Palace vaux-le-viscount.  A story about a trip to cities near Paris: a report on a trip to Melun and the palace of Vaux-le-Viscount

Castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte ( Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)

The castle was built in 1658-61. for Nicolas Fouquet, Viscount Vaud and Melun, superintendent of finance under Louis XIV.

Castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte ( Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)

In 1641, the 26-year-old Fouquet acquired the small estate of Vaux-le-Vicomte, conveniently located near the road that connected the royal residences at Fontainebleau and Vincennes. 15 years later, having reached the position of chief financier of France, Fouquet started the construction of the best private palace in France at that time, inviting three of the largest professionals of his time - architect Louis Levo, landscape architect Andre Le Nôtre and interior designer Charles Lebrun.

Castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte ( Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)

Entrance ticket to the castle and park costs 16 euros.

Castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte ( Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)

Here you can see a portrait of Nicolas Fouquet himself (1615-80).

Castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte ( Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)

Cardinal Mazarin made Fouquet superintendent of finance in 1653.

Room of Nicolas Fouquet (Сhambre de Nicolas Fouquet)

Fouquet's management was marked by bringing finances into complete disorder and the systematic plundering of the state treasury.

Castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte ( Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)

At first he was restrained by another superintendent, Servien, but after the death of the latter in 1659, there were no more limits to robbery.

Bedroom

One of the most beautiful rooms of the palace is the room of the muses (it is decorated with images of 8 muses). 5 tapestries are dedicated to the goddess Diana.

Room of the Muses (Chambre des muses)

Since 1654, Fouquet stopped keeping a record of income received, spending huge sums on buildings, festivities, mistresses and spies.

Cabinet games

Fouquet was surrounded by artists and writers whom he patronized (Molière, La Fontaine, and others).

Library

Even King Louis XIV was taken aback by the luxury of the palace and wondered - what kind of chichi is all this repaid?

Louis XIV room

Fouquet sent financial statements to the king, reducing expenditure figures and increasing income figures, and did not suspect that the king, together with the head of the government, Colbert, began to carefully check these statements. Fouquet's fate was sealed.

Castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte ( Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)

As a result, in 1661, Nicolas Fouquet was arrested (by the way, by all known to us d'Artagnan).

buffet

Fouquet spent the last 15 years of his life in captivity in the Pignerol castle (now the city of Pinerolo near Turin). According to one version, he is the mysterious prisoner in the iron mask.

Iron Mask ( Le masque de fer)

By the way, scenes from the movie "The Man in the Iron Mask" (1998) with DiCaprio were filmed in Vaux-le-Vicomte. And earlier, the castle took part in the filming of one of the films about James Bond - "Moonraker" (1979).

Kitchen

The complex also has stables with an exposition of carriages, but, unfortunately, they passed by my attention.

stables

After the tour, we had free time to explore the park and have lunch. And since it was raining, I made a tactical decision to start with lunch. And I didn't guess.

stables

At the request of some readers, I will now occasionally indulge in pictures of my modest subsistence.

Dinner

Such a colorful couple is located at the next table.

Restaurant

I don’t know how regularly such masquerades take place, but on this Sunday afternoon the park was filled with people in ancient costumes.

A park

Someone has already arrived in their suit, but because not everyone at home has musketeer clothes, then in Vaux-le-Vicomte you can rent an outfit.

Castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte ( Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)

As a result, those who were in ordinary clothes were even less than the ladies in luxurious dresses.

Castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte ( Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)

The rain has passed, the weather has quickly improved, and people have already begun to relax on the lawns.

A statue

The park was designed by Andre Le Nôtre, the best landscape designer of his time. Later he will create a garden in Versailles.

A park

In the central part of the park there are two Triton pools with fountains.

Triton Basin (Bassin des Tritons)

A large square pool is called a mirror, because. well displays the surrounding objects.

Large Mirror (Grand Miroir Carre)

The Grand Canal is 875 meters long and 35 meters wide.

Grand Canal

Fountains flow nearby, which are not visible from the side of the castle.

The fountain

A whole area was dedicated to kites. The masters showed the high art of managing them.

Kites

The park is decorated with numerous sculptures.

A statue

And the garden has beautiful patterns.

Castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte ( Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)

The castle itself is surrounded on all sides by a moat with water.

Castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte ( Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)

In the end, it was quite clear, but it was already time for us to return to Paris ...

Of all the famous palaces around Paris that can be visited in one day, the Vaux le Vicomte castle, built in classical style 46 kilometers southeast of Paris, architecturally looks the most harmonious, aesthetically pleasing and proportionate to the person.

It stands in splendid isolation among forests and fields (visiting time March-November, daily from 10.00 to 18.00; price 12 euros).

