Versailles, France Summary

photo by aimzabeth

RER Versailles-Rive Gauche.

Twenty kilometres southwest of Paris, the royal town of Versailles is renowned for the Palace of Versailles, built for Louis XIV, and, today, one of the most visited monuments in France. Envious of the château built by his finance minister, Fouquet, at Vaux-le-Vicomte, the young Louis XIV determined to outdo him. He recruited the design team of Vaux-le-Vicomte – architect Le Vau, painter Le Brun and gardener Le Nôtre – and ordered something a hundred times the size. The result was Versailles, the apotheosis of French regal indulgence, and even if the grotesque decor and blatant self-propaganda of the Sun King are not to your liking, its historical significance and anecdotes should enthral.