The short-lived decorations and installations set up during the parties given by Louis XIV in Versailles - publié le 05/08/2014

Thèmes abordés

Versailles, Vigarani, Colbert, Louis XIV, Louise de la Vallière, Madame de Montespan, Marie-Thérèse, fête, 1664, 1668, 1674

Résumé du document

In 1661 Louis XIV decided to spend more and more time at Versailles, the former hunting lodge of his father, the King Louis XII. However, and in spite of the begun works, the interior of the Palace remained too small for the parties. In that way the parties were given in the garden, masterfully ordered and decorated by André Le Nôtre.

Indeed, the parties, beyond being a divertissement, were political moments where the King celebrated or demonstrated his recent choices or victories.
So the party of 1664 was dedicated to the beginning of the works on the Palace and in the garden, to Louise de La Vallière the mistress of the King and to the trial of Fouquet. The party of 1668 was dedicated to the treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle (the end of the war of Devolution against Spain), to the Marquise of Montespan the new mistress of the King and to the extension and new fountains of the park.

The party of 1674 was dedicated to the triumph of the Marquise of Montespan, to the second conquest of the Franche-Comté and to the completion of the park of Versailles.

Extraits

[...] Installations mécaniques et étangs artificiels. Description des fontaines et de leurs origines, Paris BEAUSSANT Philippe, Les plaisirs de Versailles, Coll. Les chemins de la musique, Ed. Fayard, Paris, 1973-1996. BEAUSSANT Philippe, Plaisirs des rois, fêtes royales de Louis XIV à Louis XVI (>INHA, 8H12891). BERGER Robert W., a source for the Latone Group at Versailles dans la Gazette des Beaux Arts, avril 1992, p.145-148. BLUCHE François, Louis XIV, Coll. Les indispensables de l'Histoire, Ed. Fayard CHALINE Olivier, Le règne de Louis XIV, Ed. [...]

[...] La princesse d'Elide, Paris Le Grand divertissement de Versailles, Ed. Robert Ballard, Paris Mémoires de Charles Perrault juillet 1676. Mémoires de Vigarani, 12/04/75, 12/11/75, > cons des éléments. DE LA QUINTINYE Mr, Instruction pour les jardins fruitiers et potagers, Tome Despilly, Paris FELIBIEN André, Les divertissements de Versailles donnez par le roy a toute sa Cour au retour de la conquest de la Franche Comté en l'année 1674. Biblio Sorbonne, VCR3=831. Pièce 2. Salle de réserve). FELIBIEN André, Relation de la fête de Versailles, Ed. [...]

[...] Felibian who described the day say that the garden was “traced by light” and the canal seemed “like a mirror of crystal”. Indeed, the canal was surrounded by hundreds of pot of fire and 650 illuminated statues. There were also 4 buildings at the corners of the canal decorated by ephemeral statues and fountains and at the back of the canal a big palace of 66meters. The show finished by an enormous firework during 30 minutes. Figure 10 31th August 1674 : Illuminations. BIBLIOGRAPHIE : National Archives / BNF. Mélanges Colbert (271, f°34). General books. [...]

[...] E., Versailles, le palais du soleil, Paris HAZLEHURST F. Hamilton, Gardens of illusion, Nashville Vanderbilt University Press LABLAUDE Pierre-André, Les jardins de Versailles, Ed. Scala, Paris MARIE Alfred et Jane, Naissance de Versailles, Paris, ed. Vincen, freal et Cie MARIN Louis, Politiques de la représentation, Le collège en acte, éd. Kimé, Paris MOINE Marie-Christine, Les fêtes à la Cour du Roi-Soleil, Ed. Fernand Lanore, Paris PARMENTIER André, La Cour du Roi Soleil, A. Colin St Geneviève, 8L Sup 24450). PEROUSE DE MONTCLOS Jean-Marie, Versailles, Paris, ed. [...]

[...] At the end of the story of Rolland, he escapes of the palace and this one is destroy. So at the end of the ballet, this is the firework, shoot from the palace, which destroy it : The Grand Divertissement. Figure 5 Map of the garden of Versailles The party of 1668 began with a light meal at the Star grove. Five tables were set up for cold beef (table marzipan cake (table marmalade (table liqueurs (table and caramels (table 5). [...]