Diplomatic Tours in the Gardens of Versailles Under Louis XIV Contributor(s): Berger, Robert W. (Author), Hedin, Thomas F. (Author) |
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ISBN: 081224107X ISBN-13: 9780812241075 Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press OUR PRICE: $66.45 Product Type: Hardcover Published: September 2008 Annotation: The first book to examine how the vast gardens of Versailles were used as a setting for the receptions of ambassadors, heads of state, and other visiting dignitaries who conducted diplomatic and political business with France. |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | Europe - France - Gardening | Garden Design - Political Science | International Relations - Diplomacy |
Dewey: 944.033 |
LCCN: 2008012679 |
Series: Penn Studies in Landscape Architecture |
Physical Information: 0.8" H x 6.1" W x 9.1" (1.00 lbs) 184 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - 17th Century - Cultural Region - French |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: One of the functions of Louis XIV's Versailles was to provide a setting for the receptions of ambassadors, heads of state, and other visiting dignitaries who conducted diplomatic and political business with France. These activities became particularly important after Versailles was proclaimed the new seat of the monarchy and government in 1682. Diplomatic Tours in the Gardens of Versailles Under Louis XIV is the first book to examine how the vast gardens of Versailles were used for these diplomatic receptions during the reign of the Sun King (1661-1715). The gardens were the final mise en sc ne of an elaborate ritual, which included the housing of the foreigners in Paris, their journey to Versailles, and their official audience with the king in the palace. A showcase for the achievements of royal artists, landscape architects, and hydraulic engineers, the gardens were soon regarded as one of the wonders of the modern world, proclaiming the wealth, power, and artistic taste of France and the French monarchy. The diplomatic tours were programmed every step of the way, with trained guides leading their guests on prescribed itineraries. Beginning in 1689, the king himself drafted a series of comprehensive itineraries, collectively called the Mani re de montrer les jardins de Versailles, for the use of his guides (a newly discovered version of the Mani re appears for the first time in this book). These itineraries changed over the years in concert with modifications and additions to the gardens, attesting to a constant search for an ideal itinerary--a subtheme of Diplomatic Tours. |