THE ROYAL FIGUERIE
At the very core of this hub of horticultural innovation lies the Royal Figuerie (or Fig Tree House). It was commissioned by Louis XIV with a clear purpose: to grow fig trees so he could enjoy one of his favorite fruits all year long, including out of season.
A pavilion built by Jules-Hardouin Mansart under La Quintinie’s architectural direction, the Figuerie is one of the garden’s jewels and a marvel of ingenuity. It combines a winning trio: architecture, microclimate, and horticulture.
Grown in pots, the King’s fig trees enjoyed the greenhouse’s warmth in winter, and the heat reflected by the château’s walls during fair weather, allowing for year-round harvesting. Thanks to the Figuerie’s exceptional architecture, the figs, produced year-round, exuded a distinctive, unprecedented scent.
In spring, aromas of fresh leaves, tree resin, damp earth
and perfumed humidity would escape from within.
AN EXCEPTIONAL GARDEN
At the genesis of the King’s Vegetable Garden, an extraordinary, showcase of French horticultural expertise for 350 years, stands a visionary man: Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie, a lawyer by training, turned agronomist (1624–1688). At the request of Louis XIV, he was the architect of the Garden’s construction (between 1678 and 1683)
at the heart of the royal estate of Versailles.
A technical feat for its time, the King’s Vegetable Garden was created on a marshy area sometimes called “the stinking pond” that La Quintinie drained to make fertile and suitable for cultivation.
Today, this remarkable cultural garden, a 9-hectare symbol of the splendor and power of Louis XIV’s court, is listed as a Historic Monument and recognized as UNESCO World Heritage.
