sequestration of the owners of the château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, in the night from Wednesday 18 to Thursday 19 September, and the robbery perpetrated, during this time, a loot estimated at approximately 2 million euros, reminds us that this place is a symbol, like Versailles, the history of France.
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The legend of the history of France precisely tells that the powerful Superintendent of finances of Louis XIV, Nicolas Fouquet invited the king and part of his court on August 17, 1661. The monarch, who was then 23 years old, goes there with his mother, Anne of Austria, his young mistress, Louise de La Vallière, disguised as Diana the huntress and of some six hundred courtiers and courtesans. Only notable absence: the minister Colbert, whose enmity and rivalry with Fouquet are known in the corridors of power.
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Molière and Lully give Unfortunate
Nicolas Fouquet wants to seduce this young king who has decided to govern alone since the death of cardinal Mazarin. The imaginative master chef François Vatel will be the largest operator of this beautiful summer evening. The menu is sumptuous. A medley of sweet dishes and dirty tantalizes the taste buds of the guests. The dishes are porcelain; the covered, the height of luxury, are gold plated.
the delights of the spirit have not been forgotten. Molière and Lully playing in the gardens of Le Nôtre, a comedy with ballet, Unfortunate . In the climax, a fireworks display will illuminate the sky of Vaux-le-Vicomte. A fairy tale unique. The Sun King he was charmed by the profusion for munificence? Yes, if we are to believe the letter addressed to Monsieur de Maucrois by Jean de La Fontaine on 22 August: «All fought at Vaux for the pleasure of the king, The music, the water, the chandeliers, the stars.»
D’artagnan stops Fouquet on the orders of the king
other sources contradictory not accréditeront not the words too full of praise of the poet, who was a protégé of well-known of the Superintendent. According to some historians, including François Bluche, Louis XIV appalled by this display of money would have left the Vaux-le-Vicomte rushed and would have even thought of doing jail on-the-field, Nicolas Fouquet.
The reason of State, a reason for this absolute monarch, will encourage Louis XIV to wait a few days before deciding on the arrest of its too powerful Superintendent of finance. On September 5, 1661, it was d’artagnan, in person in the king’s name, will be responsible to serve his disgrace to Fouquet. The charges are of an extreme gravity: embezzlement, misappropriation, reassign old tickets, and, of course, the most terrible, was liable at the time of the death penalty, the crime of lèse-majesté.
Deposed, deprived of all his property, the man who was for a time the most influential of the kingdom after Mazarin will end his days in the dungeon of the fortress of Pignerol. He died on 23 march 1680. Colbert, his rival, and certainly the head of his forfeiture had won. As the Sun King, he never forgot the splendour of the night of Vaux-le-Vicomte. Versailles, according to his wishes and helped by the genius of Le Brun, Le Nôtre and Le Vau, would be the most beautiful castle in the world.
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● Louis XIV and Fouquet, the king and the financial
