Versailles in Colour [antikvár]

INTRODUCTIONThere is probably no name in Francé which has as much prestige attached to it as that of Versailles and yet, how many of the millions of visitors who flock there every year see beyond the magnificence of the world's most famous palace and strive to discover its historical significance and deep symbolism? The creation of Versailles can be regarded as the expression of a precise and coherent policy; its decoration heralds the Kings' glory and the efficiency of his government. Versailles may, therefore, be described as being a very accurate image of absolute monarchy."A LITTLE CHATEAU MADE OF A PACK OF CARDSYet there was, to begin with, no indication of what its future destiny was to be, considering the modesty of the initial structure and the fact that the estate was, for a long time, nothing but an unpretentious crown dependency until the end of the XVIth century, when it became the property of the powerful Gondi family. From then on it was to have a new destiny.Henry IV used to enjoy stag hunting in this desolate country of forests and fens and would sometimes go in the company of his elder son; this kind of countryside obviously suited the wild and gloomy temperament of the young Dauphin for later, as Louis XIII, he often hunted here with his select company. Shortly after, he purchased the surrounding land and in 1624 built a small pavilion on a hillock. A few years later, this building was to be replaced by a charming lodge, constructed in brick, stone and slate "a little cháteau made of a pack of cards" as Saint-Simon scomfully called it. Then, having bought the domain of Versailles from the Gondi family, the King enlarged his estate and laid out the first flower beds, turning this charming abode into a sort of hermitage where he intended to retire for the rest of his days as soon as his son came of age.His untimely death pyt a stop to these plans but he passed his passión for Versailles onto Louis XIV. The new King went hunting there during his childhood and adolescence. After his marriage, he introduced Queen Marie-Thérése to it together with the young and brilliant court he had gathered round his person during the first years of his reign. He was soon to undertake the work, that within a quarter of a century, would transform his father's "cháteau of cards" into a fairy tale palace.He began by renovating the decoration of the apartments and then erected new outbuildings, a small Orangery and a Ménagerie to shelter his ever growing collection of exotic animals.However, the largest sums were spent on the gardens. André Le Nőtre designed the generál layout giving them perspectives that were out of proportion compared with the size of the building. It became evident that the lodge would either have to be destroyed or enlarged in order to put it on the same scale as the gardens.