The+Gardens+of+Versailles

=The Gardens of Versailles=

History
Looking over the gardens is comparable to looking over an ocean- except the ocean is green, dark brown, and gray, with hints of color in between. The gardens were created in 1661 because the king of France at the time, Louis XIV, thought it would be cool and wanted to satisfy his craving for something more beautiful to look at from the Hall of Mirrors inside the Château. Of course, he didn’t actually build it himself; a rad guy André Le Nôtre was put in charge of the planning and building of these gardens, while Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Charles Le Brun, and Jules Hardouin-Mansart all helped him out with their various roles.

Famous Happenings
Marie Antoinette was famous for her parties in these gardens, as well as her cottage. The gardens and the palace have been on UNESCO's "World Heritage List" for 25+ years. Historically, the palace and the gardens have been important in France's political system, as well as in universities that study the gardens' architecture and hydraulics. Louis XIV and his decendants lived in the palace until the French Revolution. The hydraulics, on the other hand, have stayed with the gardens even though the monarcy has not. The pipes are unique because they are made with lead, therefore restoration is somewhat tedious because lead is no longer used in water pipes today. The water flows to the main pipe, and is redistributed to each of the fountain's 74 sprouts, layered on three different levels to make a pyramid.

**What's Going on There Now**

Currently, people are allowed to explore not only the gardens, but also the Château and Marie Antoinette’s estate. Not only is the public welcome to roam the gardens on their own, but they also have concerts, plays, private tours, and other exhibitions to explore in the gardens. Other than that, one festival is unique to the palace and the gardens- the Versailles Festival. Last year was the 5th annual time the gardens had the festival, and it lasted from May 30, to July 10. There are many events that occur at the festival, and last year they invited Anish Kapoor, an influential artist, to participate in the numerous art events, concerts, and plays that occurred at the festival.

http://www.britannica.com/event/Reign-of-Terror http://en.chateauversailles.fr/en-en-ce-moment http://en.chateauversailles.fr/gardens-and-park-of-the-chateau- http://en.chateauversailles.fr/news-/events/shows/versailles-festival-2015 http://latone.chateauversailles.fr/en/page/the-latona-fountain/the-hydraulic-system