Abstract: Following the established sixteenth-century style of residential chateaux such as Chambord and Chenonceau, Louis XIV architecture demonstrates its greatest skill in the secular realm. Naturally, the colossal chateau of Versailles, 20 kilometres from Paris, represents the culmination of architecture in this period, with its rigorously classical exterior and its decidedly baroque interior.
Originally, Louis XIII, father of Louis XIV, envisioned the chateau, known as the “old Chateau,” as a small hunting lodge. In 1669, some years after his ascension, the Sun King expanded his father’s quarters and transformed them into the most imposing royal palace in Europe. The architect Louis Le Vau (1612-1670) conducted the first work on the “new Château,” also known as “the Envelope.” Upon Le Vau’s death, Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646-1708), nephew of the famous architect François Mansart (1598-1666), and François d’Orbay took charge of the project, devoting themselves in particular to the façades and monumental galleries. The décor reflects the genius of Le Brun, while the gardens, including the fountains and the Grand Canal, were conceived by André Le Nôtre (1613-1700).
Louis XIV ordered the construction of the chateau of Versailles chiefly in order to house and monitor the nobles who threatened his absolute power. The nobles were expected to serve the king, assisting him at his lever, his meals and his soireés. It is clear that the nobles benefitted from the royal largesse, but often at the cost of their independence and dignity. In assuming the debts of the aristocracy and sheltering them at Versailles, the king took control of his potential adversaries.
The central axis of the chateau stretches out along an east-west trajectory to follow the sun, Louis XIV’s symbol. The sun begins its path by arriving from the direction of Paris, then moving through the chambers of the king, found at the exact center of the palace. Next, the light is guided toward the aisles and canals of the park, which extend over a distance of five kilometers. Finally, the sun sets behind the hills at the park’s borders. It is not by chance that the king’s lever coincides exactly with the sun’s appearance on the horizon. Upon rising, Louis XIV moves through the Hall of Mirrors where the nobles await him. The Hall of Mirrors, which consists of numerous windows, mirrors, frescos and entablatures, connects with the famous Hall of War and Hall of Peace which are situated on either side.
The chateau illustrates the genius of its architects and artists; at the same time, it is also proof of the financial and social abuse of the period. For decades, thousands of peasants, workers and soldiers labored under difficult conditions for miserly wages. Laborers perished in the work yards. The enormous expense for the work at Versailles, as well as for multiple wars, emptied the public treasury, creating a fiscal disaster which led France toward the Revolution of 1789.
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