Aerial view
by LE VAU, Louis, Photo
Constructed from 1656 to 1661 for Nicolas Fouquet, Marquis de Belle Île, Viscount of Melun and Vaux, the superintendent of finances of Louis XIV, the château was an influential work of architecture in mid-17th-century Europe. At Vaux-le-Vicomte, the architect Louis Le Vau, the landscape architect Andr� Le N�tre, and the painter-decorator Charles Le Brun worked together on a large-scale project for the first time. Their collaboration marked the beginning of the “Louis XIV style” combining architecture, interior design and landscape design.
The site is surrounded by water, the French garden, designed by Le N�tre, occupies 33 hectares. The garden’s pronounced visual axis is an example of this style.