How did France steal the secret of making mirrors?
The Hall of Mirrors was built to end Venice's global monopoly on mirror manufacturing.
In the 17th century, Venice was the only place capable of making high-quality mirrors. To build the Palace of Versailles without relying on expensive imports, King Louis XIV smuggled Venetian craftsmen into France. Despite threats of execution from the Venetian government, these artisans taught the French their secrets. The hall's 357 mirrors eventually became a symbol of French industrial independence and power.
Nerd Mode
During the 1600s, the Republic of Venice maintained a secretive and lucrative monopoly on mirror production through the glassmakers of Murano. Mirrors were among the most expensive items in the world, often costing more than naval warships or aristocratic estates. King Louis XIV and his finance minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, established the Manufacture Royale de Glaces de Miroirs in 1665 to challenge this dominance.Colbert successfully bribed several Venetian masters to defect to France, providing them with high salaries and protection. In response, the Venetian Council of Ten sent agents to poison the defectors to prevent their industrial secrets from spreading. At least two craftsmen died under suspicious circumstances before the French successfully mastered the technique of plate glass casting.The Hall of Mirrors, designed by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart and completed in 1684, features 17 mirror-clad arches containing a total of 357 individual mirrors. This architectural feat proved that France could match and exceed the quality of Venetian glass. The success of this project effectively broke the Venetian monopoly and established Saint-Gobain, the company that produced the glass, as a global industrial leader that still exists today.
Verified Fact
FP-0004789 · Feb 19, 2026