The Bosquet des Bains d’Apollon of the Château de Versailles !!!

In my dear gorgeous Versailles ; there are many places other than the castle. The city needs to be seen more, my kind of town, actually did lived there for 9+ glorious years! Very nice family memories. I found me older pictures from one of my cd roms ,and again they should be in my blog, Therefore, here is my take again on the Bosquet des Bains d’Apollon of the Château de Versailles !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I

One of the wonders of this magnificent palace/museum done from 1837 to all the glories of France by king of the French Louis-Philippe Ier are the gardens. I know the rush to see the wonderful inside, but the gardens are all on its own.  The great gardener of France , André Le Nôtreorganized the gardens of Versailles around two axes, north-south and east-west. The first part of the bassin de Neptune, goes up by the allée de l’eau and continues until the Orangerie and the piéce d’eau  des Suisses. The second, called Grande Perspective, crosses the gardens like an axis of symmetry, beyond the Bassin de Latone, it follows the allée royale to the Grand Canal.

The Bosquet des Bains d’Apollon or Apollo’s baths grove is another of my favorites. Today’s Apollo’s Baths Grove dates from the reign of Louis XVI and was laid out between 1778 and 1781. The painter Hubert Robert designed an English-style garden with its centre occupied by a lake, overlooked by an immense artificial rock enhanced with cascades and a grotto where the Apollo group was installed, while the two Horses of the Sun groups were positioned on either side. The Bosquet des Bains d’Apollon is a decoration in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. Located immediately west of the castle, it was made in the romantic spirit under the reign of king Louis XVI, between 1776 and 1778. In 1778, the former Bosquet du Marais created by Jules Hardouin-Mansart in 1704 under the probable instigation of Madame de Montespan, becomes the Bosquet des Bains d’Apollon. In 1704, the three groups were installed in the bosquet de la Renommée , which occupied the northeast corner of the current grove and took the name of Bosquet des Bains d’Apollon.  To protect the works, frail iron canopies trimmed golden lead ornaments were completed in 1705.

Versailles château Bosquet des Bains d'Apollon dec24

In 1778, the statues were moved in the bosquet du Marais redesigned for the occasion and which then takes the name of the bosquet des bains d’Apollon. For the redevelopment of the grove an artificial cave in the middle of a green landscape dotted with waterfalls and small pools of water, in the Anglo-Chinese style then fashionable. An English garden whose center is occupied by a lake dominated by a huge dummy rock adorned with waterfalls and dug a cave in which is installed the group of Apollo, while the two groups of the Horses of the Sun are placed from either side. Apollo is accompanied by five nymphs, in the grotto of the Bosquet des Bains d’Apollon, a set of seven statues, the first masterpiece carved in marble and probably the most important for Versailles. The central figure of the composition was freely inspired by the Apollo Belvedere and also evoked that of the King, two side groups representing the Horses of the Sun which replaced those of December 1667.

The official Château de Versailles on the Bosquet des Bains d’Apollon: https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/gardens/groves#apollos-baths-grove

The Versailles tourist office on the palace’s gardenshttps://en.versailles-tourisme.com/the-versailles-gardens.html

There you go folks, one of the must to see in Versaillesand worth it. Another masterpiece of my belle France, and hope you have the time to see it while at this huge property that is the Domaine de Versailles. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Bosquet des Bains d’Apollon of the Château de Versailles !!! as I.

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

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