace of Versailles, the balloon rose to about 600 metres, and remained in the air for about eight minutes, traveling about 3.5 kilometers before landing near the Vaucresson Forest.

When the doctor and future aviation pioneer Jean-François Pilatre de Rozier arrived at the landing site, the most important surprise was: the three animals survived the flight.

Why was the sheep the most important passenger on the flight?
The selection was not random. The sheep was considered the closest to humans in terms of physical response, while the duck was accustomed to flight and heights, and the rooster represented an additional comparison case.

Thus, the flight turned from a display in front of the court into an experience that actually opened the door to human flight.

From a strange experiment to the first human flight

Only about two months later, on November 21, 1783, Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis François-Laurent d'Arland embarked on the first free manned balloon flight, making the Versailles experience a direct step that preceded man's entry into the era of aviation.

Versailles...what most tourists do not know

Today, a visit to Versailles is not limited to the royal halls, mirrors and famous gardens. The place also holds one of the funniest stories in the history of aviation: a journey that began with three animals inside a small basket, and ended with the sky opening to humans.

For the Arab tourist, this story gives visiting the palace a different dimension. Behind the well-known royal scene, there hides a strange scientific moment that changed the history of travel forever.