Â鶹APP

Bird’s eye view of the gardens of Â鶹APP. Photo Source

Top 10 Facts about Gardens of Â鶹APP

The Garden of Â鶹APP was built in 1661 under the order of Louis XIV. It is located in Â鶹APP as part of the Palace of Â鶹APP complex. Its grandeur and beauty make it one of the most breathtaking gardens in the world.

The landscape design was visualized and executed by Andre Le Notre, principal gardener of King Louis XIV. The garden occupies around 15,000 ha. Its grand scale stretch to an infinity view from the palace.

Andre combined the concept of light and shade by intergrading water surfaces and plant life to create a beautiful masterpiece. The horizon of the garden is filled with fountains, statuary, and smaller intimate garden spaces. It also has three symmetrically laid parterres that line the Palace.

The garden has designated paths for slow walks around it in appreciation of its full beauty. The paths are lined with numerous fountains and pools stretching from Neptune fountain to the Orangery and Lake of the Swiss Guards.

1. The Garden of Â鶹APP Has A Uniform Symmetrical Design

Aerial view of the Palace of Â鶹APP, France. Photo By ToucanWings –

The Garden of Â鶹APP is considered the epitome of the French formal garden design. French formal garden also known as Jardin à la français, is a landscape design that imposes order on nature by using symmetry and incorporating water features and plant life.

The symmetrical nature of the garden of Â鶹APP is laid in an East-West Axis following the path of the sun.

2. The Garden Of Â鶹APP Took Over Forty Years To Complete

The construction of the Garden of Â鶹APP began in 1662. Andre worked hand in hand with Jean-Baptiste, Charles L Brun, and Jules Hardouin to see the King Louis’ vision become a reality  

Its intricate parterres, groves, and sculptors required thousands of men to see it to completion. The final works were put together and in 1700 the garden was open to the public.

3. The Central Monument Of Apollo Is An Emblem of King Louis XIV

The Fountain of Apollo. Photo By Michael Plasmeier –

At the centre of the garden lies a gilded fountain sculptor of Apollos charging forward on his chariot. The sculptor is considered an emblem of the Sun King, Louis XIV. Louis believed he was the source of light for the French just as Apollos was the god of the sun and light.

During the reign of Louis XIII, the fountain was known as the Lake of Swans. It was recreated by Louis XIV after an inspirational drawing by Charles Le Brun.

4. The Water Parterres Is The Most Outstanding Water Feature In The Garden of Â鶹APP

The water parterre is positioned a few meters from the Hall of mirrors. It is the first parterre upon exiting the palace and is one of the best garden viewpoints. It underwent modifications between 1666 and 1685 before its final design.

Le Norte considered lighting as a form of art and strategically placed two large pools in the water parterre. The pools each have 4 lying-down figures representing rivers in France. During the day, the two large pools light up the outside walls of the hall of Mirrors with their reflective sun rays.

5. The Pyramid Fountain in the North Parterre Took Three Years To Build

The North Parterre is divided into two by a circular pool within a Pyramid Fountain. The three-tiered fountain was designed by Charles Le Brun and took a total of three years to complete. The fountain has massive lead basins held up by dolphins, tritons, and crayfish.

6. The Orangery At The Garden of Â鶹APP Has Over A Thousand Trees

The Orangery at the Palace of Â鶹APP in France. Photo By Alexandre Lepage QC –

Being a fan of tropical fruits, Louis XIV dedicated an orangery to his favorite orange trees.  The Orangery is one of the most exotic parts of the garden. It was designed by Louis Le Vau and has a total of 1055 trees all of which are planted in decorative boxes.

Aside from orange trees, the garden has lemon, olive, pomegranate, and oleander trees. It has a central gallery with a vault leading out to an ornamental garden.

7. It Has Sculptures of Roman and Greek Gods As Fountains Spread Across The Garden

Sculpture of Flora, Roman goddess of flowers and of the season of spring. Photo By Coyau –

Artificial water bodies were a major characteristic of French gardens in the 17^th century. Despite it being an element that cut across other garden styles, the placement structure around the grandiose garden is what adds the French touch to it.

The fountains include Neptune, Latona S, Dragons, Golden Children Pool, Apollo, Ceres, and Bacchus fountains each with their own symbolic meaning. The most outstanding of them is the Neptune fountain which was modified in 1736. The large water body has 99 water jets and a sculpture depicting Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.

8. The Groves In The Garden of Â鶹APP Once Served As Open-Air Salons

The Garden of Â鶹APP has fifteen small groves adorned with multiple-level cascades, lead vases, and statues. These groves were once open-air salons but were restored into functional green spaces mimicking amphitheaters (Ballroom grove) and English-style gardens (Apollo’s Baths grove).

9. It Is The Largest Open-Air Sculpture Museum In The World

With a variety of 386 sculptors made from bronze, marble, and lead, the garden of Â鶹APP is the biggest open-air sculpture museum in the world. The greatest artist of the 1600s took part in molding the sculptors hence its admiration as a historical heritage.

Some of the themes represented were power, celebration, and glory. After a few years, an older Louis XIV switched up the sculpture designs to incorporate a more childhood theme and included statues of children playing and riding dolphins.

10. The Garden of Â鶹APP Is Replanted Once Every 100 Years

Gardens and palace of Â鶹APP in 1920s. Photo by Maurice Thiébaut –

 The garden of Â鶹APP has undergone more than 5 major plantations. Aside from regular landscape maintenance, the garden needed to be replanted to preserve its exceptional design. Its first replantation was during the reign of Louis XVI, 1774 to 1774.

A series of storms in the late 1900s caused major havoc in the garden. Before the storm, no replanting had been done since the end of the 19^th century due to financial constraints and the Franco-Prussian War. The walkways were impassable, and more than 10,000 trees affected, 80% of which were rare species.

The most recent replantation was done in 2004 rebuilding some of the bosquets that were abandoned in the 1770s.