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Who designed the gardens at the Palace of Versailles?
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Louis XIV
Portrait of King Louis XIV, by Charles Le Brun, c. 1655.
The gardens at the Palace of Versailles were designed by AndrĂŠ Le NĂ´tre, a renowned French landscape architect.12
Commissioned by Louis XIV, Le NĂ´tre transformed the siteâwhich was originally a muddy swampâinto a vast park covering more than 15,000 acres. His design utilized his expertise in perspective and optics to create expansive vistas, integrating the palace architecture with elaborate waterworks, fountains, and manicured groves. While Le NĂ´tre was the primary designer, other notable figures contributed to specific features within the grounds, such as the Orangerie, which was planned by Jules Hardouin-Mansart.12