16th.E2.80.9318th centuries Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye

château neuf de st-germain-en-laye, new addition palace later demolished.

the oldest parts of current château reconstructed francis in 1539, , have subsequently been expanded several times. on 10 july 1547 political rivalry came head in bloody game here. against odds, guy chabot, 7th baron de jarnac triumphed on françois de vivonne, seigneur de la chasteigneraie, giving rise coup de jarnac (fr).

staircase tower in corner of court

henry ii built separate new château (le château neuf) nearby, designs philibert de l orme. stood @ crest of slope, shaped, under direction of Étienne du pérac (karling 1974 p 10) 3 massive descending terraces , narrower subsidiary mediating terraces, linked divided symmetrical stairs , ramps , extended single axis finished @ edge of seine; design took many cues villa lante @ bagnaia. Étienne du pérac had spent long time in italy, , 1 manifestation of interest in gardens of type well-known view of villa d este, engraved in 1573 (karling 1974, p 11).

the gardens laid out @ saint-germain-en-laye among half-dozen gardens introducing italian garden style france laid groundwork french formal garden. unlike parterres laid out in casual relation existing châteaux, on difficult sites selected defensive reasons, these new gardens extended central axis of symmetrical building façade in rigorously symmetrical axial designs of patterned parterres, gravel walks, fountains , basins, , formally planted bosquets; began tradition reached apex after 1650 in gardens of andré le nôtre. according claude mollet s théâtre des plans et jardinage parterres laid out in 1595 henry iv mollet, trained @ anet , progenitor of dynasty of royal gardeners. 1 of parterre designs mollet @ saint-germain-en-laye illustrated in olivier de serres le théâtre d agriculture et mesnage des champs (1600), château neuf , whole of spectacular series of terraces can seen in engraving after alexandre francini, 1614.

silvestre s view of uppermost terrace of château neuf, shows (with artistic license) neglected state.

louis xiv born @ saint-germain-en-laye in 1638. 1 of du pérac s retaining walls collapsed in 1660, , louis undertook renovation of gardens in 1662. @ majority established court here in 1666, preferred château vieux: château neuf abandoned in 1660s , demolished. 1663 until 1682, when king removed definitively versailles, team inherited unfortunate fouquet — louis le vau, jules hardouin-mansart , andré le nôtre laboured give ancient pile more suitable aspect.

the gardens remade andré le nôtre 1669 1673, , include 2.4 kilometre long stone terrace provides view on valley of seine and, in distance, paris.

the château @ centre of town of saint-germain-en-laye, close rer railway station.

louis xiv turned château on king james ii of england after exile britain in glorious revolution of 1688. king james lived in château thirteen years, , daughter louise-marie stuart born in exile here in 1692. king james lies buried in nearby church of saint-germain; wife mary beatrice remained @ château until death in 1718. son james left château in 1716, settling in rome. many jacobites - supporters of exiled stuarts - remained @ château until french revolution, leaving in 1793. jacobites consisted of former members of jacobite court, , apartments left empty in chateau jacobite court pensioners upon death, passed down widows , children caretaker of chateau, adrien maurice, duke de noailles. jacobite colony @ saint-germain still dominant in 1750s, when treated increasing hostility. after death of duke de noailles in 1766, had been responsible continuing jacobite dominance because of preference give rooms jacobites, british dominance decreased , more french inhabitants given lodgings in chateau: last member of stuart court theresa o connel, died in 1778. last descendants of british jacobites, bearing french names, evicted when building confiscated government during french revolution in 1793.