Did You Know?

Vaux le Vicomte Chateau
Vaux le Vicomte is one of the last castles constructed by the noblesse de robe (nobility earned through administrative or legal posts) in Ile de France during the first half of the 17C. It is also one of the rare chateaux that survives intact to this day; even the grounds remain almost untouched. It is a good example of the period that preceded the reign of Louis XIV.
The King's visit to Vaux le Vicomte during the famous festivities given in 1661, in his honour by Nicolas Fouquet undoubtedly influenced the transformation of the modest chateau of Versailles, where the court then resided. Louis XIV wanted to demonstrate his power & immortalise his fame at Versailles, just as Fouquet, the surintendant of finance, did at Vaux.
Those who worked to magnify the reputation of the bourgeois gentleman Fouquet glorified the absolute figure of the Sun King.
By Francois Robichon