When did Louis XIV began construction on the Palace of Versailles?
In 1670, d’Orbay was tasked by Louis XIV with designing a city, also called Versailles, to house and service Louis XIV’s growing government and court. The granting of land to courtiers for the construction of townhouses that resembled the palace began in 1671.
When did Louis XIII build Versailles?
It was a small country residence and, according to the Maréchal de Bassompierre, “a mere gentleman would not have been overly proud of the construction.” Louis XIII decided to rebuild it in 1631. Construction continued until 1634 and laid the basis of the Palace we know today.
Who built the château of Versailles and in what year?
The palace. The original residence was primarily a hunting lodge and private retreat for Louis XIII (reigned 1610–43) and his family. In 1624 the king entrusted Jacques Lemercier with the construction of a château on the site. Its walls are preserved today as the exterior facade overlooking the Marble Court.
How many years did it take to construct the château of Versailles?
In 1661, Louis XIV commissioned André Le Nôtre to design and layout the intricate grounds – a project that took forty years to complete. Just 20km from the centre of Paris, the Palace has become a UNESCO World Heritage site and for good reason – in 2017 alone, the Versailles received an incredible 7,700,000 visitors.
Why did Louis XIV built the Palace of Versailles?
Building such a lavish complex was an important part of Louis XIV’s style of rule and beliefs about monarchy, which we would call absolutism, said Schmidt. “As king of France he was the embodiment of France — and his palace was meant to display the wealth and power of his nation,” she said.
When was Château de Versailles built?
1634Palace of Versailles / Construction started
Why was the Chateau de Versailles built?
Versailles was built to impress. “The most important message Louis XIV sent through the architecture of Versailles was his ultimate power,” said Tea Gudek Snajdar, an Amsterdam-based art historian, museum docent and a blogger at Culture Tourist. “He is an absolute monarch, untouchable and distant.