The castle was built between 1656 and 1661 for Nicolas Fouquet, Minister of Finance of Louis XIV, according to the design of the best masters of the time, the architect Leveaux, the painter Le Brun and the landscape architect Le Nôtre.

The result of this cooperation was the grandeur, clarity and perfection of proportions, as well as huge expenses that only those who did not make a distinction between their own pocket and the state treasury were able to pay. Fouquet was not destined to enjoy his luxurious home for long.

On August 17, 1661, he had the imprudence to invite the king and his retinue to visit him for a luxurious housewarming, and three weeks later he was arrested (according to Dumas Sr., d'Artagnan with musketeers), accusing him of embezzling public money (which he was , undoubtedly guilty), and imprisoned until the end of his days.

And the famous trinity of masters was invited to build another worthy building, but already for the king, Palace of Versailles, which was supposed to surpass in beauty and luxury the castle of a man who was just his minister.

The castle of Vaux-le-Viscount, from which the king took most of its luxurious furnishings, remained in the possession of the widow Fouquet until 1705, when it was sold to Marshal Villard, the opponent of the Duke of Marlborough in the War of the Spanish Succession.

In 1764, the castle was sold again, now to the Duke of Choiseul-Praslin, Minister of the Navy of Louis XV. His family owned Vaux-le-Vicomte until 1875, when the whole castle fell into such a state of extreme neglect that its beautiful gardens practically disappeared.

The new owner of the castle, French industrialist Alfred Sommier, enthusiastically set about restoring the castle and its decoration, which later became his life's work.

The castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte was opened to the public in 1968. Today, restoration work continues, and more and more halls show their splendor to visitors.

Description of the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte

The castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte, which is visible directly from the gate, is a tall, rather austere majestic building surrounded by an artificial moat. Only when you pass to the south side of the castle, where the gardens go downhill, with geometrically adjusted patches of grass and water, cut into squares by trees and yews, fountains and sculptures.

Looking back, you will appreciate the harmony and truly French features of this structure, the high sloping roof of which is successfully combined with the central onion dome, decorated with a classical pediment and pilasters.

As for the interior decoration, the main thing that catches your eye is, of course, luxury and wealth. The greatest artistic impression is made by the work of Lebrun.

He was responsible for the creation of two exquisite tapestries hanging in the hall at the entrance, which were made in a local workshop opened by Fouquet specifically for the decoration of his palace.

Later, this workshop was taken over by Louis XIV, and it then became known as the Royal Tapestry Manufactory. Lebrun also painted numerous ceilings of the palace, including in the bedroom of Fouquet, the Salon of Muses and in the Room of Games (composition "Dream"), as well as in the so-called Royal Bedchamber, the decoration of which is the first example of that somewhat ponderous majestic style, which then became known as the Louis XIV style.

Other attractions of the castle are the cave-like kitchens that have come down to us almost unchanged, as well as the hall where letters written by Fouquet, Louis XIV and other celebrities of that era are exhibited.

In one of them, dated November 1794 (when the French revolution) and addressed to the Duke of Choiseul-Praslin, with an appeal to “you”, it says the following: “You have only a week to hand over one hundred thousand pounds ...”, and the letter ends with the words “Be healthy! With brotherly love...” You can imagine what a shock such familiarity was for an aristocrat.

The Carriage Museum, which is located in the stables, exhibits various types of horse-drawn vehicles with models of horses harnessed to them.

On summer evenings (visiting time May-October, Saturday from 8.00 to 24.00; July-August, Friday and Saturday from 8.00 to 24.00; cost 15 euros), thousands of candles are lit in the official halls of the castle, as it was, probably, on that fateful holiday at Fouquet, and classical music plays in the garden, which gives the event a special sparkle. The work of fountains and other hydraulic structures can be seen in the summer on the second and last Saturday of each month (April-October from 15.00 to 18.00).

If you are driving along the highway, please note that Vaux-le-Vicomte castle is located 7 kilometers east of Melun, which, in turn, is located 46 kilometers southeast of Paris. You can get to Melun by the A-4 motorway (turn to Melun Senar).

If you decide to go by train, then you need to get to Melun by a regular train (40 minutes 13.40 euros) from the Gare de Lyon, and then transfer to a regular bus that will take you directly to the castle (only on weekends, with long intervals ).

If it is not possible to use the bus, you can of course walk the last 7 kilometers, but it will be more convenient to take a taxi (about 18 euros). The taxi rank is located in front of the station, there are also telephone numbers that you can call if there are no free taxis.

Unusual excursions from Paris

All the marvels of the corrected hand of the man of nature, all the pleasures and all the luxury, combined in such a way as to affect both the mind and the senses - all this Fouquet presented to his king in this magical haven, the equal of which could not be boasted by any of the then monarchs of Europe.
A. Dumas.
Ten years later, part V, chapter XL.

