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Louis XIV’s guide to the gardens of Versailles. In his work How to show the gardens of Versailles, Louis XIV leads us around the groves and fountains of his Palace. Seven versions were created between 1689 and 1705, including some written in his own hand.
- The Ghosts of Trianon
On August 10, 1901, two English women had an experience...
- The Kennedys at Versailles
The President said to Malraux: “Versailles, it took some...
- Birth of The Third Republic, 1875
In May Thiers put down the Parisian rebellion using troops...
- Parliamentarians at Versailles
Since then, constitutional revisions and, until 1958, the...
- State Visits, 20th Century
During the Fifth Republic the Palace of Versailles, on the...
- Visit of Queen Victoria, 1855
Following an afternoon tour of the Palace on the 20th, the...
- Napoleon at Versailles
Napoleon's legacy at Versailles. Not long after his...
- Visit of Pope Pius Vii, 1805
In the Palace of Versailles the pope was greeted by a large...
- The Ghosts of Trianon
The history of Versailles is inextricably linked with the figure of Louis XIV. Although the location existed for centuries before the sovereign, Louis XIV developed a genuine liking for Versailles early on, and decided to extend it beyond the chateau that had grown out of the hunting lodge of brick and stone first built by his father. The King ...
With the departure of the king and court from Versailles in 1715 following the death of Louis XIV, the palace and gardens entered an era of uncertainty. In 1722, Louis XV and the court returned to Versailles.
- Overview
- The gardens
- The Trianons
The gardens of Versailles were planned by André Le Nôtre, perhaps the most famous and influential landscape architect in French history. Behind the palace, the ground falls away on every side from a terrace adorned with ornamental basins, statues, and bronze groups. Directly west of the terrace is the Latona Fountain, designed by Le Nôtre and sculpted by Gaspard and Balthazard Marsy. The fountain depicts the events of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The Royal Walk extends westward from the palace. A broad avenue centred on the grass of the Green Carpet, it is flanked by rows of large trees and ends at the spectacular Fountain of Apollo. Beyond the fountain, the line of walk is continued by the Grand Canal, a 200-foot- (60-metre-) wide 1-mile- (1.6-km-) long waterway. During Louis XIV’s tenure at Versailles, Venetian gondolas traversed the Grand Canal, and modern visitors to the palace can ply the same waters in small rowboats.
To the south of the terrace, raised flower beds lead to a pair of staircases that flank the Orangerie, a grove planned by Hardouin-Mansart in 1685 that includes more than 1,000 trees. Palm, pomegranate, lemon, and orange are among the varieties represented, with tropical and subtropical species being moved indoors during winter months. Beyond the Orangerie is the Swiss Lake, an artificial lake that replaced a stretch of problematic marshland that was known to the ancien régime as the étang puant (“stinking pond”).
North of the terrace, manicured ornamental gardens slope gently down to the Water Walk, a path lined with bronze sculptures and geometric topiaries and bordered by imposing hedgerows. The path concludes at the Dragon Fountain, which features a spray of water that rises nearly 90 feet (27 metres) into the air. Beyond this lies the Neptune Fountain, built by Le Nôtre between 1679 and 1681. The crescent-shaped fountain is remarkable for its fine sculptures and the enormous volume of water projected by its 99 jets.
The walkways and paths of the parks are decorated with statues, vases, and manicured yews, and they are bordered by hedges and shrubberies. Around the Green Carpet are numerous groves, perhaps the most remarkable being the Ballroom Grove, a landscaped amphitheatre that features an artificial waterfall. A labyrinth constructed during the reign of Louis XIV was replaced by the Queen’s Grove, which became a scene of intrigue during the Affair of the Diamond Necklace. Other groves include the Colonnade, the King’s Grove, the Grove of Apollo’s Baths, and the Enceladus Fountain.
The gardens of Versailles were planned by André Le Nôtre, perhaps the most famous and influential landscape architect in French history. Behind the palace, the ground falls away on every side from a terrace adorned with ornamental basins, statues, and bronze groups. Directly west of the terrace is the Latona Fountain, designed by Le Nôtre and sculpted by Gaspard and Balthazard Marsy. The fountain depicts the events of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The Royal Walk extends westward from the palace. A broad avenue centred on the grass of the Green Carpet, it is flanked by rows of large trees and ends at the spectacular Fountain of Apollo. Beyond the fountain, the line of walk is continued by the Grand Canal, a 200-foot- (60-metre-) wide 1-mile- (1.6-km-) long waterway. During Louis XIV’s tenure at Versailles, Venetian gondolas traversed the Grand Canal, and modern visitors to the palace can ply the same waters in small rowboats.
To the south of the terrace, raised flower beds lead to a pair of staircases that flank the Orangerie, a grove planned by Hardouin-Mansart in 1685 that includes more than 1,000 trees. Palm, pomegranate, lemon, and orange are among the varieties represented, with tropical and subtropical species being moved indoors during winter months. Beyond the Orangerie is the Swiss Lake, an artificial lake that replaced a stretch of problematic marshland that was known to the ancien régime as the étang puant (“stinking pond”).
North of the terrace, manicured ornamental gardens slope gently down to the Water Walk, a path lined with bronze sculptures and geometric topiaries and bordered by imposing hedgerows. The path concludes at the Dragon Fountain, which features a spray of water that rises nearly 90 feet (27 metres) into the air. Beyond this lies the Neptune Fountain, built by Le Nôtre between 1679 and 1681. The crescent-shaped fountain is remarkable for its fine sculptures and the enormous volume of water projected by its 99 jets.
The walkways and paths of the parks are decorated with statues, vases, and manicured yews, and they are bordered by hedges and shrubberies. Around the Green Carpet are numerous groves, perhaps the most remarkable being the Ballroom Grove, a landscaped amphitheatre that features an artificial waterfall. A labyrinth constructed during the reign of Louis XIV was replaced by the Queen’s Grove, which became a scene of intrigue during the Affair of the Diamond Necklace. Other groves include the Colonnade, the King’s Grove, the Grove of Apollo’s Baths, and the Enceladus Fountain.
Beyond the present park (but within the grounds at the time of Louis XIV) are two smaller châteaux known as the Trianons. The Grand Trianon was originally erected as a retreat for Louis XIV in 1670, but in 1687 Hardouin-Mansart built a new palace on the site. Louis XV, after establishing a botanic garden, commissioned Ange-Jacques Gabriel to build ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
As the war raged, the Palace of Versailles went into action too: artworks were protected against the risk of bombing, tours were arranged for wounded soldiers, charitable activities were hosted in the gardens, the palace was used for political events…
The gardens were left much as they were, but Louis left the Grand Trianon to his wife, Marie Leszczinska and her father Stanislas, former king of Poland during the Polish War of Succession in 1733. But in 1750 his interest in the Grand Trianon was renewed and the building was redecorated.
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The Gardens of Versailles were the envy of kings and queens across Europe during the Baroque Period, and served as a model for magnificent royal gardens across the continent.
