Versailles Gardens

 Without simply repeating the lecture notes explain why Versailles Palace and Gardens were built, and the role they played during the rule of King Louis XIV.

The palace and gardens of Versailles were built for the protection and maintenance of the ego of King Louis XIV. The Sun King, as he called himself, built the expansive Versailles palace and gardens outside of Paris mostly because the space was already there: Versailles was once home to a hunting lodge before rebuilt upon. King Louis XIV continued adding onto Versailles until it became two things: a symbol of his power and the seat of government in France.

            King Louis XIV was a huge proponent of the concept of divine right of kings, which was a philosophy that accredited the existence of the monarchy with instruction from God, thus serving to legitimize it. Considering himself an extremely grand king, he decided that he needed a palace and surrounding gardens to demonstrate this to the entirety of Europe. Louis XIV had also strong-armed France’s economy into an upswing and thus justified the building of Versailles. Cue the Hall of Mirrors, gilded everything and a garden so extensive that it took days to walk through from beginning to end.

Better bring a map with you.
source: http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/Images/110images/sl17_images/Versailles_aerial.jpg

            Not only did Versailles do a good job of demonstrating Louis’ grandeur as a king, but it served as the seat of government in France, taking the power out of Paris. This was strategic on Louis XIV’s part: his childhood came to an abrupt end during the Fronde, a period of unrest in which the nobility challenged the monarchy. Louis XIV intended to use Versailles as a centralized port of power in order to keep a close eye on his court and stave off unrest.

            During the long reign of Louis XIV, the gardens at Versailles were used primarily to keep the members of the court from going insane and keeping them entertained. For them the gardens functioned as a place for escapism and recreation. When important guests arrived, Louis XIV toured them through the gardens, specifically through areas with fountains. The Versailles gardens were venues for large events held by the King, with the gardens themselves serving as a reminder to the guests whose company they were in.

The Fountain of Apollo

source: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/OkWaj8-zNeQY-OqU21xNE_YmEKe0A9X9xD0nbM-diBV9OjwxJYBTlG0XVoqv81-RbDr1Hi4sh3DN2aqx3BLd5McJxgA5Nc0o41RBFlyLAY1HR6VYnuo_1rfha4IgHLN92Q