Advantages And Disadvantages Of Louis Viv

1777 Words4 Pages

One can tell a significant amount about people by looking at their residence and kings are no different. Although it began as a humble hunting lodge under Louis XIII, Under Louis XIV’s rule, Versailles transformed into a grand palace (Wolf 352). Louis XIV created a palace that reshaped France into something bigger and better, something no one had ever attempted. The magnificent Versailles displayed both the power and wealth of Louis XIV and France. Some historians believe Versailles serves as simply a symbol of Louis XIV’s luxurious life, while others believe Versailles symbolizes the administration of France, but also led to the French Revolution (Barter 12). Louis XIV believed God wanted him to be the king and therefore, he also had absolute rule, unlike the model set by several kings before him allowing the nobles to control the country. The overabundance of power caused the king to become an extremely conceited man. He used to say “L’etat, c’est moi,” which means “I am the state” and also called himself the Sun King because he believed all power came from him, just like the sun. Louis XIV used Versailles as a tool to establish and maintain power, as well as to idealize his rule, which resulted in a consolidated France. Louis XIV's palace, Versailles, became known as the jewel of Europe and drew fellow monarchs to France. Louis XIV transformed Versailles into a grand palace by creating 5,000 acres of gardens, lawns, and woods with a total of 1,400 extravagant fountains along with ponds and plants, which also helped him display his political powers (De Nolhac 7). The extravagance of the landscape exhibited how he had enough power and money to create something magnificent. Louis XIV’s extravagant palace lured kings and queens ... ... middle of paper ... ... XIV had the capability to become a bigger presence and have a larger power than those before him. Versailles became the foundation for the new sect of royalty (Wolf 362). The Sun King left both positive and negative impacts to France. France became more powerful and became known as one of the most advanced European nations in art and literature. Also, France became known as the military leader of Europe, which possibly could have caused France to establish a powerful empire of colonies. With powerful colonies, France provided many resources and goods to trade with other countries. But, continuous war and the maintenance of Versailles caused France to drop into debt. Louis greatly misused power, which also led to revolutions. Versailles served as a device to help Louis XIV create and retain power as well as to glamorize his rule, which resulted in a stronger France.

Open Document