Vaux-le-Vicomte is another stunning château not far from Paris. Nicolas Fouquet, a powerful court financier to Louis XIV, challenged architect Le Vau and decorator Le Brun to create the most luxurious palace of the day, and the result is one of the greatest châteux of the 17th century. It was perhaps a little too luxurious, because when King Louis XIV saw it he was furious that anyone dare surpass him in this fashion. He ruined Fouquet by arresting him and confiscating all his assets. Fouquet never recovered. Louis XIV took charge of Fouquet’s gardener, André Le Nôtre, who went on to design the gardens of the château de Versailles, his greatest triumph.
Some aerial views…
