The Palace of Versailles

The Renaissance was a time of learning and cultural advancement throughout Europe. In Italy, cultures blossomed to an extent not yet seen in the western world. Italy was only the center of the Renaissance, not the whole. In a small town called Versailles, located in France just outside of Paris began the road to one of the architectural wonders of the world in 1624. King Louis XIII built a hunting lodge near Versailles, a place where he could escape the hustle and bustle of the state and Paris. Versailles would not become very important until after the death of Louis XIII in 1643. Louis XIII’s son Louis XIV, self-proclaimed absolute monarch, the Sun King, succeeded the throne. Louis XIV apparently saw great potential in the small hunting lodge. Almost immediately after his succession to the throne, Louis XIV had his chief architect Louis Le Vau begin expanding the small hunting lodge into an elegant palace. From the copious amount of time and money that went into the project emerged ...