The Sun King's garden
Subtitle: Louis XIV, Andre Le Nôtre, and the creation of the gardens of Versailles
By: Ian Thompson.
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: 2006
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 370
ISBN-13: 9780747576488
Subjects: Le Nôtre, André, -- 1613-1700; Louis -- XIV, -- King of France, -- 1638-1715 -- Influence; Gardens, French -- History -- 17th century; Gardens -- France -- Design -- History -- 17th century; Parc de Versailles (Versailles, France)
Description: "Warmonger, womaniser and autocrat, Louis XIV, France's self-styled 'Sun King', was also history's most fanatical gardener. At Versailles, twelve miles outside Paris, he created not only Europe's most lavish palace, but the most extensive gardens the Western world has ever seen. The domain of Versailles now covers 1,890 acres (about twice the size of New York's Central Park), but in its heyday under Louis, the Grand Parc covered an astounding 19,800 acres."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: The fateful party; title: Born to garden; title: The sun rises; title: The unpromising site; title: Geometry and earthworks; title: First plans; title: The new Rome; title: Divertissements; title: Pleasure works; title: Zenith; title: Total control; title: Changes; title: Waterworks; title: The machine and the aqueduct; title: Escape to Marly; title: Honorable old age; title: Hard times and sunset; title: Influence; title: Epilogue.