The gardens

In the baroque era, the gardens of Versailles were the envy of kings and queens across Europe and became the inspiration for grand royal gardens throughout the continent.

Louis XIV considered the gardens of Versailles just as important as the palace itself. Today, the gardens may be even more famous than the château. Of the 10 million visitors each year, around 7 million come just to see the gardens! It is the gardens that continue to bring worldwide fame to Louis XIV to this day.

It’s well known that Louis XIV spent much of his time in the gardens of Versailles. He took daily walks there and invested a great deal of time and money into shaping the estate — not only to tame nature, but also to symbolically extend the horizon of his power.

At the height of Versailles’ glory, the gardens regularly hosted grand festivities. Visitors were treated to theatrical performances, music, and fireworks. Even naval battles were staged, with boats equipped with cannons and fireworks. Gondolas floated on the Grand Canal — brought over from Italy by Louis XIV himself.

The gardens featured hundreds of different trees, flowerbeds, pleasure gardens, pavilions, an orangery, colonnades, sculptures, a grotto, numerous ponds, a canal, and of course, many fountains — the very elements that continue to make Versailles world-famous today.

The sculptures and fountains mostly depict gods and their myths, rich in symbolism. Louis XIV had a particular fondness for waterfalls and fountains — unsurprising, as fountains represent humanity’s ability to control water. Nearly everything in the gardens from the Sun King’s era has been preserved to this day.

The statues and fountains were largely created by the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture (L’Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture). In 1663, the Academy was placed under state control and became the official supplier to the royal court at Versailles. It was responsible for many of the artworks, including the sculptures in the gardens. Louis XIV appointed Charles Le Brun — his favourite painter — as the director of the institution. The Academy employed several artists such as Jean-Baptiste Tuby, the Marsy brothers, François Girardon, and Thomas Regnaudin.

In 1661, Louis XIV commissioned André Le Nôtre to design and renovate the gardens of Versailles. Work on the gardens began at the same time as construction on the palace itself and lasted around 40 years. During this time, André Le Nôtre collaborated with several key figures, including Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who served as the King’s superintendent of buildings from 1664 to 1683 and oversaw the project, and Charles Le Brun, who was appointed First Painter to the King in January 1664 and created designs for many of the statues and fountains.

Not least, every part of the project was personally reviewed by the king, who took a deep interest in the undertaking and insisted on seeing “every detail” with his own eyes. Shortly afterwards, the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who had been appointed First Architect and Building Inspector to the King, constructed the Orangerie and simplified the outlines of the park by replacing or removing certain shrubs.

Creating the gardens was a monumental task. Massive amounts of earth had to be moved to level the ground, lay out the parterre embroidery, construct the Orangerie, and excavate the fountains and the Grand Canal in areas that had previously been meadows and swamps. Trees were brought in from all over France. Thousands of men — sometimes entire regiments — were involved in bringing this immense project to life.

To preserve its design, the gardens had to be replanted approximately every 100 years. Louis XVI carried out the first major replanting at the beginning of his reign, and the next took place under Napoleon III. After a series of damaging storms in the late 20th century — including the devastating storm of December 1999 — the garden was completely replanted. Today, it shines with a fresh and youthful appearance, reminiscent of how it would have looked during the reign of Louis XIV.

On days between April and October (high season) when the Musical Fountains Show and the Musical Gardens take place, a ticket is required to visit the gardens.

The Palace Gardens of Versailles are vast. It’s a good idea to study the map before your visit so you know what to expect and where you’d like to go. Below, you’ll find the map of the Palace Gardens.

Tip: Click on the image to enlarge.

1. At the very bottom of the map, you’ll see the palace itself, the car parks, the royal stables, and the RER C train line (which connects to central Paris).
2. In the middle of the map (marked with red squares) are the formal French gardens of the palace (Les jardins in French).
3. The upper part of the map shows the Grand Canal as well as the Trianon Palaces and their estate (marked with blue squares). This is also where Marie Antoinette’s estate is located. As you can see, these estates are quite a walk from the main palace, which is why they tend to be much quieter.

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