Expansion of the Palace of Versailles

Timeline

1. c. 1631–1634Versailles hunting lodge · VersaillesLouis XIII ordered the existing brick-and-stone hunting lodge expanded into a palace building suitable for royal residence, introducing regular facades and a symmetrical layout, marking Versailles's transformation from a hunting ground into a permanent palace.
2. c. 1634–1638Palace of Versailles construction site · VersaillesArchitect Philibert Le Roy oversaw the stone additions and unification of the facades, applying the stonework and carpentry techniques of French court architecture of the time, enlarging the main body of the building and completing its interior halls and chambers.
3. c. 1638–1640Gardens of the Palace of Versailles · VersaillesIn the late 1630s, the initial landscaping of the palace grounds and the laying of the water supply and drainage system proceeded in parallel, reserving space and engineering experience for André Le Nôtre's later large-scale French-style garden transformation.