Palace at Versailles

The Palace at Versailles. Versailles, France The Palace at Versailles. Versailles, France. Louis Le Vau and Jules Hardouin-Mansart (architects). Begun 1669 C.E. Masonry, stone, wood, iron, and gold leaf (architecture); marble and bronze (sculpture); gardens.

The Palace of Versailles is an opulent palace built by Louis XIV that contains seven hundred rooms, extensive gardens, and lavish decoration. Once a small hunting lodge built by his father, Louis XIV redesigned Versailles over his reign. The architect for the palace was Louis Le Vau, the interior decorator was Charles Le Brun, and the landscape designer was Andre Le Notre. In 1682 Versailles became the official residence of the king.

The formal composition of the palace was meant to glorify France and show the power and authority of ‘Sun King,' as Louis XIV proclaimed himself.

Hall of Mirrors The Hall of Mirrors is the central gallery of the Palace of Versailles that began construction under King Louis XIV in 1678 and was made up of the most expensive materials of the time, mirrors. Charles le Brun was the interior decorator for the Palace of Versailles. The Hall of Mirrors is the central gallery of the Palace of Versailles. The key feature of this room is a series of seventeen mirrored arches that reflect seventeen arcaded windows. Each arch contains twenty-one mirrors. The arches are fixed between marble pilasters upon which bronze symbols of France are fixed.

The garden contains multiple allusions to Apollo and Roman emperors in order to communicate the message that Louis XIV was not only as glorious as the Sun God but enjoyed a status equal to that of the greatest emperors of all time. The Gardens The gardens were executed in the French formal garden style, or ‘jardin a la francaise. ' This style is characterized by its meticulously manicured lawns, ‘parterres' of flowers, numerous fountains, and sculptures. Based on the principle of imposing order on nature. Headed by Andre Le Notre, the gardens at Versailles cover eight hundred hectares of land. ‘The Bassin d'Apollon' is one of the fountains, which depicts the sun god driving his chariot to light the sky. ‘The Grotte de Thetys' is a freestanding structure with an interior decorated in elaborate shell-work to represent the myth of Apollo. The gardens, laid out on an east-west axis, follow the course of the sun: the sun rose over the Court of Honor, lit the Marble Court, crossed the Chateau and lit the bedroom of the King, and set at the end of the Grand Canal, reflected in the mirrors of the Hall of Mirrors.