The Pièce d’Eau des Suisses of Versailles !!

Posted in France, Versailles

Coming along on my tour of Versailles to show you places off the beaten path away from the palace/museum property to see more of my Versailles. Yes you know it , Versailles has a lot more things to see than the palace/museum. Let me tell you about the Pièce d’Eau des Suisses of Versailles !! Hope you enjoy it as I

The Piéce d’Eau des Suisses  is right across the Orangerie (see post) area on the road D10 to St Cyr l’école. Many afternoons on weekends picnicking there with the family on the shadows of the only statue to king Louis XVI in Versailles and one of only five in France still standing. The others are in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique dept 44), at the Esplanade du Maréchal Foch , it is still today , for most of the people of Nantes,the Place Louis XVI.  Also,  in Bécherel (Ille-et-Vilaine dept 35 Brittany), in the park of the Château de Caradeuc; at the Loroe-Bottereau (Loire-Atlantique dept 44), near the Church; in Sorèze, in the park of the Royal School; And in Nant (Aveyron dept 12), in the entrance to the city/town hall , even if here very much damaged and hardly recognisable, last I saw several years back.

Versailles-piece-deaux-des-suisses-statue-louis-XVI-feb11

La pièce d’eau des Suisses is a part of the Domaine de Versailles , but apart from it as told above. It was built between 1679 and 1682, and owes its name to having been dug by a regiment of Swiss guards. It was created to drain the Potager du Roi or King’s vegetable garden (see post).  This 682 meters long, by 234 meters wide water pond with a surface of 13 hectares has an average depth of 1.70 meters ( the park is about 25 ha). It is located as above on the D10 road across from the Orangerie. This axis includes from north to south the basin of Neptune, the allée d’eau and the parterre du nord, the parterre d’eau , parterre du midi (situated above the Orangerie) ,and the parterre de l’Orangerie ,and finally the pièce d’eau des Suisses.

It was an octagonal shape, it was enlarged towards 1678 by the Swiss Guards in the service of King Louis XIV. A final enlargement in 1682 that gives it its rounded ends. At its southern extremity an equestrian statue representing Louis XVI later replaced by a copy, the original is in the Orangerie. The Piéce d’eau des Suisses runs along the Potager du Roi or king’s vegetable garden, which it could be access on this side by the Royal Grill gate. It is bordered by a double aisle of two-century plane trees, many of which suffered damage during the storm of 1999. Under the old regime, this piece d’eau was often the scene of nautical festivals. Nowadays it is free to all and has become a Sunday family picnic place. And it was our family place on many Sundays.

The city of Versailles tourist office on the Swiss pond: https://www.versailles-tourisme.com/la-piece-d-eau-des-suisses.html

The Château de Versailles on the Swiss pond:  https://bienvenue.chateauversailles.fr/en/park/welcome/476_piece-d-eau-des-suisses

There you go folks, another wonderful sort of off the beaten path spot in my Versailles. It is a nice park full of history and wonderful for the whole family to walk , take a break from the long tours of the palace/museum and even do try a picnic; its awesome. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Pièce d’Eau des Suisses of Versailles !! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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