Louis XIV, le Roi Soleil, n'abandonne pas Fontainebleau où il vient chaque automne pour les grandes chasses. Il fait doubler plusieurs bâtiments dont la galerie de Diane. Une cour de plus en plus considérable réclame des logements et pour aménager des bâtiments anciens ou nouveaux on procède à des destructions stupides. Citons le décor du Primatice et les boiseries de Lalande pour aménager les appartements de la Maintenon et encore les bains de François1er, jugés inutiles.
En 1684, Louis XIV signe l'Edit de Fontainebleau, qui révoque l'édit de Nantes et donne le signal des massacres de protestants dans tout le royaume. |
Louis XIV, the Sun King, did not abandon Fontainebleau. He came every autumn for the great hunting season. He doubled several buildings including Diana’s Gallery. A court that was ever increasing in size called for living quarters and, in a drive to alter older buildings
or develop new ones, existing features were rather stupidly destroyed.
One example was the decorations by
Primaticcio and the fine woodwork and wainscoting of Lalande,
sacrificed to fit out Madame de Maintenon’s
apartment. Another casualty was the François I bathroom suite, considered as serving no purpose.
In 1684, Louis XIV signed the Edict of Fontainebleau which revoked the Edict of Nantes. This act was taken as a signal for massacres of protestants throughout the kingdom. |
His was a glorious reign, highly fertile for civilisation and culture, shown by the number of scholars,
writers and artists who brought honour to it. It was a great period for France.
Acquisition of territories pushed back the nation’s frontiers. Yet, in 1715, on Louis XIV’s death, France was also exhausted after incessant wars. She was sapped further by a terrible harsh winter that struck in 1709 whose consequences for agriculture were still being felt. A great proportion of the colonies had also been lost. Louis XIV 1643-1715 Son règne fut glorieux et fécond pour la civilisation
par le nombre de savants d'écrivains et d'artistes qui l'ont illustré et grand pour la France.
Les acquisitions territoriales étendirent ses limites. Mais en 1715, au décès du Roi, la France est aussi épuisée par les guerres incessantes, le terrible hiver de 1709 dont les suites pèsent encore sur l'agriculture et la perte d'une grande partie des colonies. |
Church "Saint Louis", parish of Fontainebleau, build in 1662. L'église Saint Louis , paroisse de Fontainebleau , construite en 1662. |
The pavilion on the Carp Pond build by Le Vau in 1662 (restored). Le pavillon de l'étang des carpes construit par Le Vau en 1662 (restauré). |
The King's hunting. La Chasse du Roi. |