Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte - Maincy, France
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N 48° 33.937 E 002° 42.851
31U E 478913 N 5379208
The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is a baroque French château located in Maincy in the Seine-et-Marne département of France. It was built from 1658 to 1661 for Nicolas Fouquet the superintendent of finances of Louis XIV.
Waymark Code: WMEGZD
Location: Île-de-France, France
Date Posted: 05/29/2012
Views: 9
When Fouquet became King Louis XIV's superintendent of finances in 1657, he commissioned the architect Louis Le Vau, the painter decorator Charles Le Brun and the landscape architect André Le Nôtre to renovate his estate and garden to match his grand ambition. Fouquet’s artistic and cultivated personality subsequently brought out the best in the three.
Le Nôtre employed an optical illusion called anamorphosis abscondita in his garden design in order to establish decelerated perspective. The most apparent change in this manner is of the reflecting pools. They are narrower at the closest point to the viewer (standing at the rear of the château) than at their farthest point; this makes them appear closer to the viewer.
From the top of the grand staircase, one has the impression that the entire garden is revealed in one single glance. Initially, the view consists of symmetrical rows of shrubbery, avenues, fountains, statues, flowers and other pieces developed to imitate nature – these elements exemplify the Baroque desire to mold nature to fit its wishes - thus using nature to imitate nature. The centerpiece is a large reflecting pool flanked by grottos holding statues in their many niches.
Open daily from March to November from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and during Christmas Holidays
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