History
is filled with kings and queens, visions
of royalty in their splendour, and of
stories of vast fortunes spent on fantastically
lavish palaces and parties. One of the
most famous is the Palace of Versailles
in France. Built to fit the whims of Louis
XIV, known as The Sun King, it was to
be a symbol of both the power and wealth
of his family and the power and wealth
of France. The palace is massive, and
includes mile upon mile of gardens, parks,
fountains, galleries, and halls. Overwhelming
at first glance it has three distinct
parts; the Chateau, the Park, and the
Trianon.
The Chateau is the part of Versailles
that visitors easily recognize and was
the seed that would eventually grow into
the Versailles we know today. In 1623
it was little more than a “hunting
lodge” favoured by the Sun King’s
father. Louis XIV expanded it time and
again until it grew to legendary proportions
(needed to house an army of courtiers
and servants). The architect Le Vau wrapped
layer upon layer of building around the
old lodge until his death in 1670. It
wasn’t until 1682 that the Sun King
would move into the State Apartments and
call them home.
The
Park is behind the Chateau and is the
largest of the three parts. It fell to
André Le Nôtre to build a
garden that would complement a palace
of Versailles’s magnitude and grandeur.
He would plan for a fountain of Apollo
(the fiery sun massager) and a secret
grotto where Louis could be alone to watch
the sun filer though the sprays of water.
The gardens would also include what became
known as a “formal garden”,
a veritable military parade of rigidly
planted and maintained flora latticed
in a grid like structure of pathways and
fountains. At every level the gardens
were to be a delight to the senses and
a symbol of the power of the king.
The third and final part was the Trianon;
Le Vau would again be charged with building
a private village for the king. In 1670
he began construction of a main pavilion
and four secondary pavilions. The walls
were covered in blue and white 'Chinese-style'
ceramic tiles, leading to the nickname
of 'The Porcelain Trianon'. The fanciful
effect corresponded to the youthful spirit
of Louis XIV, the Sun King.
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