Key Dates
- 1638 – Louis XIV born
- 1661 – Fouquet’s party; Louis’ personal rule begins; Versailles started
- 1682 – Court moves to Versailles
- 1715 – Louis XIV dies
Further Reading
- Letters, Mme. de Sévigné
- Memoirs, Duc de St-Simon
- The Sun King, Nancy Mitford
- Louis XIV: Secret, Jacques St-Germain
- Art & Architecture in France 1500-1700, Anthony Blunt
- A Traveller’s History of Paris, Robert Cole
- A Traveller’s History of France, Robert Cole
Overview
Louis XIV, builder of the palace of Versailles, was born in 1638, the son of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. After the death of his father made him king at 5 years old, the Frondes (noble uprisings in Paris) left Louis with a permanent dislike for the capital, and a strong distrust of over-powerful courtiers. Louis became an authoritarian king. He took the sun, around which everything revolves, as his emblem. From the age of 23, he reigned as absolute monarch, and wanted a palace that would reflect his glory and articulate his power.
In 1661, the finance minister, Fouquet, gave a party at his new mansion, Vaux-le-Vicomte. Vaux inspired Louis. He engaged its architect, Le Vau, decorator, Le Brun, and landscape gardener, Le Notre, to start work at Versailles.
In 1682, the court—20,000 people—moved to Versailles. It was built, like Vaux, in the latest French style. Much was classically inspired, evoking the splendour and power of ancient Rome, and inviting contemporaries to view France under Louis as a similarly magnificent place.
The Parliament had little power under Louis, and now, with all major noblemen living under his eye at Versailles, he could maintain strict control over any possible dissent. While the King governed, courtiers were kept busy with a variety of entertainments and rituals. Life at Versailles revolved entirely around the Sun King, and his regard for etiquette and order was observed by everyone. Most male courtiers, and Louis himself, were often also away fighting in the military campaigns against Holland, England and the Empire, on which the King spent so much time and money.
Louis died in 1715. The court remained at Versailles until, in 1789, the Parisian mob seized Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette and took them to Paris. No royal person lived there again.
History
Louis XIV
Born in 1638, Louis became king at age five after the death of Louis XIII. His early years were marked by the Frondes, which shaped his distrust of Paris and nobles. In 1661, after Mazarin’s death, Louis began his personal rule, famously declaring:
“L’État, c’est moi.”
He married Maria-Theresa of Spain in 1660, but had many mistresses and illegitimate children.
The Palace of Versailles
Louis wanted a new home away from Paris. Inspired by Fouquet’s Vaux-le-Vicomte, he hired Le Vau, Le Brun, and Le Notre. Construction was monumental:
- 36,000 men and 6,000 horses worked on the project
- 10,000 rooms behind a façade over 2,000 feet long
- Gardens: 1,400 fountains, man-made canal, 75,000 imported trees
The court moved to Versailles in 1682:
- 20,000 people including royal family, 2,000 nobles, 4,000 servants, and soldiers
Versailles symbolized Louis’ absolute power. Its design reflected order and control, with classical references and sun motifs everywhere.
The Trianons and Le Hameau
- Grand Trianon: Pink marble retreat for Louis XIV
- Petit Trianon: Built for Mme de Pompadour by Gabriel
- Le Hameau: Marie Antoinette’s rustic fantasy village, where she played at being a farmer’s wife
Treaties Signed in the Hall of Mirrors
- 1783: France, England & Spain recognize U.S. independence
- 1871: Kaiser Wilhelm declared German Emperor
- 1919: Treaty of Versailles ends WWI
Arts
Architecture
Versailles exemplifies French Baroque—grand, symmetrical, and restrained compared to Italian exuberance. Architects: Le Vau, Hardouin-Mansart. Classical references reinforced Louis’ image as a modern Roman emperor.
Painting and Decorative Arts
Colbert controlled the arts as propaganda. The Gobelins factory produced tapestries, furniture, and silver for Versailles. Le Brun oversaw decoration, including ceilings in the Hall of Mirrors.
Literature
Court life inspired Molière, Racine, Corneille, and letter writers like Mme de Sévigné and Duc de St-Simon. Perrault reinvented fairy tales; La Fontaine wrote fables.
Lifestyle
The Sun King’s Daily Routine
- Morning: Lever du Roi (formal dressing ceremony)
- Midday: Mass, then visit to mistress
- Afternoon: Hunting, tennis, walks in gardens
- Evening: Concerts, operas, plays, balls, gambling
- Night: Grand Coucher (formal bedtime ritual)
Strict etiquette kept nobles occupied and dependent on royal favour.
Science
Versailles reflected the rational ideals of the age. Colbert founded the Académie des Sciences and Observatoire de Paris. Innovations included the Marly Machine, a hydraulic marvel supplying water to Versailles:
- 14 waterwheels, 221 pumps
- Raised water 500 feet
- Delivered 5,000 m³ per day
The Visit
- Garden Front: Discuss palace construction and Treaties of Versailles
- Latona Fountain: Tell myth of Latona and its symbolism
- Apollo Fountain: Explain Louis’ identification with the Sun God
- Grand Canal: Mention gondola parties and naval displays
- Grand Trianon: Talk about mistresses
- Le Hameau: Discuss Marie Antoinette and pre-Revolutionary life