 Vaux le Vicomte
Château
The beautiful château of Vaux le Vicomte,
to the south of Paris, makes the ideal day-trip for any traveller
willing to leave the capital.
Louis XIV's Minister of Finance, Nicolas Fouquet, ordered the
building of Vaux le Vicomte in the 17th century. Fouquet was
a man of great style and taste and he spared no expense in the
château's construction, which was to set a new standard in opulence
and luxury. Paintings by Le Brun adorn the interior and the
exquisite gardens were designed by Le Nôtre. An architect and
mathematician, Le Nôtre incorporated a number of optical illusions
as well as an ingenious system of reservoirs and fountains.
The room of the Muses, La Chambre des Muses, is one of the most
attractive rooms in the château and features a ceiling painted
by Le Brun. The refined beauty of the château, however, proved
to be the undoing of its owner, Fouquet. The grand opening of
Vaux le Vicomte in 1661 was the stage for a lavish banquet attended
by Louis XIV and many guests. The château and the banquet upstaged
the King and shortly afterwards, a jealous and envious Louis
XIV had Fouquet arrested and imprisoned at Pignerol, where he
died in 1680.
Links
More views and historical facts about the château. In French and English.
,
Prestige France - Vaux le Vicomte: Extra views of this beautiful building and a full English language history of the château, as well as how to get there.
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