THE GARDENS, THE FOUNTAINS AND THE GRAND TRIANON

The first gardens of Versailles--those
that gave a modest setting to the villa
constructed for Louis XIII, comprised a few
parterres of flowers and shrubs bounded by
well trimmed box hedges, and two groves
planted on each side of the _Allée Royale_.
To Jacques Boyceau is accredited the first
plan of the gardens of Versailles, but Andre
Le Nôtre greatly amplified and improved
the original scheme. Le Nôtre's
achievements at Versailles gave him rank as the
most distinguished landscape gardener of
his time, and of all time.

Besides the luxurious and symmetrical
gardens at Versailles, he originated the
designs of those at the royal houses at Trianon,
Saint-Cloud, Merly, Clagny, Chantilly and
the Tuileries. The Parterre of the Tiber
at Fontainebleau also added to his high
reputation. For a long period the style of
garden perfected by Le Nôtre was taken as a
model and imitated throughout Europe. In
1678 he went to Italy on a mission for the
King, who desired him to make researches
there. While at Rome the eminent artist
from France was commissioned to plan the
gardens of the Quirinal, the Vatican and