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Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte
Today I was visiting my aunt and cousins the southern suburbs of Paris and they took me out for the day to see the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte, located in Maincy, about 55km South of Paris.
It was a beautiful Sunday, starting with some nice French food (of course) and then a full on visit of the castle. What one remembers of this castle is the story behind it back in the 18th century. Nicolas Fouquet, a member of parliament, acquired the castle in 1641 and spent enormous amounts of money decorating the inside of the castle and landscaping the outside.
The château was lavish, refined, and dazzling to behold, but these characteristics proved tragic to its owner. Indeed, the King (Louis XVI) had Fouquet arrested shortly after a famous fête that took place on 17 August 1661, with Molière’s play ‘Les Fâcheux’. The celebration had been too impressive and the superintendent’s home too luxurious.
After Nicolas Fouquet was arrested and imprisoned for life, and his wife exiled, Vaux-le-Vicomte was placed under sequestration. The King seized, confiscated, and occasionally purchased 120 tapestries, the statues, and all the orange trees from Vaux Le Vicomte. He then sent the team of artists (Le Vau, Le Nôtre and Le Brun) to design what would be a much larger project than Vaux Le Vicomte, the palace and gardens of Versailles.
The visit was well worth it – highly recommended for a chilled day out in the suburbs of Paris!
- Camera: SAMSUNG WB500, WB510 / VLUU WB500 / SAMSUNG HZ10W
- Taken: 12 January, 2009
- Shutter speed: 1/350 s
- Aperture: f/7.8
- Focal length: 4.7 mm
- ISO: 80
Facebook comments:
quel compte rendu !!!
I am impressed !
ta pose/logo est de mieux en mieux : un pied solidement sur terre, l’autre prêt à danser, une main montrant la belle Terre , l’autre soutenant le ciel, la tête droite et le sourire enchanté ! Curiosité, équilibre, gratitude, humour … VIE !