The Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte is located 35 miles southeast of Paris. It was designed by architect Louis Le Vau, with landcaping by Andre Le Notre and interiors by Charles Le Brun. It took 3 years (1658-1661) to build the chateau for Nicolas Fouquet, who was Finance Minister for Louis XIV. Upon completion of the chateau, Fouquet threw a lavish party for 6,000 people in honor of the Sun King. The party was so lavish that it sparked rumors of embezzlement by Fouquet and gave Louis XIV the opportunity to openly question the Minister’s source of income. After a lengthy trial, Fouquet was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. Romantics speculate that Fouquet was the real “man in the iron mask,” but there is no evidence to support this claim. That doesn’t stop Hollywood, however, and the 1999 film, The Man in the Iron Mask, starring Leonardo diCaprio was filmed in part at Vaux-le-Vicomte. It is said that Louis XIV took from Vaux-le-Vicomte his inspiration to build Versailles; some may take Fouquet’s fate as a warning that ostentation is bad, and furthermore, one should never try to outshine one’s boss, especially if he takes pride in his title, "The Sun King.”
The approach to Vaux-le-Vicomte
Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte
In the courtyard of Vaux-le-Vicomte
Looking back at the chateau from the ornamental pool. There is scaffolding around the center of the chateau. Imagine the maintenance that has to be done on a centuries-old building!
Flowering urns line the terrace of the chateau.
Flowering urns, and in the background, four sculptures of “Cupids Bearing a Basket”
Becky and a flowering urn
A close-up of “Cupids Bearing a Basket”
An overall view of the garden, as far as the Hercules Farnese sculpture. This garden is an excellent example of a seventeenth century French garden.
An overall view of the right side of the garden
A closer view of the parterres, low-cut hedges forming elaborate patterns
It must have taken a steady hand to trim these hedges so perfectly.
Looking out over the garden from the chateau
A bird's eye view of the flower beds on the right side of the garden
A close-up of the flower bed
Another view of the flower beds
An overall view of the left side of the garden
A view from the basin to the statue of Hercules
A view of the garden at ground level past the pool and fountain
A closer view of the landscape
Look at the symmetry of these trees. Although there is a lot of enforced symmetry throughout the grounds, these trees look especially unnatural.
The outbuildings at an earlier time housed servants’ lodgings, stables, barns, workshops and a chapel.
L’Ecureuil is an upscale cafeteria, where we had lunch. It was very good. The name of the cafeteria means “The Squirrel,” which was Fouquet’s symbol. Supposedly, there are ornate F’s and squirrels on the garden-side façade, but I didn’t check it out.
The gift shop of the chateau
Gift shops at many tourist venues are becoming more and more elaborate.
We took a bus tour from Cityrama. They provide transportation and entrance tickets to the chateau. Otherwise, we would have had to take the metro to a train station to a shuttle bus to the chateau. We also went to the Chateau at Fontainebleau on the same day. A little much for one day, but we could sit back and enjoy the ride. The cost was 49 euros ($69).
