1693, "Bassin du Dragon" by Jean Cotelle, ca. Bosquet of the Salle de Bal, contemporary view. At this time the bosquet was rechristened Bosquet des Bains d'Apollon. The Versailles gardens, designed by André Le Nôtre, have been a worldwide reference since the 17th century. Pumping capacity was increased via increased power and the number of pistons used for lifting the water. The event, which officially was to celebrate his mother, Anne d'Autriche, and his consort Marie-Thérèse but in reality celebrated Louise de La Vallière, Louis' mistress, was held in May of that year. In 1671, André Le Nôtre conceived a bosquet – originally christened Salle des Festins and later called Salle du Conseil – that featured a quatrefoil island surrounded by a channel that contained fifty water jets. Louis XVI did so at the beginning of his reign, and the undertaking was next carried out during the reign of Napoleon III. (Nolhac 1899, 1902), The "Grotte de Thétys", which was located to the north of the château, formed part of the iconography of the château and of the gardens that aligned Louis XIV with solar imagery. Originally, this bosquet was planned in 1672 as a simple pavillon d'eau – a round open expanse with a square fountain in the center. This episode from mythology has been seen by historians in reference as an allegory to the revolts of the Fronde, which occurred during the minority of Louis XIV. It is a must to see in your lifetime. The laying out of the gardens required enormous work. In 1830, the bosquet was replanted at which time the fountains were suppressed. Free Wi-Fi points are located in the Main Courtyard and at the garden entrance, and a free Gardens of Versailles app is available to download. By damming the river and with a pumping system of five windmills, water was brought to the reservoirs located on the Satory Plateau. In 1681, one of the most ambitious water projects conceived during the reign of Louis XIV was undertaken. Rachel Ruysch, Fruit and Insects. The gardens are open every day from 8 am to 8.30 pm during the high season (April to October) and from 8 am to 6 pm during the low season (November to March) except for exceptional events and when there are Fountains Night Show (closure at 5.30 pm). "Le labyrinthe et l'esprit du XVIIe. The statue that currently occupies the center of the Colonnade – the Abduction of Persephone – (from the Grande Commande of 1664) was set in place in 1696 (Marie 1968, 1972, 1976, 1984; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985). At Versailles, the development of the gardens preceded that of the palace. "Réflexions sur la genèse du jardin français classique et de son décor. It provided a protected area in which orange trees were kept during the winter months. Designed by André Le Nôtre, the Grand Canal is the masterpiece of the Gardens of Versailles. ", Bottineau, Yves. 1693, "Bosquet de l'Étoile ou la Montagne d'eau" by Jean Cotelle, ca. Seeming to heed his great-grandfather's admonition not to engage in costly building campaigns, Louis XV did not undertake the costly building campaigns at Versailles that Louis XIV had. The water for the elaborate waterworks was conveyed from the Seine by the Machine de Marly. "Archétype et symbole dans le style Louis XIV versaillais: réflexions sur, Loach, J. ", Hedin, Thomas. The rockwork grotto set in an English style bosquet was the masterpiece of Hubert Robert in which the statues from the Grotte de Thétys were placed. Grotte de Thétys A hunting lodge had been built there in the 1620s by Louis XIII. ", Weber, Gerold. Tour directions for the official guides have survived; they are discussed by Robert W. Berger and Thomas P. Hedin, For the relation of the imagery of the garden and the decor of the, Period sources include: (Anonymous, 1685); (Dangeau, 1854-60); (Félibien, 1703); (, The Clagny pond, which was located near the, Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum and National Estate of Versailles, "Versailles / Les bosquets : scènes du pouvoir", scan of Perrault's book at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, "Mazes and Labyrinths: Chapter XIV. Between 1686 and 1687, the Bassin de Latone, under the direction of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, was rebuilt. Welcome to the gardens When you arrive at the Palace, you can go directly to the gardens by going to the top left-hand side of the Cour d'Honneur, then entering the gate of the courtyard of the Princes. (Marie 1968; Nolhac 1901, 1925; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985). Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some 800 hectares of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French formal garden style perfected here by André Le Nôtre. The Canal at Versailles. Following damage caused by a series of storms in the late 20th century, including one in December 1999, which was the most devastating, the garden has been fully replanted and now boasts a fresh, youthful appearance similar to how it would have looked to Louis XIV. Warning: exceptional closing of the gardens at 5:30 PM (last entry at 5:00 PM) for some days. Between 9,000–10,000 troops were pressed in service in 1685; the next year, more than 20,000 soldiers were engaged in construction. [39] Citing repair and maintenance costs, Louis XVI ordered the Labyrinthe demolished in 1778. This, however, was not achieved as the topology of the gardens favored the jardin à la française over an English-style garden. During the Grandes Eaux, water is circulated by means of modern pumps from the Grand Canal to the reservoirs. The link between Ovid's story and this episode from French history is emphasized by the reference to "mud slinging" in a political context. [16] Forming a transitional element from the château to the gardens below and placed on the north–south axis of the gardens, the Parterre d'Eau provided a setting in which the imagery and symbolism of the decors of the grands appartements synthesized with the iconography of the gardens. From April 4th to November 1st 2020, enjoy the Musical Fountains Shows and the Musical Gardens in the Gardens and the groves open for the occasion. Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance. In this year it was proposed to divert the water of the Eure river, located 160 km. From this first reservoir, water was raised an additional 56 metres to a second reservoir by a system of 79 pumps. In 1722, Louis XV and the court returned to Versailles. The most recent replantations of the gardens were precipitated by two storms that battered Versailles in 1990 and then again in 1999. ", Friedman, Ann. The gardens of the Palace of Versailles are in the Paris suburb of Versailles about 20km southwest of the centre of Paris. [6], From this point forward, the expansion of the gardens of Versailles followed the expansions of the château. (Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985), Owing to the many modifications made to the gardens between the 17th and the 19th centuries, many of the bosquets have undergone multiple modifications, which were often accompanied by name changes. "Ein Kascadenprojekt für Versailles. In 1761, Louis XV commissioned Ange-Jacques Gabriel to build the Petit Trianon as a residence that would allow him to spend more time near the jardins botaniques. The palace though is closed on Mondays and the Trianon Palace and Marie-Antoinette's Estate are only open in afternoons (not Monday). Bosquet du Marais - Bosquet du Chêne Vert – Bosquet des Bains d'Apollon – Grotte des Bains d'Apollon The garden is open every day from 8.00 to 20.00. (Marie 1976; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985), With the departure of the king and court from Versailles in 1715 following the death of Louis XIV, the palace and gardens entered an era of uncertainty. Yet, such is the story of Louis XV’s private gardens at the Trianon, a pair of palaces on the grounds of Versailles where the French monarchy retreated from the public view. In 1661 Louis XIV entrusted André Le Nôtre with the creation and renovation of the gardens of Versailles, which he considered just as important as the Palace. "The evolution of the Parterre d'eau. Created in 1675 at the same time as the Bosquet de la Renommée, the fountain of this bosquet depicts Enceladus, a fallen Giant who was condemned to live below Mt. However, owing to the Franco-Prussian War, which toppled Napoléon III, and the Commune de Paris, replantation of the garden did not get underway until 1883 (Thompson, 2006). In the area now occupied by the Hameau de la Reine, Louis XV constructed and maintained les jardins botaniques – the botanical gardens. This is the currently selected item. south of Versailles and at a level 26 m above the garden reservoirs. The increasing demand for water and the stress placed on existing systems of water supply necessitated newer measures to increase the water supplied to Versailles. From its conception, this fountain was conceived as an allegory of Louis XIV's victory over the Fronde. This unique east-west perspective originally dates from before the reign of Louis XIV, but it was developed and extended by the gardener André Le Nôtre, who widened the Royal Way and dug the Grand Canal. The capacity of the Pompe – 600 m3 of water per day – alleviated some of the water shortages in the garden (Thompson, 2006). Between 1680 and Louis XIV's death in 1715, there was near-constant rearranging of the statues that decorated the bosquet. Located on the site of Le Nôtre's Bosquet des Sources, this bosquet featured a circular peristyle formed from thirty-two arches with twenty-eight fountains and was Hardouin-Mansart's most architectural of the bosquets built in the gardens of Versailles (Marie 1972, 1976; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985), Due to financial constraints arising from the War of the League of Augsburg and the War of the Spanish Succession, no significant work on the gardens was undertaken until 1704. Then, in 1860, much of the old growth from Louis XVI's replanting was removed and replaced. Between 1704 and 1709, bosquets were modified, some quite radically, with new names suggesting the new austerity that characterized the latter years of Louis XIV's reign. Engendered by a change in outlook as advocated by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Philosophes, the winter of 1774–1775 witnessed a complete replanting of the gardens. 