Conclusion

Château de Versailles and its gardens truly is a giant among all the French baroque château . Although it may not have the grandest beginnings, it has gone beyond that to prevail as a magnificent piece of architecture. Much like the landscape architect André Le Nôtre, Versailles had potential, but little to show for it, but just like Le Nôtre becoming a renowned landscape architect, Versailles has become the standard against which all other châteaux are compared. From its exquisitely manicured shrubs, bushes and flowers forming the broidery, to the representative Baroque sculpture and finally to the breathtaking fountains, not many châteaux or even any other palace can compare to Versailles . Also, not unlike its inspired patron, Louis XIV Versailles became a symbol of absolute power and total control, the embodiment of all things French during his reign. Although Louis XIV was not even allowed to rule on his own until 23, once he became king he did not waste any time and France rose to a height which it had never attained before. The Château de Versailles truly is the physical manifestation of the experiences of its creators. It is a real Cinderella story.

Works Cited

Thacker, Charles (translated) “ La Maniere de montrer les jardins de Versailles ” Louis XIV and others, drawn from JSTOR.

Van Der Kemp “ Versailles ” 1978 Sotheby Parke Benet Publications

Harris, Ann Sutherland “ Seventeenth-Century Art & Architecture ” 2005 Laurence King Publishing Ltd. London

Edited by: Catherine Bindman “ Baroque: Architecture, Sculpture and Painting ” 2004 (English edition) Tandem Verlag GmbH

Images drawn from various online sources

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