Why Versailles?

There was one reason the Palace and Gardens of Versailles were built and that reason was to impress. To impress the French people, to impress other nations, and to impress future generations. At 551,112 square feet and 1,977 acres respectively, both the palace and the gardens were built on a scale that was simply unheard-of at the time, and the grandeur still astounds visitors today. 

Louis XIV created Versailles to impress the people of France. As a child, he experienced the Fronde, a series of civil wars that influenced the rest of his life. During the Fronde, nobility rose up against the monarchy and Louis was paranoid that there would be another uprising. To quell his own fears, he expanded upon the hunting lodge that was Versailles - and he did it essentially to distract the nobles from taking any action against him. When he moved the government to Versailles in 1682, he moved the nobles there as well. He kept them busy with the arts and with gossip, effectively creating a social forum for France that kept everyone out of his way. 

While the nobles were enjoying themselves, however, Louis did not want them forgetting that he was the king. And as such, Versailles is littered with allegory alluding to King Louis XIV. King Louis chose the sun as his emblem, and he became associated with Apollo, the sun god. There are Apollo motifs throughout the Garden and Palace of Versailles; Apollo was known as the god of peace and the arts, as well as the god in charge of the rising and setting of the sun. In this way, Louis asserted his power. He believed in the divine right of kings, and he was, metaphorically, the man in charge of the rising and setting sun. His throne was in a room known as the Apollo Salon, and the Apollo Fountain is a huge feature of the garden.

Additionally, Versailles was built to impress the rest of Europe. When Louis XIV became France's sole ruler, the country was not a powerful force in Europe. During his reign, he revolutionized France's impact in Europe. The Palace of Versailles became a physical representation of France's turnaround in the European economic landscape. Louis brought this change to France because in his mind, there was no difference between what was good for him and what was good for France. He was a controlling absolute monarch, but he had France's best interest at heart. These attitudes are exemplified in both the Palace and Gardens of Versailles: their magnitude and splendor reflect what Louis XIV believed about himself and about France. 

Sources:

http://www.livescience.com/38903-palace-of-versailles-facts-history.html

http://www.linkparis.com/versailles.htm
http://www.wall-online.net/wallpaper/basin-of-apollo-versailles-ile-de-france-france.html (Apollo Fountain)

Unusual Gardens of Europe

While most gardens across Europe were developed for traditional purposes and follow common styles of their time period, there are some gardens that break the molds. They are not organized, they were not created for relaxation or functionality, and they are not attached to homes, castles or villas. Unconventional gardens have popped up throughout history: Italy's Bomarzo Sacro Bosco, established in the 16th century, Spain's Park Guell, cultivated in the early 20th century, and France's Jardin Naturel, created in 1995. Each of these gardens has unique features, making them stand out from typical gardens.

The Sacro Bosco in Bomarzo, Italy, is also known as the Park of Monsters. Pier Francesco Orsini designed the garden and Simone Moschino created the sculptures that dominate it. It is a stunning example of Renaissance Mannerism - it pushes feelings on tension and instability on visitors, and this contrasts starkly with art of the High Renaissance.

Sacro Bosco is filled with large, bizarre statues that represent a myriad of mythical figures and stories. They are the primary focus of the park, and a frequently carved out of existing stone. This adds to the mystical quality of the garden and enhances the unusual feeling of the place.

Spain's Park Guell is also a unique take on a public garden. It is located near Barcelona, and it is the site of a failed housing development. The garden is now an expansive display of architecture and modernist design blending cohesively in a pleasure garden. It was designed and created by Antoni Gaudi between 1900 and 1914. Gaudi himself actually lived in a house in the park for 20 years, during and after its construction.

Gaudi used mosaic work and sculpture throughout the garden to create a social atmosphere, as well as incorporate mythological stories and symbols of Catalan nationalism. The park sits on a hill and provides picturesque views of the city of Barcelona.

The most modern of unusual gardens is the French Jardin Naturel, located in the heart of Paris. It was created in 1995 and it is just what the name implies: a natural garden. In contrast with most gardens in Paris, it is not curated meticulously and is not slave to symmetry or any particular structure at all. The garden is free of all human modification and is essentially a meadow in the middle of a city.

It is a haven for birds and insects, and gives the people of Paris the chance to have a little bit of the countryside in their city. Nature has complete freedom in the Jardin Naturel.

Sources:
http://www.parcodeimostri.com/entra.php?lang=eng (Sacro Bosco)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens_of_Bomarzo (Sacro Bosco)
http://www.parkguell.es/en/portada (Park Guell)
http://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71113/Jardin-naturel (Jardin Naturel)
http://www.linternaute.com/paris/magazine/dossier/06/paris-au-calme/13.shtml (Jardin Naturel)