How Did Louis Xiv Build Versailles?

The film is not entirely based on the positive details about Louis XIV or Versailles, but also the terrible working conditions during the building of Versailles. According to the film, it was very dangerous to work on the construction of the palace. A lot of people died on the site. People were very upset about the working conditions.

In the time before King Louis XIV’s reign, 17th century France was involved in several civil wars, there were no secure borders and the aristocracy acted as local rulers. In 1643 when Louis XIV came to power, he thought that he needed to secure both France and his own rule. He decided to build a new palace complex 12 miles outside Paris. To him, isolation meant security, he would be away from the plotters and schemers in Paris. He also believed that having all government departments and ministries living within Versailles would centralize the government and create reform.

Louis XIV turned France around from an unorganized feuding country to one of the most organized, powerful, innovative monarchies in Europe. In addition, he managed to advance civil equality among the people by turning all the people into his loyal subjects (Norton, p.175). How did he do all this? The armed forces that had formerly been a private enterprise who had been fighting against each other or had hired themselves out for payment, was taken over and consolidated into one entity fighting, by the king for the king. He made war an activity of the state which produced peace and order in France while strengthening the fighting power of France against other states (Norton, p.175). In addition, he put soldiers in uniform, taught them how to march in step and housed them in barracks which assisted them in becoming more susceptible to discipline and control (Norton, p.175). There was now a hierarchy in place and was able to get a greater degree of government control that put him on the top as the commander in chief of the army due to his power and the creation of the first large civilian administration (Norton, p.176). This was the first time that ministers of war consisted of civilians and this grew the armies power exponentially. Louis XIV also overhauled the grandeur of France when he took an old village Versailles and turned it into the palace of Versailles that became known as one of the most splendid marvels in Europe so much so, that it became the envy of lessor kings.

He built Versailles, a beautiful palace outside of Paris for his nobles. Lined with gardens and filled with fountains + opulent architecture + decorations Versailles was a veritable playground for the nobles. There were balls, fancy clothes + huge numbers of servants, and most of the nobles¡¯ incomes were spent on these luxuries. Thus, the status of the nobles was high and they were wealthy + lived an indulgent lifestyle, but they had no political power in the French government.

Another great piece of evidence supporting the statement that Louis XIV is the best example of an absolute monarch is his palace at Versailles. This palace was bigger than any other palace, more expensive, and better in just about everyway, except for being good for its country, France. The palace at Versailles was originally built as a small hunting lodge by Louis XIV’s father, Louis XIII in 1624. In 1669, Louis XIV decided to expand the palace, and moved into the palace in 1682 while parts of the building were still under construction. The palace was of monumental size, with a around 2,000 rooms, 15,000 acres of gardens and lawns and woods, and costing what would cost an estimated $2 billion in 1994, a extremely large sum of money for France. To run the fountains, it would cost so much money and use so much water that Louis’ workers would turn the fountains on when they saw him coming, and turn them off when he passed. The palace usually held about 7,000

Constructing grand buildings for absolute monarchs was a symbol of wealth, glory, importance, and power. Louis XIV of France spent an enormous amount of money to construct the Palace of Versailles. Construction began in 1660, and it was not until almost 30 years later that the palace was complete. The Palace of Versailles served as many different functions, ranging from the residence of the king

King Louis XIV made it clear that he was in control and that he would make all decisions on his own. Throughout King Louis’ XIV reign he would take advice from his people but King Louis XIV had the sole power to make all decisions. “I order you not to sign anything, not even a passport without my command” (Glenco 465). During the reign of King Louis XIV he made the decision to build the Palace of Versailles. Versailles was built to help King Louis XIV keep control over his government. The Royal Court of Versailles allowed the King to control his government under one roof from housing the chief offices of state to housing powerful rulers. The decision to house the powerful heads of states allowed King Louis XIV to dictate their daily activities under his control. King Louis’ XIV decision making skills led him to be one of the most powerful absolute

Many achievements for advancement were accomplished during the late 1700s and early 1800s. The French King Louis XIV created at Versailles, near Paris a elaborate court and in 1680s he transformed a small chateau into the largest building in Europe, 12 miles from Paris. Also, Louis XIV carried off successfully a dual functions. He was both King in council and King in court. In his view, the two rules went together and he held

It has long been known that the objects we own can cement our status. For King Louis XIV, who referred to himself as the Sun Prince, a mere palace wasn’t enough for him. In the book, “Classical, Baroque: Versailles, or the Architecture of the Prince,” Louis Marin explains how every detail of Versailles was carefully planned out in order to exercise the absolute power of King Louis XIV, but he neglects to recognize the power that the city of Versailles gave King Louis XIV.

