The gardens of Versailles
The French Baroque garden: an ordered nature that shows the king's power.
André Le Nôtre began work at Versailles in 1661, commissioned by Louis XIV. The garden was made on a vast scale, with axes that draw the eye towards the horizon.
Versailles became the model for palace gardens throughout Europe, also in Sweden, where Drottningholm has a Baroque garden in the same spirit.
Materials: Gravel, box, water, stone and trees
Manufacture: Laid out by thousands of workers over several decades.
The central axis from the palace towards the horizon.
Parterres – low patterns of box and gravel – near the house.
Reflecting pools and fountains driven by a large system of canals and pumps.