Orangery and South Parterre

Look down from the South Parterre towards the patterned beds and the building set into the slope. The architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart built the Orangery to shelter the king’s collection of trees. Its thick walls and tall vaulted galleries helped protect plants that could not remain outdoors through winter. The trees are grown in containers so they can be moved between shelter and garden with the seasons. In warm months, their rows contribute to the formal pattern of the parterre. From above, you can read both parts of the operation, the planted display and the building needed to maintain it. The indoor galleries have their own access arrangements and are not part of a walk along the upper terrace.