Labyrinth of Versailles
| Labyrinth of Versailles | |
|---|---|
Labyrinthe de Versailles | |
"Plan du Labirinte de Versailles", printed at the Royal Press, Paris and illustrated by Sébastien Leclerc | |
| General information | |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Type | labyrinth |
| Architectural style | fantasy |
| Town or city | Versailles |
| Country | Kingdom of France |
| Groundbreaking | 1665 |
| Demolished | 1778 |
| Client | Louis XIV |
| Grounds | Gardens of Versailles |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | André Le Nôtre |
| Other designers | Charles Perrault |
The labyrinth of Versailles was a hedge maze in the Gardens of Versailles with groups of fountains and sculptures depicting Aesop's Fables. André Le Nôtre initially planned a maze of unadorned paths in 1665, but in 1669, Charles Perrault advised Louis XIV to include thirty-nine fountains, each representing one of the fables of Aesop. Labyrinth The work was carried out between 1672 and 1677. Water jets spurting from the animals mouths were conceived to give the impression of speech between the creatures. There was a plaque with a caption and a quatrain written by the poet Isaac de Benserade next to each fountain. A detailed description of the labyrinth, its fables and sculptures is given in Perrault's Labyrinte de Versailles, illustrated with engravings by Sébastien Leclerc.
In 1778 Louis XVI had the labyrinth removed and replaced by an arboretum of exotic trees planted as an English landscape garden.