03.10.09
L’Orangerie de Versailles
One of my favorite stops at the Chateau de Versailles is the magnificent Orangerie. After touring the chateau, I immediately buy a garden ticket and go directly left to peer over the wall into the Orangerie. Designed by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, its fountains and perfectly ordered planters must have made a spectacular setting for entertaining. Created for the 3,000 orange trees of Louis XIV, it was the largest orangerie in all of Europe.
Hardouin-Mansart was truly a genius and one of the most famous 17th century European architects. His other contributions to Versailles include the design of the Hall of Mirrors (decorations by Charles Le Brun) and the Grand Trianon. In Paris, his architectural contributions range from the stunning Dôme des Invalides, to the Place Vendôme, and Place des Victoires.