This story began with envy. The all-powerful Louis XIV envied his finance minister Nicolas Fouquet and put the unfortunate man in prison for many years. Since then, many French historians believe that the Iron Mask is not at all the twin brother of the king, as Alexandre Dumas believed, but the superintendent of finance and the owner of the most magnificent palace in Vaux-le-Vicomte, Nicolas Fouquet.

It was the palace in Vaux-le-Vicomte that aroused the greatest envy of the Sun King, so strong that during the construction of Versailles, the ghost of Vaux-le-Vicomte seemed to hang over Louis. The king tried in every possible way to surpass Fouquet, who created one of the architectural wonders of the world. As a result, a paradoxical opinion has developed that Versailles is only a faint resemblance to Vault le Vicomte.

Vaux-le-Vicomte (fr. Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte) is a classic French manor-palace of the 17th century, located in the vicinity of Melun, 55 km southeast of Paris. Built in 1658-1661 for Nicolas Fouquet, Viscount Vaud and Melun, superintendent of finance under Louis XIV.

Nicolas Fouquet

If Vaux-le-Viscount has any drawback, it is excessive luxury. The Vaux-le-Vicomte castle, because of which the "sun king" lost his sleep, was built 50 kilometers from the capital by the richest man in France - superintendent of finance Nicolas Fouquet. The “Creation of the Three Les” was designed by the architect Levo, decorated by the artist Lebrun, and the gardens in front of the castle were laid out by the then unknown Le Nôtre (for this, three villages had to be wiped off the face of the earth).

In 1641, the 26-year-old Fouquet acquired the small estate of Vaux-le-Vicomte, conveniently located near the road that connected the royal residences at Fontainebleau and Vincennes. 15 years later, having reached the position of chief financier of France, Fouquet started the construction of the best private
.

The cooperation of the three masters produced a monument that became the first example of the Louis XIV style, which relied on the unity of architecture, interior decoration and park landscapes. The main house is surrounded on four sides by a moat with water. Thanks to natural irrigation (two rivers flowed on the site from time immemorial), Le Nôtre was able to arrange a regular park for Fouquet with parterres, fountains and canals. The forest around the park was planted on former arable land simultaneously with the construction of the palace.

Architect Louis Leveaux

Charles Lebrun, interior artist

On August 17, 1661, Fouquet celebrated a solemn housewarming party, at which Molière and Lafontaine performed.
.

But instead of flattering the king, a feast arranged in his honor with a dinner on golden dishes and unusual fireworks hurt Louis' vanity. Before his eyes loomed the dilapidated Louvre and his own poverty, barely covered by heraldic lilies.

The monarch did not lie down in the bed prepared for him and left the next day without saying a word of gratitude. As Voltaire caustically remarked, "When the holiday began, Fouquet was on top of the world, and when it ended, he became nothing." Three weeks later, the superintendent of finance was arrested by the captain of the royal musketeers, Charles d'Artagnan.
The fate of the disgraced oligarchs in the 17th century was not much different from today - prosecution, prison and, if you're lucky, exile. Fouquet was given a life sentence in the Pignerol fortress

The king confiscated Vaux-le-Vicomte; the team of Leveaux, Le Nôtre and Lebrun switched to construction royal palace at Versailles. Fouquet himself died in custody in 1680, but his wife received Vaux-le-Vicomte back ten years after the confiscation.

Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmaur, Comte d'Artagnan

Claude Villars
After the death of his son Fouquet, the castle passed to Marshal de Villars, after him to the Choiseuls. In 1840, the Duke of Choiseul-Pralin murdered his wife in the castle; The estate has been empty for 30 years.

By the end of the 19th century, the palace was in decline, but then the philanthropist and industrialist Alfred Sommier appeared on the scene, who bought Vaux le Vicomte and turned it into one of the most prominent private museums in France. Of course, Saumier restored Vaux le Vicomte not only for France, but also for himself, but thanks to his efforts, it was belle douce France that won, which received a delightful palace and park complex as a gift.
The current owner of the castle and the surrounding estate of 6,000 hectares, the French sugar king Jean Sommier, is a man with a much happier fate. He is free, healthy and willing to show his wealth to everyone by opening Vaux-le-Vicomte to visitors. The first impression of the castle is delight. Everything is the same as 300 years ago, and only the parking lot hidden at the edge of the forest inadvertently reminds that the 21st century is already in the yard.
The interiors of the ceremonial halls on the first floor are entirely gilded, with an abundance of paintings and statues.

On the second - living quarters. From the third floor, previously intended for servants, you can climb to the roof, the repair of which, as the owners say, is a real ruin. And it’s definitely worth going up – if only to admire the panorama from above.

