In 1641, Nicolas Fouquet, superintendent of the kingdom's finances, bought the fallow lands of Vaux-le-Vicomte, an estate less than an hour from Paris, between Vincennes and Fontainebleau, two royal residences. He decided to build a superb château by Louis Le Vau, and a formal garden designed by the famous André Le Nôtre. A veritable masterpiece of classical architecture, the splendid monument would even serve as a model for the Château de Versailles, a feat of which Louis XIV was jealous. It was this jealousy that led to Fouquet's downfall, and his subsequent imprisonment!
In 1661, François Vatel organized a feast in honor of the Sun King. The evening was so impressive, with modern shows, a 1,000-cover buffet, water fountains, fireworks and a play by Molière, that the king was jealous. The king is furious at being ridiculed by so much pomp, while his own mansions are empty. A month later, denounced by Colbert for embezzlement, Nicolas Fouquet was arrested, deposed on the king's orders and imprisoned for life.
Fouquet's arrest was obviously not exclusively due to the Vaux-le-Vicomte party, which acted as one provocation too many. Louis XIV was suspicious of this popular and over-ambitious minister, who had already been warned off by Mazarin and Colbert. He was accused of misappropriation of public funds and lèse-majesté, and over time became one of the richest men in the kingdom of France. The particularly costly construction of Vaux-le-Vicomte was not in his favor.
The Sun King requested precious objects for his estates, including tapestries, brocade fabrics, marble tables, vermeil vases and orange trees from Vaux-le-Vicomte. Later, he called on the same talents to create the Château de Versailles.
Location
Château de Vaux le Vicomte
Château de Vaux-Le-Vicomte
77950 Maincy
