\b0 In order to rule his kingdom more effectively, \b \ATXul1024 \cf4 \ATXht466 Louis XIV\b0 \ATXul0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who was wary about Paris, decided to make his home close to the capital but not in it. For this reason he chose the site of Versailles, where his father Louis XIII had built a hunting lodge. This modest construction was to turn into the bi
ggest castle in the world. Work on it began in 1661 and lasted for over thirty years. Considerable means were made available to the architects, painters, and gardeners so that they could produce a setting worthy of the \i ôSun King.ö\i0 The king and his
court moved into the castle in 1672, when it was still a vast construction site. A masterpiece of French classicism, Versailles served as a model for a large number of royal and princely residences built in Europe over the following centuries. Today, th
e first thing you see as you approach the castle are its three successive courtyards that symbolically lead your gaze toward the king's chamber, while the eastern faτades open onto the park and the sumptuous gardens extend for a length of 580 meters (635
