Versailles Royal Estate - 1715, the basins

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The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate - 1715
The details : the buildings, the ornemental lakes and ponds, the gardens

The ornemental lakes and ponds
The Water feature
	Les parterres d'eau. The two bassins reflect the image of the façade facing the garden. 16 bronze statues decorate their rims : > 8 statues are based on the theme of French rivers and their tributaries. These were cast by the Keller brothers, well-known XVIIe century founders. > 8 statues represent nymphs and children. These were based on designs by Girardon. The Sculptors : Regnaudin, Coysevox, Tuby, Le Hongre, Le Gros, Van Clève. More about Versailles gardens The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
The reservoirs
	Les réservoirs Situated under the water features, reservoirs the size of a veritable underground cathedral were created by the fountain maker Alexandre Francine and built in 1672 by François d'Orbay to provide a permanent water source for the reservoir of the Thetis grotto, which in turn supplied the various fountains. The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
The crown basins
	Les bassins des Couronnes Created by Tuby and Le Hongre. Basins lost their big crowns, but the name lives. The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
The pyramid basin
	le bassin de la Pyramide This feature is called the Pyramid basin because of the wonderful Girardon sculpture in its center. The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
The Bath of the Nymphs
	Le Bain des Nymphes Designed by Le Brun, the sides are by Le Gros and Le Hongre, and the relief by Girardon. The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
L'allée des Marmousets
	Also called the Water Avenue (Allée d'Eau) > 14 fountains : children carrying bowls. This avenue leads to the Dragon basin and follows the natural slope of the land, whilst on the other side, the construction of the Orangerie has levelled the slope. The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
The Dragon basin
	Le bassin du Dragon The Dragon, a mythical monster, is being persecuted by young archers riding swans. The work of Gaspard Marsy. The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
The Three Fountains
	Les trois fontaines Grove wth three fountains For decoration, natural accretions of sandstone, called (rognons in french) 'kidneys' by the quarrymen. The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
Neptune's basin
	Le bassin de Neptune Created in 1676, most of the sculpted decoration on Neptune's basin was added in 1738. The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
Latona's basin
	Le bassin de Latone The muse, with Diana and Apollo ( the children she had with jupiter) on either side, is mocked by the peasants from Lycia. Jupiter, in a rage, turns them into thoads. Created by Le Nôtre in 1666, sculpted by les frères Marsy, it was renovated and raised up by Hardouin-Mansart 20 years later The lakes and basins retour à la page des vignette
Apollon's basin
	Le bassin d'Apollon The group of gilded lead scuptures which decorate it were created by Tuby in 1670. Located on the site of the former rondeau. The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
Flora's basin
	Le bassin de Flore From the Four Seasons group. Flora's basin personifies Springtime. Created by Tuby. The seasons : Springtime - Summer - Automn - Winter The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
Ceres's basin
	Le bassin de Cérès From the Four Seasons group. The Ceres basin personnfies summer. Sculpted by Regnaudin. The seasons : Springtime - Summer - Automn - Winter The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
Saturn's basin
	Le bassin de Saturne From the Four Seasons group. An old man personifying winter. Based on the work by Poussin, sculpted by Girardon. The seasons : Springtime - Summer - Automn - Winter The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
Bacchus's basin
	Le bassin de Bacchus From the Four Seasons group. Bacchus personifies automn. Sculpted by the Marsy brothers. The seasons : Springtime - Summer - Automn - Winter The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
The Grand Canal
	Le Grand Canal Dug out in 1670 to drain a former swamp that had not completely dried out, the Grand Canal also fed from the river Bievre, through pumps activated by water mills. On the Grand Canal, civilian sailors permanently employed on the site direct the manoeuvres of a flotilla of 200 small scale vessels. Feluccas, hoys, yachts, barges ands skiffs, longboats, frigate and galleys take the courtesans for river trips. The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
The Mirror basin
	Le bassin du Miroir The mirror basin faces the kings's gardens. The lakes and basins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate
Apollon's Baths
	Les bains d'Apollon Apollon's baths replace one of the first groves in the Marsh, created by Hardouin-Mansart between 1705 and 1706. Les bassins The poster : panorama of the Versailles Royal Estate