1688, "Le théâtre d'eau-vue de a scène" by Jean Cotelle, ca. You may choose a ticket online. Despite the augmentation of water from the Bièvre, the gardens needed still more water, which necessitated more projects. ", Friedman, Ann. (Verlet 1985), By 1664, the gardens had evolved to the point that Louis XIV inaugurated the gardens with the fête galante called "Les Plaisirs de l'Île Enchantée". Beginning in 1684, the Parterre d'Eau was remodeled under the direction of Jules Hardouin-Mansart. 1670, Apollo attended by nymphsby François Girardon and Thomas Regnaudin, ca. In 1674, the Pompe was enlarged – hence referred to as the Grande Pompe. Excavated in 1678, the Pièce d'eau des Suisses[31] – named for the Swiss Guards who constructed the lake – occupied an area of marshes and ponds, some of which had been used to supply water for the fountains in the garden. [37]. ", Pinatel, Christine. Bosquet du Théâtre d'Eau - Bosquet du Rond-Vert These days, it’s difficult to imagine anything—certainly a garden—enduring for nearly 300 years. Work on the gardens started at the same time as the work on the Palace of Versailles and lasted for around 40 years. Palace of Versailles gardens is one of the largest gardens ever created. ", Börtz-Laine, Agenta. The Versailles Gardens contain a selection of restaurants and cafés, but picnics are not permitted. The year 1704 witnessed a major renovation of the bosquet at which time the causeway was remodelled and most of the water jets were removed. In their history, the gardens of Versailles have undergone no less than five major replantations, which have been executed for practical and aesthetic reasons. It was at the Petit Trianon that Louis XV fell fatally ill with smallpox; on 10 May 1774, the king died at Versailles. Assiduous husbanding of this resource by museum officials prevents tapping into the supply of potable water of the city of Versailles (Thompson, 2006). The palace itself is designed with elaborate architecture and attention to detail, but for many it's the gardens at Versailles that are worth visiting. In 1685, the Machine de Marly came into full operation. In 1684, the island was removed and the total number of water jets in the bosquet was significantly reduced. "Les statues aux façades du château de Versailles. During this time André Le Nôtre collaborated with the likes of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Superintendant of Buildings to the King from 1664 to 1683, who managed the project, and Charles Le Brun, who was made First Painter to the King in January 1664 and provided the drawings for a large number of the statues and fountains. The project called not only for digging a canal and for the construction of an aqueduct, it also necessitated the construction of shipping channels and locks to supply the workers on the main canal. Located north and south of the east–west axis, these two bosquets were arranged as a series of paths around four salles de verdure and which converged on a central "room" that contained a fountain. Owing to the proximity of the Seine to Versailles, a project was proposed to raise the water from the river to be delivered to Versailles. In its place, an arboretum of exotic trees was planted as an English-styled garden. The Grande Commande, as the commission is known, comprised twenty-four statues of the classic quaternities and four additional statues depicting abductions from the classic past. The statues were installed on marble plinths from which water issued; and each statue grouping was protected by an intricately carved and gilded baldachin. The bosquet was renamed the Grotte des Bains d'Apollon (Marie 1968, 1972, 1976, 1984; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985). 1693, "Galerie des Antiques" by Jean Joubert, ca. The groves of Versailles created by André Le Nôtre, gardener and architect to the King, saw many Court entertainments and have often been modified over the years. In the case of the Grandes Eaux – when all the fountains played to their maximum – more than 10,000 m3 of water was needed for one afternoon's display. While much of the chateau's interior was irreparably altered to accommodate the Museum of the History of France dedicated to "all the glories of France" (inaugurated by Louis-Philippe on 10 June 1837), the gardens, by contrast, remained untouched. Versailles, built just outside Paris in the 17th century, is one of the best-known French castles. In 1704, three additional entrances to the Colonnade were added, which reduced the number of fountains from thirty-one to twenty-eight. During the winter of 1774–1775, Louis XVI ordered the replanting of the gardens on the grounds that many of the trees were diseased or overgrown and needed to be replaced. 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