The southern front of the château, as seen from the so-called Bassin de la Couronne (crown pool), an explicit tribute to Louis XIV.
Source: Flammarion Press
Design
Step Inside the Extravagant French Home That Inspired Versailles
Vaux-le-Vicomte, the elaborate precursor to Versailles, is shrouded in myth.
As soon as he took on the role as director of patronage and public relations for his family’s historic mansion, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Alexandre de Vogüé has been struggling to dispel the château’s origin myth.
“It’s a glamorous story, and it’s super simple to tell,” he says. “Nicolas Fouquet, a wealthy man, stole from the treasury of Louis XIV to build this amazing palace. He put on a lavish opening party, invited the court, the king got super jealous, and put him in prison for the rest of his life.”