Versailles Orangerie
With the addition of the Orangerie, the gardens, no longer reserved solely for use by Louis XIV, had the added use of a theatrical setting that could be used to entertain guests at court.
[3] There is general agreement that the arrival of the sweet orange in Europe was linked with the activities of the Portuguese during the 15th century, and particularly by Vasco de Gama's voyages to the East.
By withholding water and nutrients, and by using pruning techniques, French gardeners were able to make citrus trees bloom throughout the year, to the delight of Louis XIV.
Citrus motifs formed themes in sculpture, mosaics, embroidery, weaving, paintings, poems, and songs throughout history, and orange blossoms remain prized as floral ornaments at weddings.
The central gallery faces south to optimize the natural warming effects of the sun, which, combined with the double glazing of the windows, provides a frost-free environment without the use of artificial heating year-round.
[6] At the center of the Parterre Bas is a large circular pool with a jet d'eau water feature, surrounded by formal lawns planted with topiary.
[7] The Orangerie shelters an assortment of statuary, the most famous of which is an equestrian statue of Louis XIV by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the most prominent sculptor of the Baroque period.
Recast as a representation of the ancient Roman hero Marcus Curtius, it was moved to the north side of the Pièce d'eau des Suisses, opposite the boundary of the Orangerie parterre, where it remained for centuries.
[12] Originally completed in 1663, the Orangerie was intended to supply the much smaller hunting lodge of Versailles and the small retinue which Louis XIV would bring with him in the summer.
Completed in 1688, the masonry pavilions of the new Orangerie were modelled on the theories of the horticulturalist Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie, the master gardener of the Potager du roi, whose writings detailed a system for protecting exotic plants from the cold without the use of artificial heating.
