Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
 DPT 6122 copy.jpg by wikipedia
A tale of intrigue and betrayal surrounds the mansion built to impress a king. When Nicolas Fouquet, an egomaniac member of the Parlement of France, became the financial superintendent for King Louis XIV, he wasted no time lavishing himself with the house of his dreams. The first order of business was to purchase three whole villages and then demolish them in order to have enough land for his house and gardens. Villagers were left to find new housing elsewhere, but Fouquet hired 18,000 of them to maintain his luxurious estate.
Once completed, the grand mansion was home to fine arts and performances. Moliere was among Fouquet’s friends, and put on plays at the residence, followed by extravagant fireworks. But Fouquet’s luck wouldn’t last forever, and his egotism would be taken from him by force. When the king appointed a new superintendent of finances, Fouquet was arrested and spent the rest of his life in prison. He had made the mistake of making his abode too glamorous. The king was led to believe that Fouquet had misappropriated funds to pay for his parties and the house that hosted them. King Louis XIV acquired the statues, portraits, and orange groves and used them to create an even more illustrious mansion: the palace of Versailles. |
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