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> Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Supêrintendant of the King's buildings from 1664, a highly knowledgable Minister who had considerable influence in many different areas, Colbert controlled the head architect to whom he was superiror in hierarchy. In 1662 he bought the Gobelins tapestry works to stimulate theirproduction. It was h who had the idea of setting up a flottila on The Grand Canal, to improve the King's knowledge if his navy?. He served the King up to his death in 1683.

> Robert de Cotte

The King's head architect and superintendant of buildings from 1708 to 1735

> Alexandre Francine

The brother of Thomas Francine.
Alexandre Francine had served Louis XIII.

> Thomas Francine

The brother of Alexandre Francine.
A specialist in hydrolics, Thomas Francine was in the service of the Duke of Tuscany when Henri IV asked him to design the water supply system for the gardens of the Château de Saint Germain.

> François Francine

Son of Alexandre Francine.
The author of several books on hydraulics, François Francine introduced new installation in the gardens that improved the efficiency of the original installations, such as the second reservoir in the roof of the Thestis grotto and the three winmills that draw water from the pond of Clagny.

> Pierre Francine

Pierre Francine helped his brother François to install the pumps and reservoirs before inventing iron pipes that fitted together without being soldered.

> Jules Hardouin-Mansart

TRained as an architect, Superintendant of royal buildings from 1699 to 1708, Jules Hardouin-Mansart designed the Orangerie, the LArge Stable (Grandes Ecuries), The Grand Trianon, The Hall of Mirrors, the colonade grove... He is the speciallist in stone-cutting (stereotomy) and incarnates th grandeur an simplicity of XVIIth century architect.

> Philippe de la Hire

A mathematician and surveyor, in 1684 Philippe de la Hire realised that the Eure river could supply water to the Versailles gardens after discovering a section of the river 80 feet above the level of the gardens.

> Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie

A former lawer and passionate horticulturalist, Jean-Baptiste de la Quintine was reponsible for the production of the Kng's fruit and vegetables and the administration of the Orangerie.

> Charles Le Brun

The King's head artist, he was responsible for an army of designers, carpenters, stucco workers, gilders, marble masons, locksmiths and other craftmen and could ensure the completion of an apartment from start to finsh from the floor to the ceiling. He was the person responsible for all offical art, institued "academic beauty", and was responsible for the King's image and absolutist order..

> André Le Nôtre

A gardener of renown, André Le Nôtre is responsible for the selection of the types of plants and their planting, before designing the layout of the park of Versailles, using architecture and sculpture to a large degree. From 1643 onwards, he will desgingn all the flower beds and gardens of the King.

> S. Le Pestre de Vauban

The King assign S. Le Pestre de Vauban, to vairous sites because,as a specialist in fortifications, he is particularly competent in the delcate areas of the construction of embankments, the MArly machine, drying out of the swamps and specifying the dimension of the Maintenon aqueduct.

> François Michel Le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois

Minister of War and superintendant of vessels in 1683. ALthough having no artistic sense, Le Tellier carries out his duties very efficeiently. Being a professional soldier, he is a great organiser and insists on the use of military personnel for reasons of economy.

> Louis Le Vau

The King's head architect from 1654 to 1670, Louis Le Vau lays down the main lines of the Versailles Palace.

> Louis XIV

Louis XIV was the instigator of such architectural projects as the famous episode of Grand Trianon peristyle, for which Robert dfe Cotte drew up the plans on the King's indications and which was built in Mansart's absence. There is also an anecdote about the window in the Grand Trianon, where the King noticed an error in its proportions, illustrating his commpetence in architectural matters.

> Mansart

> Roubo de Mazerolles

He is the carpenter who invented the famous "Versailles parquet" of assembled square.

> François d'Orbay

The King's chief architect from 1670 to 1676. He built the reservoirs under the parterre of the same name, "the parterre d'eau".

> Charles Perrault

The brother of Pierre and Claude.
He had an important position in ogvernement and organised the building of Versailles. But he is universally known for the fairy tales he wrote - les contes de Perrault : Sleeping Beauty, Peau d'âne, Tom Thumb...
Charles Perrault was also famous in Colbert's time for his ODe on the King's wedding. A forerunner in the field of ecology, he managed to prevent an enormous project to divert the cours of the Loire river so that it could provide water for Versailles.

> Claude Perrault

Brother of Pierre and Charles Perrault.
Born in 1613, later becoming a doctor, Claude Perrault is one of the founders of the French Academy of Sciences. His passion for architecture is expressend in the design of the Water avenue (Allée d'Eau) which he created.

> Pierre Perrault

Brother of Claude and Charles Perrault.
Born in 1611, he became the general Collector of Taxes in 1664 and published iun 1674 a work called " the origin of fountains" which details with problems of hydrology.

> L'Abbé Jean Picard

in 1670, this astronomer finalised a sighting telescope which measured angles and levels with considerable accuracy and facilitated surveying and land measuring operations.

> Rennequin René Sualem

A skilled carpenter, he is the brilliant technician who invented the "Marly machine" (chich pumped water from the Seine raisong it to a height of 160m over a distance of 1 100m, through the use of 250 differet pumps). To thiunk hoim for his prodigious work, the King's raised him to nobility.

> Vauban