The long building on the left is the former stables, where today several dozen luxurious carriages are on display. Opposite are the greenhouses. This is about them, half a century after visiting Vaux-le-Viscount, the aging “sun king” said with regret to his courtiers: “Oh, you haven’t tried the wonderful peaches from Mr. Fouquet’s greenhouses. You are too young for this."

Plansade-park area
But still, the best thing that can be seen from above is the magnificent park, which served as a model for the creation of the Versailles ensemble. Its fountains, which in the middle of the 17th century seemed a miracle and delighted all the kings and princes of Europe, remain a miracle today.

Fouquet personally accompanied Louis, burning with envy, along the park alleys, framed with hedges and flower beds, verified with geometric accuracy. The feeling, of course, is not the best, but everyone who visits Vaux-le-Vicomte will be able to understand the young king.

The gravel-strewn paths that visitors today drive in rented nimble electric cars end at the banks of a wide canal. As in the old days, boats in the form of huge swans glide smoothly along it. Those who wish can continue their walk on the other side, climbing the green trimmed lawn to the white rotunda at the far end of the park.

Vaux-le-Viscount for the first time fully reflected the traditions of the French regular Baroque garden with a castle (or, if you prefer, a castle with a garden). The whole composition consists of three parts: a castle with a front yard and adjoining services; a garden on the other side of the castle with flower beds, gazebos, fountains and other devices for entertainment; forest park surrounding the castle and garden. The basis of the garden is an extensive parterre on both sides of the main axis of the composition.

The stalls stretched for 1200 meters from the castle to the statue of Hercules, visually completing the park. Parterre (French for "on the ground") is always a flat, regularly planned part of the garden. The elements of the parterre in Vaud are exceptionally diverse.

Near the castle, symmetrically to the main axis, there are flower "lace" parterres of a complex pattern, clearly standing out among the almost monochrome greenery of the rest of the plane of the large parterre. In the gardens of Vaud you can find all the main varieties of parterres. There are also parterres with arabesques - a complex ornament made from low-cut shrubs; stalls with sculptures, fountains, water stalls and, finally, a green carpet in front of the statue of Hercules.

Separate elements of parterres are diverse, compositionally expressive in themselves. On the whole, they constitute an extensive, harmonious system with clearly defined spatial dominants. The formation of the environment in the French garden follows the line of the subordination of nature to geometric forms, opposed to the free soft lines of fields, forests and rivers.

An important place in the composition of the Baroque garden is occupied by water. Brilliant invention of Le Nôtre -

This year, in addition to the Le Bourget air show, I also managed to visit four French castles.
The first château my colleagues and I visited in France was Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, once owned by Finance Superintendent Nicolas Fouquet. Those who have read Dumas' Vicomte de Bragelonne will surely remember this person. Its heyday and exile took place during the life of Louis XIV Sun King.

In a nutshell - becoming a minister, Fouquet systematically plundered the state treasury and spent money on entertainment. And eventually got caught. The only thing left that you can touch was just the castle of Vaud.

The king confiscated the castle from Fouquet in 1661 when he had him arrested and sent into eternal exile. It is interesting that Nicolas did not even manage to live in the new castle for a month - the housewarming took place on August 17, and on September 5 he was arrested by the lieutenant (then) of the royal musketeers D "Artagnan, known to us.

Toilet room.

The building itself is the first example of the Louis XIV style, the audio guide says that Vaux le Vicomte served as the prototype for Versailles.

On the lattice on the back of the facade, I saw an image of a squirrel - it turns out that this is the noble coat of arms of Fouquet - a climbing squirrel. And the engraved signature Quo non ascendam? - where will I not go? - is interpreted as "What heights I will reach." By the way, Fouquet means squirrel in Breton. So, translated into our language, Nicolas Fouquet was simply Kolya Belkin.

Entrance to the castle costs 13 euros, audio guide - 2. You can take a guide for two - you can hear excellent sound without putting it to your ear. To see all the halls and listen to the guide, you need two hours.

At the entrance to the castle is a chic museum of carriages and stagecoaches of the 19th century. You can trace the path from a small stroller to a "minibus" for six people. All the details are in immaculate condition, and you just want to touch everything and sit on the goats.

Walking through the rooms of the castle, I noticed a group of children in ancient costumes, accompanied by a guide and several adults. It turns out that for a few euros, your child will be dressed as a maid of honor (princess, queen, to choose from) or a page costume (prince, count, etc.) and in this form he can travel around the castle until the end of the tour. It's fine!

Not a single child ran around the castle, everyone sedately sat down in Turkish around the guide and listened to his stories with interest. The guide herself was also in an old costume and probably told not a boring story (unfortunately, French is not my forte), but living pictures from the life of the inhabitants of the castle and it was a pleasure to look at them!

