We are searching data for your request:
Upon completion, a link will appear to access the found materials.
Just a couple of tens of kilometers from the French capital is an unsurpassed garden and park complex - the amazingly beautiful Gardens of Versailles. This example of a stunning volume and aesthetics example of an architectural landscape spreads over 900 hectares. The main part of this vast territory is arranged in the style of the French regular park, which served as an example to follow and inspire the creators of many other gardens and parks.
Versailles Gardens - landscape illustration of royalty
The gardens of Versailles arose and existed as an integral part of the suburban residence of the kings of France. Originally, a small hunting lodge was built here by Louis XIII. The main construction at Versailles unfolded in the era of his son Louis XIV. The magnificent palace and park complex, the construction of which the king carefully monitored, became the true embodiment of the absolutist monarchy and the power of the sun king, as they called Louis. Just fantastic amounts were spent by the treasury to cater to the king’s picky taste, the construction took half a century.
About six million tourists visit Versailles annually. It is impossible not to admire the most beautiful examples of regular architecture, gardens and numerous fountains, whose hydraulics have been functioning perfectly since the time of the French Revolution.
True, Versailles Park has limited water resources, so all fountains are turned on at full power only on days of spectacular shows, which usually take place on weekends in the summer months.
The creation of the Versailles Gardens began under the leadership of Claude Molay and Hilarius Mason in the 30s of the seventeenth century, in the sixties, when the sun king decided to arrange his residence in Versailles, the artist Lebrun, the architect L. Left and the one who can be called creative the father of the garden is Andre Lenotre.
The main features of the landscape design of Versailles were laid down under Louis XIV, although several large-scale redevelopments were carried out in different years, the plants were transplanted, but the general architectural and landscape concept was mainly preserved and recreated. The reasons for the changes were both objective reasons (replacing old trees, eliminating the destructive consequences of hurricanes, etc.) and subjective ones - changing tastes of the reigning persons who want to certainly reflect their aesthetic vision in the Versailles Gardens.
The characteristic elements of the Versailles Gardens can be called ponds, bosquets, grottoes and fountains, which are often located and named so that they form some symbolic chains and associations. In the goddess Laton, who was the mother of the sun god Apollo, it is easy to guess the mother of Louis XIV, known to everyone from the novels of Dumas Anna of Austria. Here with the fountain dedicated to Latone, we will begin our short walk through the Versailles Gardens. By the way, going on a real walk here, develop a plan in advance, so you won’t be able to get around the gigantic territory of the complex in just a day.
Latona Pool
It is located down from the Water orchestra and is slightly offset to the left of the east-west axis. The pool is decorated with statues erected here in 1688-1670, inspired by the ancient myth, according to which Latona and still small Apollo and Diana could not get drunk with water from the pond, as the peasants threw lumps of mud and silt into the water. Jupiter, hearing Latona's pleas for help, turned the evil peasants into lizards and frogs.
The sculpture of the goddess was made by the Marcy brothers, her children are standing next to her, and frog heads and backs protrude from the pool water, other frog figures are not located in the water, but along the borders of the lawn.
Apollo Pool
Moving further along the east-west axis, we go to the Apollo basin, built in 1668-1671, and replaced the Swan basin in this place. The new pool was expanded and acquired a beautiful sculptural group, depicting a brilliant Apollo in a chariot, voyage in the sky. The figures are covered with gilding to emphasize the sunshine of Apollo (with which the court poets liked to compare the king). This fountain connects the Small Park and the Grand Canal.
Location
Grand Canal
The Grand Canal has a length of 1,500 meters with a rather wide width of 62 meters and stretches along the east-west axis, reaching the walls of the Big Park. Its construction took place in 1668-1671, the canal served as a place for boat trips of the nobility, sometimes taking completely grand forms. In 1674, at the behest of the monarch, Little Venice appeared on the canal, sheltered yachts with caravels sent from Holland and Venetian gondolas donated by the Doge. The Grand Canal has a practical purpose - all the water drained from the fountains flows into it, since it is located at the lowest point.
Water parterre
A little above the Latona basin is the palace terrace, which is called the Water Parterre. It is a nodal site, as it lies between the palace of Versailles and the gardens that lie below.
This is a great point to see, the panorama from here is mesmerizing and gives a clear idea of the impeccable symmetry of the gardens, and when you look at the palace, you are immediately imbued with the majesty of its architecture. In 1664, by royal order, more than 20 statues were made, which were to decorate the Water Parterre.
The statues reflected plots of ancient myths related to the abduction.
The spruce pond is paired with the Swiss basin, they are located along the north-south axis, in the north direction from the palace. The spruce pond was established in 1676, and the Swiss basin (they named it that way because the Swiss guards took part in the creation of it) in 1678. Subsequently, the Spruce Pond was converted into the Neptune Basin, but the Swiss today occupies 15 hectares of area and is the largest hydrographic site in the Versailles Gardens after the Grand Canal.
In the gardens of Versailles there are still a huge number of beautiful places, ponds, galleries, colonnades, bosquets, all can not even be listed. And being nearby, we strongly recommend that you set aside a day to explore this amazing palace and garden complex.
Just keep in mind that even today, problems with a lack of water for fountains in the Versailles gardens have not been resolved, which is why they are turned on for only a few hours on certain days (usually on weekends and holidays), so first study the schedule to catch the Versailles fountains working , because they are one of the most memorable features of the park. Enjoy your walk through the Versailles Gardens!
