Foto Friday 24 – Castlemania
Of French Castles and Kings
Welcome to this year’s last edition of Foto Friday. In lieu of our last coverage, we continue with architectural eye candy, which France has in abundance, such as castles or châteaux.
The magnificent Château de Vaux-Le-Vicomte lies 55 kilometres (34 miles) southeast of Paris and is one of my favourite castles. Say what you will, but Nicolas Fouquet1 (1615-1680) had great taste. Rumour has it the king was jealous of Nicolas because he made the crown look poor in comparison. Needless to say, it did not end well for poor, rich Nicolas, especially when you party like it’s 16602.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the most beautiful castle of them all?
You can guess which one it is, in this case, built by the same team as Vaux-Le-Vicomte: Yes, Versailles. On this project, Fouquet reunited the famous architect Louis le Vau (1612-1670), the decorative painter and interior designer Charles Le Brun (1619-1690) and the landscape architect André Le Nôtre (1613-1700).
In fiction Fouquet's story is often entwined with that of the Man in the Iron Mask, who is often identified as the true king or even as an identical twin brother of Louis XIV. As such, he is a pivotal character in Alexandre Dumas' novel The Vicomte de Bragelonne, where he is depicted heroically. Aramis, an ally of Fouquet, tries to seize power by replacing Louis XIV with his identical twin brother. It is Fouquet who, out of sheer loyalty to the crown, foils Aramis's plot and saves Louis. This does not, however, prevent his downfall.
Vaux-le-Vicomte3 Gallery
The gardens are vast, and after an illustrious promenade, you may yearn for a candlelight evening at Vaux-le-Vicomte.
Of course, there are many more castles in France. Guess how many? 400? No. 4000? No. Around 45,000! Yes, there are that many castles4 in France, and here’s a quick glimpse at two from the Loire Valley.
Château de Chambord5 is another magnificent and well-known castle in France with its distinctive French Renaissance architecture, and you can visit it on the same day as the next one, which is only 60 kilometres away: Château de Chenonceau.6
Did that whet your appetite for more Castlemania? Let me know in the comments below!
Foto Friday Fine Art Prints
If you would like to decorate your wall with a particular Foto Friday image, you will soon be able to do so! I am looking for a fine art quality print-on-demand solution. Whitewall is one of the top contenders for now.
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Previously on FotoFriday…
Stunning *and* educational. ;)
That first pic (and the longer version) are just amazing. The sky is so spectacular and perfect.
There was a manor that Jo and I visited when I was at a conference in Paris in 2019. A train journey not too far away. Not a castle, sadly, but it was very impressive and beautiful.
Love these places - distant memories for me now! Your photos give them new life. Setting for a story??