 Vaux le Vicomte Château
The beautiful château of Vaux le Vicomte, to the south of Paris, makes the ideal day-trip for any traveller willing to leave the capital.
Louis XIV's Minister of Finance, Nicolas Fouquet, ordered the building of Vaux le Vicomte in the 17th century. Fouquet was a man of great style and taste and he spared no expense in the château's construction, which was to set a new standard in opulence and luxury. Paintings by Le Brun adorn the interior and the exquisite gardens were designed by Le Nôtre. An architect and mathematician, Le Nôtre incorporated a number of optical illusions as well as an ingenious system of reservoirs and fountains.
The room of the Muses, La Chambre des Muses, is one of the most attractive rooms in the château and features a ceiling painted by Le Brun. The refined beauty of the château, however, proved to be the undoing of its owner, Fouquet. The grand opening of Vaux le Vicomte in 1661 was the stage for a lavish banquet attended by Louis XIV and many guests. The château and the banquet upstaged the King and shortly afterwards, a jealous and envious Louis XIV had Fouquet arrested and imprisoned at Pignerol, where he died in 1680.
Links
Vaux le Vicomte
More views and historical facts about the château. In French and English.
http://www.franceguideprestige.com/vaux.htm,
Prestige France - Vaux le Vicomte: Extra views of this beautiful building and a full English language history of the château, as well as how to get there.
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