Place/Versaille Gardens

Plate

Context

The Gardens of Versailles were transformed for Louis XIV beginning in 1661, principally by landscape architect André Le Nôtre. Covering roughly 2,000 acres, they were conceived as an extension of the palace itself, with immense sightlines, geometric parterres, carefully shaped trees, sculptures, canals, and hundreds of fountains imposing order on the landscape.

Much of the garden's character comes from its bosquets, enclosed outdoor "rooms" hidden behind hedges. Visitors moving through them would suddenly encounter fountains, sculptures, theaters, and other surprises. The scale created unusual engineering challenges too, especially supplying enough water for the fountains, leading to ambitious reservoirs, aqueducts, pumping systems, and the enormous Machine de Marly on the Seine. Louis XIV was so particular about how the gardens should be experienced that he personally wrote instructions prescribing the route visitors should take through them.

Lore

One of the most interesting things about the Gardens of Versailles is that they were essentially a massive engineering project disguised as a garden.

Louis XIV wanted an astonishing number of fountains, but Versailles sits on relatively flat ground and had no adequate natural water supply. Engineers eventually built the enormous Machine de Marly, a system of waterwheels and pumps on the Seine, to help supply Versailles.

Even then, there often wasn't enough water to run all the fountains simultaneously. During Louis XIV's walks, fountain keepers reportedly coordinated with one another so that the fountains near the king were turned on as he approached and shut off after he passed. Even nature itself was made to appear ordered around the king.

Memory

I remember sitting in the gardens at Versailles watching the fountains move in time with the music. Each display was relatively short, almost like a little performance scattered throughout the gardens. We'd stop, watch the water rise and fall with the music, and then wander on to find the next one.