A film about the gardens of Versailles released in the United States in 2015. “A Little Chaos” stared Kate Winslet of Titanic fame as Sabine de Barra, a beautiful commoner hired by King Louis XIV of France to help with landscape projects. Hooked on all things garden-related, I had to see this entertaining tale of palace intrigue and romance, historical accuracy and Hollywood fiction that played against the backdrop of garden renovations and landscape design.

 

In my early 20s I had visited France and toured the Palace of Versailles, but at the time paid more attention to its gilded gold interior and glitzy mirrors than the gardens. I certainly didn't know anything about the creative genius behind the grand design of the more than 15,000-acre grounds.

 

Last month when the movie appeared on Netflix, I watched a second time. Then I hit the research trail to discover the real history behind the gardens and unearth what was buried beneath the screenwriter's literary license.

 

Here's a brief overview of what I learned about French landscape architect and gardener, Andre Le Notre; about the construction and redesign of the Versailles gardens and about the film, “A Little Chaos”:

ABOUT ANDRE LE NOTRE (1613-1700):
Born in Paris, France into a family that had been gardeners to the king since the 16th century, Andre was described as “relatively low born.” His father, Jean Le Notre, “a jardinier ordinaire” was master gardener to King Louis XIII in the gardens of Les Tuileries.

 

Andre studied “the laws of perspective and optics” at the studio of painter Francois Vouet and learned architecture under Francois Mansart, the uncle of Jules Hardouin-Mansart who became Versailles' main architect. In 1635, Andre started work for the monarchy as a gardener to Louis XIV's uncle, Gaston, the Duke of Orleans. In1637, he was elevated to head gardener of Les Tuileries which he redesigned into expansive vistas by creating the main avenue later known as the Champs-Elysees. 

In 1675, when King Louis XIV asked Andre what he preferred on his coat of arms, the reply was:“Three snails and a head of cabbage. But I must not forget my spade, for it is due to my spade that I am the recipient of all the kindness with which your Majesty honours me.”

 

ABOUT VERSAILLES GARDENS:
Originally, Versailles was an old hunting lodge of King Louis III. By the time Louis took the throne, the lodge was “a young man's party house.” Writer Saint-Simon called Versailles “the saddest and most barren of places, with no view, no wood, no water, and no earth, for it is all shifting sand and marsh, and the air consequently is bad.”

 

In 1661, when Louis presented Andre Le Notre with the monumental task of renovating the grounds, Andre envisioned reflecting basins, mirror pools, fountains, canals, winding paths leading to shady groves and parterres in this untamed place where others saw little more than a bog. Workmen started work on the gardens at the same time work began on the palace — both projects lasting more than 40 years. The soil was dug by hand and shifted to build vistas or to level the ground. Thousands of men, including Louis's elite Swiss guards, toiled through landslides and malaria outbreaks. Thousands perished, their bodies removed at night so not to disturb the other workers.

 

In 1677, Louis designated Versailles as his permanent residence, and by 1682, he moved the entire court there.

 

To Andre, the garden itself was the architecture — from its water sources, light and shadow, walls of greenery supported by trellises and arbors to its topiary art and statues. But Versailles' main architect, Jules Hardouin-Mansart was a thorn in his side, insisting that marble buildings should dominate the landscape, resulting in the addition of Mansart's Colonnade. When Louis asked Andre his opinion of Mansart's project, Andre simply replied, “Well, Sire, what do you want me to say? You have turned a mason into a gardener and he has given you a sample of his craft.”

 

 

ABOUT THE FILM:
The location of the Versailles's gardens is in France, while the landscape scenes were really filmed at Blenheim Palace, England.

 

Andre Le Notre started working at Versailles in 1661 when he was 48, while the film is set in 1682 when he is almost 70.

 

“A Little Chaos” casts Andre Le Notre as the lover of his fictional garden assistant, when actually he was faithful to his wife. Dr. Ian Thompson, a reader in landscape architecture at Newcastle University, and author of “The Sun King's Garden,” (Bloomsbury, 2006), puts it this way: “Andre is thrust forward as the romantic lead in a period garden romp.”

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