The Menagerie was the first major project of Louis XIV at Versailles, and it quickly became a place for strolling and entertainment; the king liked to go there via the Grand Canal with his chosen companions… Later he made a gift of it to his dear granddaughter, the Duchesse de Bourgogne. No longer standing today, the Menagerie was built by the architect Louis Le Vau and later renovated by Jules Hardouin-Mansart.

Set around a pavilion serving as an observatory, seven enclosures held exotic birds and animals: ostriches and pelicans, all kinds of game birds and animals, and even a rhinoceros in the reign of Louis XV… The colourful occupants delighted visitors, who left enthusiastic accounts in their letters and diaries. The animals of Versailles also provided remarkable specimens for the research of the recently formed Academy of Sciences. Thanks to a 3D reconstruction of the Menagerie and its curious occupants, readers can share the enthusiasm of its contemporaries for this building with its original function.

Coedition: First Editions – Château de Versailles
Publication: novembre 2010
Number of pages: 323 pages
Dimensions: 24 x 21,5 cm
ISBN-13: 978-2754015523

French only