-^_^- The Choice of Versailles -^_^-

When Louis the Fourteenth set his sights on Versailles, he was already acquainted with the terrain. In fact, his father, Louis the Thirteenth, had constructed a hunting cabin on the land where he enjoyed the wilderness and the serenity that it had to offer. However, the passions of Louis the Fourteenth surpassed those of his father. He earnestly desired for Versailles to be the most beautiful palace in Europe as well as the pentacle of his great power and the official residence of the kingdom. Controversy encircled him, but was quelled, as no one dared to contradict the king. In spite of this, the controversy was a substantial presence. "Why Versailles?" Inquired the courtesans and ministers. The area, located far from Paris, was swampy and untamed. Ironically, in old French, the word "Versial" means "terrain where the weeds have been pulled." The existing modest version of the castle was a far cry from the regal and grand Versailles that Louis the Fourteenth was determined to erect. The king envisioned the estate as the ideal setting to reign as absolute master. His reflection of childhood was melancholy as it was marred by years of the "Sling" and plots to destabilize the monarchy. Paris remained a politically uncertain environment, but by lodging his ministers and his court at Versailles, he centralized his power and protected himself from treasonous acts.