Palace of Versailles

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Palace of Versailles, France, le Vau, 1660
Structure - Palace of Versailles
- Post and lintel, load bearing
- Made of stone/masonry and brick
- Large columns to support exterior
- Interior barrel vaults and arches used for structure
Function - Palace of Versailles
- Residence of the Royal Court
- Previously a hunting lodge for Louis xiii
Form - Palace of Versailles
- Ornamental work
- Tapestries
- Furniture
- Reliefs
- Paintings
- Huge structure
- Large courtyards
- Two freestanding service wings
- Hall of Mirrors
- 1400 fountains
Cultural Context - Palace of Versailles
- Built by Louis xiii
- Had to be adapted to fit the function of housing the Royal Court
- Modifications were made by a town of 20,000 people whose sole purpose was to work at and for Versailles
Physical Context - Palace of Versailles
- Marshy grounds
- 20 miles south of Paris in the countryside
- Grounds were drained to make vast areas of gardens
- A river has to be diverted to supply water for the fountains
Historical Context - Palace of Versailles
- Had been built by Louis xiii to serve as a hunting lodge
- Louis xiv spent lots of time there as a child
- Louis xiv wouldn’t allow anything to be removed from it because it held sentimental value