Palace of Versailles

Timeline

1. 1661–1665Old Palace of Versailles · VersaillesAfter taking personal rule, Louis XIV ordered architect Louis Le Vau to expand Louis XIII's hunting villa, adding stone wings and terraces. After the conquest of the Netherlands, Versailles became a stage for displaying royal glory, and court activities began shifting from the Louvre to the outskirts.
2. 1668–1670West wing and gardens of the Palace of Versailles · VersaillesAndré Le Nôtre directed the design of symmetrical French gardens, with fountains, avenues, and geometric flowerbeds extending royal order into the natural landscape. Construction of the Hall of Mirrors in the palace's west wing began during this period, and Versailles's function as a venue for court social life and diplomacy grew increasingly prominent.
3. 1666–1670Town of Versailles · VersaillesSettlements of craftsmen, servants, and noble residences around the palace grew rapidly, with the town's population and service industries expanding. Although the official capital transfer was not completed until 1682, by the late 1660s Versailles already had the rudiments of a court city, attracting European envoys and artists.