The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was built in 1661 by the royal superintendent Nicolas Fouquet, at the time of Cardinal Mazarini.
On August 17, 1661, Fouquet invited the young Louis XIV and organized a feast of unprecedented luxury: dishes made of cast gold, more than 1000 fountains, endless tables, performances in the park and in the castle. Jean de La Fontaine was responsible for these performances. Jean-Baptiste Molière also took part in them.
A few days later, Fouquet was in prison, the castle was confiscated by the king, the builders were sent to build Versailles.
Fouquet was acquitted by the court, but – hardly the only time in French history – the king intervened to aggravate rather than mitigate the sentence, and Fouquet spent the remaining 19 years of his life in prison. And the king confiscates in his favor carpets, paintings, sculptures …
It was here that Fouquet, with the help of the best masters of the epoch, laid the foundations of architecture and palace splendor of the future Versailles. Was it not his real fault that he overshadowed the rising sun of the young man – the king?
The castle is considered one of the most beautiful in France. The park is the masterpiece of the architect Lenôtre (André Le Nôtre), restored almost as it was in the XVII century. Magnificent interiors of the XVII-XIX centuries.
In the former stables of the castle there is an exhibition of carriages.
Many historical and feature films have been shot here, the latest of which is “The Iron Mask”.
On Saturdays it is possible to visit the castle and the park in the evening by candlelight, which gives a touch of romanticism …
Located 70 kilometers southeast of Paris. One of the four most majestic and powerful chateau-palaces in France.
