Louis XIV: Absolute Monarch at Palace of Versailles

Extract

[...] At the global level, this so-called 'mercantilist' economy is translated into the establishment of the first French colonial empire. In fact, Colbert founded in 1664, the Company of the East Indies, and resorted to the slave trade." 2. The glory of arms: Louis XIV would have declared having loved war too much. It is true that over the fifty-four years of his reign, thirty-three years are marked by war. This love for war is explained in particular by the search for glory and the desire to strengthen the prestige of the dynasty. [...]

[...] 1. Accroche : tableau by Martin Pierre Denis. 2. Document Analysis : life at Court. 3. Mise en commun : correction. 4. Document Study : the artists at Versailles. 5. Written trace. 6. Balance. Session 4 : The Kingdom of France under Louis XIV (60 minutes) Specific objective : to understand how absolute power is asserted and what its consequences are. Supports : Map : the expansion of the kingdom under Louis XIV. [...]

[...] Document iconographic : photograph of the citadel of Lille. Historical texts : the Colbert project for commerce (after the Venetian ambassador). Letter from Fénelon (1694). 1. Reinvestment of previous sessions. 2. Analysis of documents : the wars of Louis XIV. 3. Document Study : commerce. 4. Document Analysis : the French people. 5. Mise en commun : correction. 6. [...]

[...] Text : history of the Palace of Versailles. Plan : château de Versailles. Developed session. Session 3 : la Cour de Versailles (60 minutes) Specific objective : know comment the life at the Court inscribes in the system of the absolute monarchy. Supports : Artistic work : tableau by Martin Pierre Denis, Louis XIV on the promenade, (1713) . Historical text : Mémoires of the Duke of Saint-Simon. Texts : the art of disciplining (Versailles castle site). The artists at Versailles. [...]

[...] Possible extensions : History of Arts : the gardens of Versailles. It is a matter of presenting the different characteristics of the gardens of Versailles, designed by André Le Notre to show the power of Louis XIV. These gardens are based on symmetry (geometric plan), and include many elements: parterres, basins, trees, fountains? The gardens are also the theater of the activities of the court and a place of entertainment for it, since many royal festivals are organized there. To show these different aspects, the teacher can use different documents: text, photograph, diagram, plan. [...]