Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles began its life in 1624 as the hunting lodge of Louis XIII, which he later made into a chateau, moving also to vastly expand the lands of the estate. His successor, Louis XIV, had little interest in the chateau until the early 1660s, when he became very passionate about the site and decided to enlarge it substantially. The palace has a vaguely U-shaped layout, the center of which houses the preserved chateau facade; from here, secondary symmetrical wings form an extensive courtyard called the Royal Court, flanked by two immense asymmetrical wings. While the original chateau was built in the Louis XIII style, Louis XIV's extensive additions and modifications were largely in line with the French classical style, and Louis XVI's alterations in the mid-1700s were neoclassically inclined; thus architecturally, Versailles is a true mixture of French stylistic impulses over the course of a century ("Palace of..."). Italian baroque inspiration and influence is also present in the palatial ornamentation added by the various architects. In addition, the intricate, expansive gardens on the palace grounds were a herculean feat of landscaping; flowers were planted in exquisite patterns, numerous elaborate water features accompanied the green spaces, and impressive themed groves resembled outdoor rooms with greenery for walls. Architecturally and aesthetically, Versailles was a place of great opulence and extensive style.

Along with being a physical representation of the wealth and power of King Louis XIV, Versailles became a powerful political center, with unprecedented importance in the establishment and maintenance of the Sun King's power. First and foremost, the palace's stunningly ostentatious ornamentation was intended to impress visitors and incite in them a sense of awe for the king's wealth and power, that he could afford to live so lavishly, practically drowning in the richness of the atmosphere ("Versailles:..."). On the more strategic side of things, Louis XIV's fixation on Versailles took him outside of Paris, where previous kings and courts had conducted political business. This was a potentially risky move, but it only increased the king's power: the successful reestablishment at Versailles meant that his authority was respected, and that his court and political institutions were willing to follow him. It also forced those who sought an audience with the king to come specifically to him, even his own nobles and political players, in contrast to being located conveniently in Paris ("Courtiers"). This remote quality also meant that a staggering number of nobles remained at Versailles practically all the time in order to be close to the king, and to take advantage of every single opportunity to display loyalty and reverence to him personally. This system allowed Louis XIV, who was very wary of noble power, to keep his nobles close and in some ways confined, so that he could keep a close eye on them ("Courtiers"). The Palace of Versailles is thus an ideal example of architecture's place in state-building, and also of a building with a variety of purposes and characteristics appealing to a complicated functional goal.

Architects: Louis Le Vau and Jules Hardouin-Mansart
Photo: Pierre Lepautre

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pierre_Lepautre_-_Les_Plans,_Profils,_Et_Elevations,_Des_Ville,_Et_Ch%C3%A2teau_De_Versailles_-_1714_et_1715_-_Vue_du_Chate%C3%A2u_Royal_de_Trianon_dans_le_parc_de_Versailles.jpg

"Versailles: A Political Landscape." Radford University. Accessed October 20, 2018. https://www.radford.edu/~rbarris/art216upd2012/Versailles.html

"Palace of Versailles." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Last modified October 17, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Palace-of-Versailles

"Courtiers." Chateau de Versailles. Accessed October 20, 2018. http://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/key-dates/courtiers

Louis XIV's enlargements completed around 1710
Drawing: 1715

Maddie Gartland

Public Domain, free re-use