Illuminations du Palais et des Jardins de Versailles

Translated Print Title: 
[Illuminations of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles]
Series/Book Title: 
Relation de la fête de Versailles du 18 juillet 1668
Publisher: 
Paris: Imprimerie royale
Date(s): 
1679

The Grand Divertissement Royal, the second festival held by Louis XIV at Versailles, celebrated the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which ended war between France and Spain. (Unofficially, the festival also served to honor the king’s new paramour, Madame de Montespan.) This one-day extravaganza included a banquet, a ball, and the premiere of a comedy by Molière (1622–1673) with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687), each staged in temporary pavilions erected in various parts of the gardens. The fête climaxed shortly before dawn with a fireworks display above the illuminated palace and fountains.

Rare Book Division. Gift of Susan Dwight Bliss from the library of Mrs. Jeanette Dwight Bliss.