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In 1656, Louis Le Vau began his architectural masterpiece, the Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, owned by France's wealthy finance minister Nicolas Fouquet (1615-1680). Probably the most important French château of the Baroque period, it possesses all the archetypal classical characteristics of order, balance and symmetry, while its monumental form conveys a sense of enduring power. Its façade is dominated by a large pediment and oval dome, accompanied by alternating patterns of windows and pilasters. The building, whose interiors were decorated by Charles Lebrun and others, stands in formal gardens designed by André Le Nôtre.
The picture shows the palace and parterres. The original garden layout is by André Le Nôtre.
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