Louis XIV attached such a great importance to the gardens of Versailles that he would sometimes pick up the gardener’s tools to correct a detail that did not comply with his instructions. At the height of his military campaigns, he still supervised the progress made on his groves, distributing recommendations and thinking up new layouts. This whimsical soul was also an artist with a taste for perfection. Demiurge gardener, the great king surrounded himself with devoted disciples – Le Nôtre, Le Brun, Hardouin-Mansart and the Francine brothers – and made nature bend to his desire to present the timeless image of his glory to the world. Reigns pass… Versailles remains.

As we celebrated the 400th anniversary of Le Nôtre’s birth in 2014, 2015 is the tercentennial of the death of Louis XIV; this guide enlightens the way we see the gardens and the groves in the park, deciphering the many symbols used by the Sun King as well as those that have been misrepresented over time, taking visitors to little-known sites and those not usually open to the public.

Author: Nicolas Jacquet
Coeditor: Parigramme - château de Versailles

ISBN: 9782840968146
Number of pages: 192
Date of publication: april 2013
Dimensions: 14 x 21cm
Languages: french