This past Friday, our group went on the first excursion to the chateau Vaux-Le-Vicomte. Prior to our departure, we read “The Fatal Housewarming” by Robert Wernick. In his essay, Wernick describes the night of the housewarming party at the chateau. Host Nicolas Fouquet presented a symbol of wealth and power to his guests, especially King Louis XIV. Unfortunately, fireworks caused two horses to fall into the moat and drown at the party and several weeks later, Fouquet was arrested by Louis XIV.
Here is the front view of the chateau. As this was the first chateau I had ever been to, it seemed huge. However, it was the model that Versailles was based on, which is apparently much bigger.
For the next two hours, we explored the gardens behind the chateau. The gardens were designed as a sort of optical illusion, making further sections appear closer than they really are. Sculptures were scattered throughout the gardens as well as fountains and bushes trimmed into pyramidal and spherical shapes. My favorite spot in the gardens was a small stream/waterfall on a downhill slant. The area was nice and shaded compared to the hot shadeless central areas. I spent a solid amount of time by this stream taking photos and relaxing.
Around 8:30, we were able to go inside the chateau and tour the interior rooms. The entire castle was lit by candles, giving it an authentic 17th century feel. Rooms were decorated to simulate what they would have looked like when the castle was functioning. My favorite room was the dining room, which had a table complete with fake macaroon towers and a video screening of castle-goers dancing at a party. Overall, I highly enjoyed the visit to Vaux-le-Vicomte! Having never heard of the chateau before, I didn’t have such grand expectations and can only image what Versailles will be like!
Mimi in paris 