Palace of Versailles unveils immersive attraction powered by Israeli technology

Visitors to the Palace of Versailles in France can now step inside some of the most pivotal moments of the American Revolution through a new extended reality experience developed using Israeli technology.

The Palace of Versailles announced this week the launch of "Light of Liberty," an immersive mixed-reality attraction marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the beginning of the Franco-American alliance.

Developed through a partnership between French company Firstep Production and Jerusalem-based Yaturu, together with its parent company Yalla Digital, the experience allows visitors to interact with historical figures while remaining in the palace's real-world setting.

Unlike traditional virtual reality exhibits already used by museums around the world, the experience combines virtual and augmented reality, enabling visitors wearing extended reality headsets to interact with historical figures including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and the Marquis de Lafayette as they explore the palace.

"We’ve created a unique experience that allows engagement with the site and its people, deepening the connection to the historical past in a truly immersive way," said Yaturu CEO Udi Regonis.

"Visitors do much more than just learn about the alliance between France and America; they feel it in their whole body, in every movement. The XR experience we developed allows people to remain connected to the physical space of this magnificent palace while embedding within it an interactive layer that brings history to life," he continued.

"In one of our trial runs, a participant took off the headset after ten minutes, turned to the empty wall, and said in surprise, ‘Oh, it’s not there anymore.’ That’s when we knew that we had created a real, visceral memory," Regonis explained.

The experience combines technologies commonly used in gaming, filmmaking, visual effects and CGI. AI algorithms give historical figures distinct personalities based on historical records, including their memoirs and accounts from contemporaries.

The project was designed and built in just six months by a multidisciplinary team of engineers, developers and creative specialists. The team included Yaturu Vice President of Production and Content Shlomo Blass, who now serves as director of the experience at the Palace of Versailles.

"Producing an XR experience at the Palace of Versailles is a challenge of a different order," Blass said.

Because Versailles is an active historic site with exacting standards, the project required coordinating technological development, gaming, animation, sound design, AI tools, physical space planning and the operation of the XR headset system, he explained.

"That’s the strength of a team capable of delivering a complete, end-to-end solution, from high concept all the way to the visitor on the ground."

Blass said the project also required rethinking traditional storytelling by designing an experience that unfolds as visitors move through the palace.

According to the Palace of Versailles website, the approximately 15-minute experience costs €7 and takes visitors through several rooms of the Pavillon d'Orléans using a blend of virtual and augmented reality.

As they explore the palace, visitors encounter major events and historical figures from the American Revolution, including the Marquis de Lafayette, while learning about court life, military campaigns and France's support for the American colonies.

The palace says the attraction features "enhanced real-world settings, unique interactions and spectacular immersive sequences" that allow visitors to experience the Franco-American alliance in an interactive setting.