From the year 1638 to 1660 the chateau remained mostly empty , with the exception of a few hunting trips made by King Louis XIV. These years in France were not favorable for building since there was much going on–rebellious noblemen, discontent regarding heavy taxation, blunders of Mazarin and Anne of Austria–all which tore the king away from visiting Versailles. When King Louis XIV first went to Versailles on April 13, 1651 at age thirteen, he felt a deep affection for the place, much like his father felt. At that time he had no plans for changing anything; rather he was familiarizing himself with the surrounding countryside–St.Cyr, Noisy, Marly, Trianon. As the rebellion died down in France, King Louis XIV had more time and his thoughts and designs for Versailles became more definite. He often visited many chateaux; those he had inherited–St. Germain, the Louvre, Fontainebleau–and others he admired–Palais Cardinal, city Richelieu in Touraine, Chambord, Vaux–all of which he was truly inspired by and certainly admired. So in 1661 King Louis XIV made up his mind to have his own ideas about architecture compiled, and wanted to have a palace with the stamp of his won genius, and he chose Versailles. But why did he choose Versailles? His reasons have often been debated. Saint-Simon stated: ‘When the King first fell in love of Mme de la Valliere and kept the matter secret no longer, the court was at Saint Germain-en-Laye, and Versailles was in the state in which Louis XIII had left it, or very nearly so, which was nothing at all. The King used to go there once or twice a week, with a very small entourage, to spend part of the day withe Mme de la Valliere, and he devised a coat with a special kind of embroidery which he bestowed on a dozen of nobleman he allowed to escort him during those little private rides to Versailles. The Grande Mademoiselle noted in her memoirs (written in 1666) that ‘ we often went to Versailles. No one was allowed to follow the King there without his order. This sort of distinction intrigued the whole court.’” One reason was that Versailles was a very convenient place for quiet love-making. This place the King preferred to any other chateau. He loved the fact that the land extended as far as the eye could see around the palace, and this could allow him to create a huge park. In 1660, he had the land surveyed so he could know exactly the area he wanted to develop. Much like Louis XIII, he continued to buy land, enlarging the circumference, and absorbing some nearby villages.
Essentially, the gardens had in fact been designed and built before the palace had. King Louis XIV made do with his father’s house for a few more years. In the park, he proudly entertained the whole court by displaying his armours and his youth. the couriers never stayed too long for they had to travel back to their homes at night because there was no lodging for them in Versailles.
In 1666, the main work really began for until then, the king was content with minor indoor embellishments done mostly by two men named Charles Evrard and Noel Coypel. however his passion for building was stirred and now focused on his beloved Versailles. He got the best artists in his time ( not by choice necessarily, but because he had no alternative but to employ them). The king wanted something new and original in this palace and he had a lot of his own ideas as to how this should be done. Although King and quite busy, he never became disinterested in the work that was being accomplished at Versailles and other places of predecessors (Fontainebleau, St Germain, Compiegne, the Louvre) were not neglected. King Louis XIV’s ideas for Versailles were quite magnificent and often against the advice of his councilors for he wanted this mediocre residence to be turned into one of the most beautiful palaces in the world. In fact, he had the ulterior motive of seeking to abate the rebellious noblemen who were conspiring against his dynasty. Versailles fit perfectly. The palace was to be huge and made to supply dukes and princes with the honor of securing a garret within. As for the rest of his visitors, a whole city surrounding the royal residence would be created to house them. He hoped that Paris would gradually be abandoned and that court life would furthermore be centered around his Versailles.