In some rooms, there were mannequins with 3-D faces in the poses of "dialogue of two or more faces" and showed scenes from the life of Fouquet (arrest in all its glory, for example). At first I didn’t even understand - it seemed that there was a real person in a suit standing there and broadcasting through a microphone. This is how, for example, a musketeer and his clothes really looked.

You can also climb on the roof of the castle next to the bell tower with a beautiful view from above. But not everyone knows the way to the stairs up (past the girl at the table on the second floor). Construction drawings and diagrams of those years are exhibited in the corridor (4 centuries have passed!), The project of this spiral staircase looks very interesting.

From the top there is a great view of the park ensemble.

On certain days in the summer, several thousand candles are placed around the castle and lit in the evenings. It is said to be an amazing sight.

Greens have a romantic mood.

In the basement you can explore the kitchen and wine cellars.
The expression "shining like a copper basin" became clear to me after I saw the dishes in this kitchen.

The castle is also famous for the fact that Vatel, the chief cook of Prince Conde, cooked in it, who committed suicide under the influence of fear that fresh sea fish would not ripen for the table of famous guests invited by Conde. This name has become semi-native to designate cooks for the love of art.

Vatel stabbed himself with a sword, unable to bear the shame due to the fact that the suppliers did not deliver the fish on time. He stuck a sword into his body three times before achieving the desired effect. Yes, it was spectacular, but pointless. While he was writhing in his death throes, carts with fresh fish began to arrive at the court.

From the recipes created by Vatel, Chantilly cream, named after the town of the same name, has come down to us.

The territory is large and you can rent an electric car for 20 money. And if you chip in four, it turns out cheaper.

How to get there? Of course, by private car. I was not puzzled by this question, tk. everything was included, but for reference - Vaux le Vicomte is located 42 km south of Paris (this is if in a straight line) in the vicinity of Melun, not reaching Fontainebleau. The green RER line goes to the Melun station (an hour drive, the sixth zone, probably about 12-15 euros), and from there it is five kilometers to the castle. The official website has a shuttle bass schedule and all the details.

Fouquet acquired a small estate in 1641 because of its advantageous position: it is located 55 km from Paris on the way between two royal residences - the Château de Vincennes and Fontainebleau. The acquisition of these lands made it possible to stay close to the court and provide services to the king during the move from one residence to another. It was then that Fouquet's dream was born: to build here a castle of unparalleled beauty in order to receive the king in it with truly royal luxury so that guests will remember it for a lifetime. He wanted to merge nature, architecture and art together and create a park near the palace with unexpected perspectives, water activities and mysterious corners.

To do this, it was necessary to radically change the landscape, demolish 3 villages and the old castle, lay out terraces on rough terrain, change the course of the river and bring water to many artificial reservoirs and fountains. Clearing and drainage work began immediately after the purchase of land in 1641. 18,000 workers worked on the transformation of the landscape. Particularly intensive work on the creation of the park was carried out from 1656 to 1661.

To fulfill his dream, Fouquet attracted the most talented and already recognized contemporaries to the construction: the architect Louis Leveaux, the decorative artist Le Brun and the builder of the parks Le Nôtre. The main responsibility fell on the shoulders of Le Nôtre, who was entrusted with the creation of a single ensemble, including all the buildings of the estate. Fouquet gave the master complete freedom and vast territory, allowing him to show the full power of his genius. Le Nôtre began work at Vaud in 1653, the result being the birth of the first classic French park, in which everything is planned and foreseen, from the size of each object to the impression it must make. Nature here is just material for the artist's imagination.

According to the plan, the bed of the Ankey River was turned by 45 degrees and put into pipes, a canal and a reservoir with a volume of over 2,000 cubic meters were dug in order to provide water to all reservoirs and fountains of the future park.

Le Nôtre's art is unique: he inscribes architectural structures into the plan of the park ensemble so delicately that it is impossible to remove a single component. The main planning axis permeates the entire territory of the estate, systematizing its space. It passes through the center of the front courtyard and the Oval Hall of the palace, continues with the central and Water Alley in the park and now ends at the foot of the statue of Hercules, which closes the perspective. In later works, Le Nôtre will leave the perspective open, stretching to infinity. According to the original plan, the main axis began and ended with three-beam roads diverging at an angle of 60 degrees towards neighboring settlements. This element will be repeated many times in the future, in particular at Versailles, emphasizing the importance of the place where all roads converge.