Another thing that Louis changed was the appearance and way of life of France. These great towns of France went under a sort of "metamorphosis". The landscape was altered and monuments were built everywhere. Louis decided that he wanted to isolate the center of government from the city of Paris, so he constructed the palace of Versailles. It was an object of universal admiration and enhanced French prestige. It became Louis’ permanent address in 1682 and was also the home to thousands of the more important nobles, royal officials, and

During his reign, King Louis XIV, named himself the Sun King justifying his absolute power, created a cult of majesty and successfully made the French army the strongest in Europe at the time. The building Versailles undoubtedly acted as the most prominent symbol of Louis’ royal power and was one of the events that altered the rights of the French nobility. The palace of versailles acted as a possible housing option for 10,000 individuals including churchmen, bourgeoise, and the nobles. Louis XIV also pressured the whole senior nobility to spend copious amounts of time at Versailles as a means of political control in order to contain them and help him maintain his role as an absolute monarch. During their mandated time at Versailles, nobles competed for power and prestige; King Louis XIV awarded them with royal pensions, financial gratifications, living quarters in Versailles, military/religious employment, and invitations to elite ceremonies and events.

The Palace of Versailles was built in 1624 as a modest hunting lodge and private residence for Louis XIII. Louis XIV spent time his here as a child during the civil war and grew fond of the site (Allen, 35). When Louis XIV came to power, he moved France’s capital in Paris to Versailles because he wanted to keep the royal court in one central place away from the gossip and business of Paris (Ropeik). By keeping the royal court together, he was able to centralize the French government in to an absolute monarchy and prevent any of his nobles from developing their own regional power. 1669, he expanded the existing small hunting lodge to 67,000 square meters, the equivalent to 12 football fields (Ropeik). The palace expansion was designed by Louis le Vau, the architect to the aristocracy, and took 21 years to complete. The 700 room building allowed Louis and his friends, family, courtiers, servants and soldiers to live in close proximity (Ropeik).

Louis XIV of France, born in September 5, 1638, became the king when he was only four years old, after his father’s death. He ruled for 72 years and died on September 1, 1715, so he lived longer than any other European ruler. During his reign, Louis transformed the monarchy, marked a new golden age of arts and literature, and made his country the most powerful on the continent until the War of the Spanish. In 1648, a civil war known as “The Fronde”, began and the royal family had to leave Paris. Louis’ chief minister could stop the revolt in 1652 and by the end of the decade, he restored order and made a peace treaty with Spain, making France a powerful European leader. The Fronde resulted in Louis’ fear of rebellion, which he never could get

Brief Summary- Dr. Munro Price, Modern European Historian at the University of Bradford, wanted to find out the truth of what the true actions and feelings of the King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were in those years before the collapse. After being dragged back to Paris from Versailles, they were then held prisoner in the capital. Concerned for their own safety, the King and Queen forced to agree with the revolution and its agenda. However, in secret, they both began devising a strategy and took the utmost precautions to hide their real policy. The Road from Versailles reconstructs much of what had been speculated until now as to the King and Queen’s clandestine diplomacy from 1789 until their executions. Dr. Price focuses on a small portion of history that has generally been unknown to the public, but could hold the key to the final days of the Old Regime and the mindset of the King. This book could give insight into the economic and social status

In the introduction to The Fabrication of Louis XIV, Peter Burke expresses his ambition to write a study of Louis XIV 's public image as a whole and the changes it underwent throughout Louis 's reign. This book examines the relation between art and power and the official structures responsible for making – fabricating – the image, or more appropriately, the images of Louis XIV, as well as their contemporary reception. As the title suggests and as Burke himself reminds the reader, the book as a whole focuses on the ideas of royal myth and royal narrative, and the manipulation of information.