Versailles, Palaces and Gardens

Hall of Mirrors re-opens
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-06-25-versailles-paris_N.htm?csp=34

These are wonderful! I too loved the Orangery...were there any more?

More of the Orangerie :

Miroir d'Eau (water mirror) in the south side gardens :

 

Facing the Miroir d'Eau is the Jardin du Roi (King's Garden) :

 

Flore Farnese (King's Garden) :

Bosquet des Maronniers :


It may look rather unprepossessing to our modern eyes but back then chesnut trees (marronniers) were apparently almost unknown in France and therefore considered a rarity.

Here is a picture of one of the statues in the bosquet des Maronniers which has been vandalised. Some idiots unable to appreciate our wonderful cultural heritage set it on fire. You can see how the fire blackened and attacked the marble :

And now to the north-side gardens ...

Bosquet de l'Encelade :

   

Bosquet des Dômes (my favourite together with the Colonnade one. Both were created by Jules Hardouin Mansart whose classical & elegant style appeals more to me than Le Nôtre's roccoco one) :

 


Bosquet de l'Obelisque :

Bassin de Flore (bassin du Printemps) :

 

Bassin de Céres (bassin de l'Eté) :

 

Les Bains d'Apollon :

 

The recently renovated (opened in 2004) bosquet des trois Fontaines :



 

 

Bassin du Dragon :

 

Pyramide d'Eau (water pyramid) with a view on the bassin du Dragon :

Bassin de Latone :




Flowerbeds next to the bassin de Latone :

Various views of the castle (seen from the gardens) :

 


Flowerbeds :

Wonderful....would you say that most of these Gardens would be exact as they were in  the Eighteenth Century in the reign of Louis XVI?  I take it the the 2004 remodeling would not be? But most of the others would be!

Le Nôtre's roccoco one

Oups, my mistake ! I meant BAROCCO and not roccoco of course.