Versailles 10th Grade Age of Absolutism

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Versailles10th Grade Age of Absolutism

• When Louis XIV was growing up in the old Palace
  d Royal, he was forced to live in cramped
  quarters with hand me down clothes.
• Louis began to rule France himself at age 21.
• He attended a party at the home of his finance
  minister. Louis was in awe at the splendid
  beauty and luxury the home.
• His awe soon turned to anger when he came to
  realize that the finance minister was embezzling
  funds from him.

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• Louis decided to make a change of residence.
• As a young boy, Louis was enthralled with his
  hunting cottage at Versailles.
• Versailles however was not your ideal spot for a
  palace, especially one of such grand scale.

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• Versailles was located in swampy marshlands with
  very limited water sources.

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• However Louis would not be denied and
  construction began in 1689 and would continue for
  over twenty seven years.

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• The construction however was not easy. The
  marshes bred disease and of the estimated 35,000
  workers hundreds died every day.

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• When Louis moved in Versailles became the center
  of not only French civilization and country, but
  the center of Europe.
• Louiss people and Europe began to revolve around
  him like his symbol the sun.

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• The cost of Versailles will never be known due to
  the fact that Louis destroyed all the receipts.
• It is estimated to have cost 1,500,000,000 to
  build and maintain.

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• The results of the hard work was splendid.
• With beautiful ornate designs

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• There were beautiful frescos and paintings.

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• The were beautiful gardens that Louis took daily
  walks.
• The many flowers were changed daily as Louis
  approached and passed.

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• Versailles with its glamour and splendor came to
  symbolize the self centered ideology of the
  absolutism.