The main axis is crossed by 3 axes perpendicular to it, dividing the entire space into 4 parts. The first transverse axis passes through the enfilades of the main halls of the first floor of the palace, cutting off the northern part with the three-beam access roads, the main courtyard, the palace and services from the park area. The second transverse axis delimits the first and second parterre terraces with an alley. The third axis runs along the canal and itself serves as a water parterre, separating the second terrace from the final chord of the ensemble - the Grotto of the River Gods and the hill with the statue of Hercules.

The unprecedented scale of construction caused envy and gossip at the court. The king's secretary, Colbert, gradually inspired the young Louis XIV that the palace was being built with stolen government money. Fouquet was going to return the location of King Fouquet by organizing a holiday for him on the occasion of the completion of the construction of the palace. On August 17, 1661, the minister invited Louis XIV, together with the whole court, to a feast in his new fabulous castle, which had no equal at that time. Fouquet so wanted to make the holiday unforgettable, magical, unique. And to his misfortune, he succeeded. The minister's vanity won over the arguments of reason and friends who spoke of caution.

The unprecedented luxury of the reception so outraged Louis XIV that Fouquet was soon ordered to be arrested and a case of embezzlement and treason was opened. The arrest and the strictly isolated detention of the detainee were personally entrusted to d'Artagnan, the real real Count Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore d'Artagnan. Fouquet was sentenced to life imprisonment in solitary confinement in the Pignerol fortress. All 3 years from the moment of his arrest until the door of the cell in Pignerol slammed behind Fouquet forever, d'Artagnan was inseparable from the defendant. The prisoner's strict lockdown was so tight that Fouquet became one of the candidates for the role of the mysterious figure in the iron mask.

After the arrest of the owner, the estate was requisitioned, all valuables - tapestries, furniture, dishes, sculpture and all orange trees - were taken to the Louvre, from where they were later transported to Versailles.

The fate of the estate after the arrest of the owner is dramatic: after 12 years, Madame Fouquet received the empty palace back. From 1705 to 1875 the estate passes from hand to hand, miraculously surviving during the French Revolution of 1789 and gradually falling into disrepair. In 1875, Alfred Sommier, a large sugar industrialist and philanthropist, buys the estate and devotes his entire future life and means to its restoration. The architect Gabriel Destalier supervises the work. In the process of restoring the estate, the drawings of Israel Sylvester, made in 1660, serve as his primary source on the gardens of Vaud.

Collecting antique furniture, recreating the interiors of the palace and the regular park, Saumier wanted to restore the splendor of the 17th century estate, firmly believing that modern achievements would only spoil it. He was so afraid of fire that until 1900 he used only candle lighting, as in the old days. Friends hardly convinced the owner of the safety of electricity. Perhaps, since then, it has become customary to hold a “Candlelight Evening” from May to October on Saturdays, when the palace and park are lit by 2,000 candles and bowls of oil, recreating the atmosphere of the 17th century. The spectacle is delightful, the only pity is that with such lighting it is impossible to see and photograph all the delights of the interior and the park. The candlelit evening ends with fireworks of gold and silver lights against the night sky.

Since 1965, Vaux-le-Viscount received the status of a state historical reserve, although it is now the private property of the heir to Saumier, Count Patrick de Vogüe.

It's time for us to take a closer look at the miracle of the 17th century - the first classic French park.

The road leading to the gates of the palace looks very romantic: it is an alley of mighty plane trees, rather narrow for two-way traffic, along which, it seems, only carriages and cavalcades of horsemen should move. Previously, 3 identical roads converged to the gates of the estate, forming a radial three-beam. Finally, before us is the fence of Vaux-le-Viscount, behind which the palace is visible. The lattice, which leaves open views of the palace, was an innovation in the 17th century compared to the blind gates and high stone fences of feudal castles.

Right outside the gate, a huge courtyard is waiting for us, divided by paths into 4 green squares of lawns. On both sides, the yard is bounded by brick walls of household services. To our right are the stables, here and now the museum of historical carriages is located, to the left, among other buildings, are greenhouses and a church.

The service buildings are built of red brick, with white stone trim in the traditional French style, against which the white stone palace stands out festively against the background of the earth and sky.

It rises on an artificial bulk island, surrounded by a wide moat with water, over which a bridge is thrown. The moat performs a purely decorative function, we cross it along a stone bridge, cross the front courtyard, climb the stairs to the doors and see with surprise that the palace is visible through and through: through the windows of the lower floor, a park is visible, spread out behind the halls of the palace.

Vaux-le-Viscount surprises visitors even now, what was the amazement of the guests of Fouquet in the 17th century?! For the courtiers, everything here was unusual and new: the white-stone walls of the palace, the absence of a blank fence around it, the absence of the main staircase occupying the entire vestibule, the huge oval hall from where the entire parterre is visible, the use of mirrors to imitate window openings and the park full of unexpected impressions. The isolation of space, characteristic of feudal castles, where everything was aimed at defense and impregnability, has disappeared; peacefulness, joy of life and openness reign in Vo.

