History
article | Reading time3 min
History
article | Reading time3 min
A Versailles before Versailles? Let's set off to discover a castle worthy of the Roi Soleil!
The Château de Vincennes is undoubtedly a key monument in the history of France.
While Saint Louis and Charles V were responsible for the genesis and construction of the medieval fortress, the contribution of Louis XIV should not be overlooked! The years 1650 to 1670 saw the emergence of the reign of an absolute king, the Roi Soleil, and a powerful state. In the space of twenty years, during what is known as the Grand Siècle, the Château de Vincennes experienced a new golden age. When Cardinal Mazarin, governor of the castle since 1652 and Louis XIV's principal minister, died in Vincennes in 1661, the castle was completely transformed.
In the aftermath of the troubles of the Fronde (1648 - 1653), Vincennes remained a stronghold, well-equipped with men and military equipment. However, its character changed in 1954, when Louis XIV decided to move there permanently. A new castle was built, partially overturning the feudal residence and changing the appearance of the site. Until 1661, the architect Louis Le Vau built the two pavilions known as the Queen's Pavilion and the King's Pavilion. For the King's pavilion, he doubled the existing Louis XIII pavilion, creating a harmonious building despite its large, robust volumes. Charles V's old keep, located to the north of the fortress, lost its medieval lustre in favour of the harshness of a prison similar to that of the Bastille. In this way, two opposing worlds rub shoulders just a few dozen metres apart: the triumphant monarchy on one side, police functions on the other. Over the years, the Donjon has seen many famous inmates pass through its doors, including Fouquet in 1661! Louis XIV's Superintendent of Finances was arrested on a false charge of embezzlement and imprisoned and guarded at Vincennes by the musketeer d'Artagnan!
The interior decoration was particularly splendid, anticipating that of the Château de Versailles a decade later. During his visit to Paris in 1665, the architect and sculptor Le Bernin came to Vincennes to admire the quality of the woodwork in the royal flats. The whole reflects the triumph of classicism. The ceilings of many of the flats feature paintings by Philippe de Champaigne and Michel Dorigny, a pupil of Simon Vouet. Unfortunately, much of the decoration has been lost over time, with successive occupations and more recently on 24 August 1944, when the castle burnt down.
If the interiors are those of a royal residence, the gardens are not to be outdone. They prefigure those of Versailles and take as an example those of Vaux-le-Vicomte, which are currently being completed. Around the Château de Vincennes, Colbert, the new Intendant of Finances, had huge flower-filled parterres laid out with compartments. This "small park" of almost 15 hectares, designed in the French style and located to the west of the castle, extended as far as Saint-Mandé at the time.
On their return from their wedding in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the King and Queen, after a stay in Fontainebleau, stayed at the Château de Vincennes, awaiting their official entry into Paris on 26 August 1660. This event marked the high point of the attention paid to the château by those in power. Outside the castle, the inhabitants of Montreuil sous-Bois, La Pissotte and Saint-Mandé flocked en masse to cheer the royal couple and all the troops accompanying them. The most notable of these were the troops of the King's Household, including the famous musketeers!
Charles de Batz de Castelmore, also known as d'Artagnan, became a legend thanks to the publication of Alexandre Dumas's trilogy of novels. He was real and had nothing to envy of his literary counterpart. A fascinating character, courageous to the point of death, he is the archetypal honest man and elite officer. A trusted friend of Louis XIV, the musketeer was part of the royal procession in 1660! And in 1661, at the age of fifty, he became lieutenant of the company of Grey Musketeers.
At this time, the royal residence was still the scene of many military parades and festivities. It was also the scene of Louis XIV's love affair with his favourite, Louise de La Vallière. But little by little, the Château de Vincennes lost its aura to Versailles. For Louis XIV, Vincennes was the château of his youth, and that of his Prime Minister, Cardinal de Mazarin.
Now a new chapter is beginning. The Sun King set about creating another castle that would be entirely devoted to him: the Château de Versailles. But he never forgot Vincennes! In 1715, on the eve of his death, Louis XIV formulated the wish that the first years of the reign of his great-grandson, the future Louis XV, should take place at the Château de Vincennes. Louis XV thus lived at Vincennes for three months, as the Grand Siècle drew to a close.
Château de Vincennes
Caroline Rose / Centre des monuments nationaux
Patrick Müller / Centre des monuments nationaux