Mr. Haller
Global 10
January 5, 2016
I am the State Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, is one of the most famous rulers of France because of the long lasting effects his policies had on the French nation. Born on September 5, 1638, he reigned for 72 years and achieved his goal of creating an absolute monarchy. In order to do so, Louis reorganized France’s political system, enforced the worship of one religion, created a uniform legal system and a central seat for power, which became Versailles. He was known as the “Sun King” because of the splendor of his court at Versailles. Today, he is most remembered for Versailles (which is visited by millions of tourists every year). Louis XIV identified himself directly with the governing …show more content…
He taxed the poor to build it and it is very costly to maintain. Everyone who wanted to see Louis XIV had to go to the palace. If they did not go to see him Louis would disregard them and act as if he did not know them. The Palace at Versailles is still a famous landmark today and was a major meeting point for many nobles. The palace at Versailles illustrates a time when kings and queens had immense wealth and power. Louis XIV epitomized the notion of an absolute monarchy, one that wielded unquestioned power until the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, when Versailles came to represent the vast excesses of the ruling classes. Until that time, Versailles remained the center of the court, where French monarchs lived and reigned. The Palace at Versailles, former French royal residence and center of government, is now a national landmark. It is located in the city of Versailles, northern France, 10 miles west of Paris. As the center of the French court, Versailles was one of the greatest theaters of European …show more content…
Under the guidance of Louis XIV, it was transformed into an immense and extravagant complex surrounded by stylized English and French gardens; every detail of its construction glorified the king. The additions were designed by such renowned architects as Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Robert de Cotte, and Louis Le Vau. Charles Le Brun oversaw the interior decoration. Landscape artist André Le Nôtre created symmetrical French gardens that included ornate fountains, expressing the power of humanity, specifically, the king over nature.
Declared the official royal residence in 1682 and the official residence of the court of France on May 6, 1682, the Palace of Versailles was abandoned after the death of Louis XIV in 1715. Seven years later in 1722, it was returned to its status as royal residence. Further additions were made during the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI. Following the French Revolution of 1789, the complex was nearly destroyed; it was subsequently restored by Louis-Philippe. By the 20th century, though it was occasionally used for congresses of the French parliament or as housing for visiting heads of state, the primary use of the palace lay in tourism.
Louis XIV’s system of absolute monarchy successfully functioned under his two successors until the outbreak of the French Revolution in