By the 20th century, the area of ​​the estate was significantly reduced. Outside the reserve were radial three-beam roads and forests adjoining the bosquets. Le Nôtre brilliantly coped with the relief changes in a vast area, laying the main planning axis from north to south, bringing together all parts of the park as it passes through the entire estate. In the lobby of the palace you will be offered to buy a ticket to the balcony located on the roof. From here, a magical view of the entire parterre opens, the length of which from the palace to the statue of Hercules is 1200 m.

From above, the plan will come to life and appear in all its glory. Leaving the palace on the first, highest park terrace, we see at the foot of the stairs two symmetrical parterres-broderie (fr. broderie - embroidery, pattern, sewing). Intricate lively arabesques of green bushes of neatly trimmed boxwood stand out brightly against the background of crumbs of red brick and black anthracite, with which the parterre area is covered between plantings. The Broderies were completely lost and recreated from the engravings by Sylvester and the drawings by Le Nôtre in 1923 by A. Duchen.

In the left corner of the terrace there is a crown bosquet. The lowland that existed here was transformed by Le Nôtre into a bosquet. This is one of the bowling greens characteristic of the master's work - an understated section of the stalls, consisting exclusively of green walls of shrubs and lawn. Against the background of greenery, a fountain with a gilded crown stands out in contrast. The working fountains and cascades can be seen on the second and last Saturday of each month from March to October from 15.00 to 18.00.

The right corner of the terrace is occupied by a flower parterre. The place of the fountains here is indicated by vases with flowers. Such parterres are the pinnacle of landscape design, because they must retain their festive blooming appearance all the time. This requires a well-thought-out planting program of consistently blooming and matching plants in height and color, as well as constant careful care.

Bosquets, edged with green walls of smoothly trimmed trees and shrubs, form a series of open-air halls. They serve as walls and backgrounds for parterre fragments. Just as furniture is placed in halls and rooms, so in a French regular park a sculpture is placed and decoratively trimmed bushes and trees - topiary are planted. They mark the entrance to the bosquets, separating them from one another, or zone the parterre space. Their position and shape are well thought out and not accidental.

To the right of the flower parterre in the bosquet, behind a light forged gate lattice, there is a vegetable garden. The owner had something to brag about to the ubiquitous guests. The brilliant gardener Lakentini first used greenhouses here for the early cultivation of fruits and vegetables for the festive table. Later, together with the talented creators of the palace and park ensemble, Lakentini will be invited by the king to Versailles, where he will create a unique Royal Garden.

The second park terrace is several steps lower than the first and has a slight slope. The secret of the harmony of the general view of the parterres lies in the enlargement of details and the increase in areas as the objects move away from the palace.

The border of the terraces is now guarded by lions and tigers by the sculptor J. Garde (1863-1939). The transverse alley at the feet of these majestic predators is the second transverse planning axis. It passes through the Round Pond and rests against the Water Grate, which is balanced by the lattice of the garden gate at the other end of the axis. The water lattice is a fountain of a series of identical vertical jets between two terms, decorated with faces, personifying the four times of a person's life. In the 17th century, two human figures stood on the sides of the terms, and not sculptures of dogs, as they are now. The water grate is raised above the level of the terrace and is very reminiscent of a theater stage with backstage. The role of the scenes is played by steps with similar fountains of small jets. It was this platform that served as the stage for Molière for the play "The Boring", played on August 17, 1661.

On the day of the feast, the courtiers were shocked by the continuous shining curtain of fountain jets in the Water Grid. Now on the "Moliere stage" there is a cafe "Son Wo", the same name with the title of Lafontaine's poem. Sun loungers, classical music and champagne will allow you to relax and dream. It is open during candlelit evenings from 17.00 to 23.00. The rest of the time it reveals itself only as a row of closed umbrellas between two lines of fountains.

The main axis on the second terrace is drawn by the Water Alley, which begins immediately after the Round Pond, surrounded by Italian sculpture of the 17th century. The pond is the point of intersection of the planning axes.

When the fountains were working, a suspension of spray hung over the Water Alley, their iridescent halo emphasized the direction of the axis. We will not be able to admire such a spectacular sight, the Water Alley has not yet been restored. On the sides of this alley are symmetrical Triton Pools, decorated with sculptures of Tritons blowing their shells, surrounded by playful putti babies and naiads.

The park was designed by Le Nôtre in such a way that from any point on the parterre we see the palace as the center of the composition. /2 photos/ In addition, every corner could serve as a decoration for any show. This feature is readily used by modern filmmakers, shooting historical films in Vaud. The Moon Wanderer 1979, The Man in the Iron Mask 1989, D'Artagnan's Daughter 1994, Vatel 2000 were filmed here.

