Exceptional places / Stately Châteaux / Chateau de Vaux-le-vicomte

Chateau de Vaux-le-vicomte

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Visit Vaux-le-Vicomte, the inspiration for Versailles. Discover Le Nôtre's stunning gardens, Le Vau's architecture, and the magical candlelit evenings near Paris.

Chateau de Vaux-le-vicomte

Visit Vaux-le-Vicomte, the inspiration for Versailles. Discover Le Nôtre's stunning gardens, Le Vau's architecture, and the magical candlelit evenings near Paris.

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About Chateau de Vaux-le-vicomte

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The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, located in the French commune of Maincy, 50 km southeast of Paris, near Melun, is a 17th-century château built for Nicolas Fouquet, Superintendent of Finances under Louis XIV. It now belongs to a junior branch of the Marquis de Vogà.

Tip for an even more exceptional visit.

Enjoy candlelit evenings in the summer, dine on the restaurant terrace, facing the castle and watch the fireworks.

7 Key Dates

castle
1641

The purchase of the estate by Nicolas Fouquet, the ambitious superintendent of finances, who bought the land. He brought together the three greatest geniuses of the time: the architect Louis Le Vau, the painter-decorator Charles Le Brun and the landscape architect André Le Nôtre.
castle
1656

A lightning-fast construction: In just five years, the estate rose from the ground. It was the first time a castle and its gardens had been designed in total harmony and with perfect perspective.
castle
17/8/1661

The Fateful Party: Fouquet organizes a dazzling party in honor of Louis XIV. Molière performs, Vatel organizes the banquet. The Sun King, humiliated by such luxury while his own palaces are dilapidated, decides to fire his minister.
castle
1705

The purchase by Marshal de Villars: After years of sequestration, the castle was sold. The Villars family kept it for a century before it passed into the hands of the Dukes of Praslin.
castle
1875

The rescue by Alfred Sommier: The castle was abandoned and the gardens had disappeared. Alfred Sommier, a wealthy industrialist, bought it at auction and devoted his fortune to its complete restoration.
castle
1962

André Malraux classified the gardens, allowing for comprehensive protection of this private masterpiece, a model of family heritage management.
castle
1968

The de Vogüé family, descendants of Sommier, opened the estate to the public. Today, it is the largest privately owned property in France listed as a Historical Monument.