134 



GARDEN CRAFT IN EUROPE 



extent of these estates. The parks of St. Germain, Marly, Versailles, St. 

 Cloud, Meudon and Sceaux occupied the greater part of an area'"300 square 

 miles in extent to the west of Paris ; whilst to the east were the immense 

 parks of Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau, with the smaller estates of 

 Gros-bois, St. Maur, Choisy, Vincennes, Raincy, Bois-le-Vicomte and others. 

 The original Chateau of Meudon (illus. opposite) was built 'for Cardinal 

 Charles of Lorraine by Philibert de I'Orme, in the reign of Henri II, and 

 eventually became the property of the Marquis de Louvois, when large addi- 

 tions were made to the chateau. Louis XIV purchased the property in 

 1694 and presented it to the Dauphin. After the death of the Dauphin in 



THE PARTERRE AT THE GRAND TRIANON. 



171 1 the chateau, though occasionally occupied, was much neglected, and 

 its ruin was finally completed during the Franco-Prussian war. Le Notre 

 worked here, both under Louvois and also for the Dauphin. 



In laying out the gardens, he was helped by their wonderful situation 

 upon the heights overlooking the windings of the Seine. The Cardinal's 

 garden had been quite small, but Le Notre made large additions ; for the 

 water decoration he worked in conjunction with the maitre fontainier, Lop- 

 pin, who published a volume of designs for the fountains here. A princi- 

 pal feature was an elaborate double terrace with ramps on either side, recall- 

 ing that of the villa Mondragone at Frascati. The great orangery, with its 