Le Nôtre paid great attention to water. In its parks, water is always present in all its diversity. It either bursts into the sky from the fountain, shimmering with all the facets of diamond jets, then it makes noise with a powerful waterfall, then it lies like a silent mirror, then it murmurs like a gentle stream.

He skillfully combines various elements of the landscape, giving viewers a quick change of impressions. At the end of the Water Alley, Le Nôtre prepared another surprise for the audience: a mirror in the form of a huge rectangular pool with an area of ​​4000 square meters. m. In calm weather, it shows the full reflection of the palace.

To the right of the Mirror pool is the Confessional grotto. Its interior space is divided by arches into small niches, similar to church confessionals. So observation deck a magnificent panorama of the park opens above the grotto.

From the palace itself, we noticed that the main axis rests on the massive Grotto of the River Gods. The structure of the Grotto is bordered on both sides by a staircase ascending a green hill. Coming close to the edge of the terrace, we find that the road suddenly breaks off, the ground recedes from under our feet, and we are standing on a high retaining wall, decorated with the Cascade and sculptural groups of children with hippocampi. The unexpectedness of the effect provides a large height difference. From the wall of the Cascade, there is a beautiful view of the hill with Hercules and the stalls we passed, and below at our feet lies another, this time a water parterre, located about 4 m below the second terrace. Its main elements are water and sculpture.

According to the plan of Le Nôtre, in a deep hollow, along the bottom of which the Ankey River flowed, a water parterre was located. The channel was unfolded and transformed into a Canal 1000 m long and 40 m wide, which became the third transverse axis in its plan. We go down the steep stairs to the Water parterre, leaving all the fuss and noise of the crowded holiday at the top, here we are surrounded by silence, peace and the pacifying splash of jets. At the foot of the Cascade lies a vast area covered with white crumbs of limestone.

Water cuts off the further path along the central axis of the park, and in order to reach the foot of the statue of Hercules, you need to go around the canal, ending in the east with a huge round bowl, which was dubbed the Skovoroda for its shape, or cross the canal in a boat. The old engravings show boats floating along the canal, which turned around in this pond. During the royal reception, boats for guests to ride were decorated in the form of huge swans.

The opposite bank of the Canal is adorned with the Grotto of the River Gods, opposite which the Canal expands, as if wanting to lie down affectionately at the feet of its masters. The river gods, carved according to the drawings of N. Poussin in the 17th century, look thoughtfully at their reflection . The sculpture of the Tiber is in the left niche of the Grotto, and Ankey - in the right. An amazing, philosophical spectacle is represented by two Ankeys: the sculptural personification of the river looks sadly at its own reflection and, probably, recalls the Fouquet holiday.

At the foot of the Grotto of the River Gods in the canal extension, there used to be a sculptural group with a statue of Neptune. Now this place is empty.

Behind the Grotto of the River Gods, on the last terrace of the park, gently sloping down to the canal, lurked Le Nôtre's last surprise - the Sheaf Pool. It was the apotheosis of the composition: it is located above the Grotto of the River Gods and dominated the entire park. Its name comes from the powerful jets of the fountain 3 m high, rising up in the form of a sheaf. In the painting "Visit of Maria Leshchinskaya to Vaud in 1727" we see the estate during the reign of Louis XV. Shown here are all the fountains in action, with the Sheaf Fountain and Cascade Falls in the foreground.

So we got to the mighty figure of Hercules, which rests against the main planning axis of the estate. If the sculpture had not been so athletic, it might not have held back the full power of the central axis resting on the chest of Hercules. Until the 19th century the perspective of the main axis remained open, as in subsequent works by Le Nôtre, until Farnese's copy of the statue of Hercules was returned to its place.

The celebration in Vaux-le-Vicomte ended with fireworks in the illuminated park, putting the final exclamation mark at the end of this unforgettable day. Now we see that the famous park of Versailles and the celebrations of Louis XIV held there had a worthy predecessor.

The impressions of visiting Vaud were not in vain for Louis XIV: he contracted one of the most devastating diseases - the construction mania. All the creators of the palace and park ensemble in Vaux-le-Vicomte were invited by the king to build a royal residence in Versailles. It was impossible to even think about refusing the king, and the already soldered team of masters, including Le Nôtre, Lebrun, Levo and Lacentini, began work on a new object that glorified their names for centuries.

Literature:

1. Abelyasheva G.V. "Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte. Versailles, 1995, M., Art, 256 p.

2. Sefrioui Anne "Vaux le Vicomte", Paris, "Editions Scala", 64 rubles.

3. Ptifis J.-C. "True d'Artagnan" 2004, M., "Young Guard", 207p.