13. Young Titus Manlius was sent by his father to the village Young David was sent by his father to a remote pasture Sextus Aurelius Victor says that his father sent Titus Manlius TO THE VILLAGE, p. 194. Apparently, this happened at a time when Titus Manlius was still a boy or youth, since

1. The most brilliant of the kings of France was also the most "long-playing" monarch of Europe. He ruled for 72 years, and even the current Queen of England, Elizabeth, who ascended the throne in 1952, has not yet managed to “get around” the radiant Sun King.

2. Louis XIV believed that he was a kind of gift from God.

3. For more than twenty years, Queen Anne of Austria could not get pregnant from Louis XIII, when, finally, by an incredible chance, this happened, Louis XIII, in joy, decided to dedicate the whole country to the Blessed Virgin and give himself and the kingdom under her heavenly protection.

4. The royal couple was lucky - on September 5, 1638, a boy was born. Moreover, the little dauphin was born on the most suitable day for this, on Sunday, the day of the sun. They also say that the divine manifestation of heavenly grace was the fact that Louis XIV was born immediately with two teeth in his mouth. Therefore, he immediately received the nickname Louis-Dieudonné, that is, "given by God."

5. The famous philosopher Tommaso Campanella, who lived in those years at the French court, wrote the once popular treatise “The City of the Sun”, connected his utopian city with the appearance of the heir of France on the day of the Sun, and confidently declared: “Like the sun, he will please with his warmth and light France and her friends.

King Louis 13

6. In 1643, Louis XIV ascended the throne as a four-year-old boy and began to build his future and the future of the country. As the era of the Sun King, people remember the reign of Louis XIV. And this is all thanks to the huge benefits received after the end of the 30-year war, the rich resources of the country, military victories and many more factors.

7. His father, Louis XIII, died on May 14, 1643 at the age of 41, when little Louis was 4 years and 8 months old. The throne automatically passed to him, but, of course, it was impossible to rule the state at such a tender age, so his mother, Anna of Austria, became regent. But in fact, Cardinal Mazarin managed the affairs of the state, who was not only the godfather of the king, but, in fact, for some time became his real stepfather and did not have a soul in him.

8. Louis XIV was officially crowned at the age of 15, but in fact, he did not rule the state for another seven years - until the death of Mazarin. By the way, then this story repeated itself with his great-grandson Louis XV, who ascended the throne at the age of 5, after the death of his brilliant grandfather.

9. 72 years of the reign of King Louis XIV received the name "Great Century" in French history.

10. When Louis was 10 years old, a virtual civil war broke out in the country, in which the opposition Fronde opposed the authorities. The young king had to endure a blockade in the Louvre, a secret flight, and many other things that were by no means royal.

Anna of Austria - mother of Louis 14

11. Louis XIV grew up, along with him the firm intention to rule the country independently grew, because in the period from 1648 to 1653 civil wars flared in France, and at that time the young monarch found himself in the wrong hands as a puppet. But he successfully defeated the rebellions and in 1661 took all power into his own hands after the death of the first minister Mazarin.

12. It was during these years that his character and his views were formed. Remembering the turmoil of childhood, Louis XIV was convinced that the country could flourish only with the strong, unrestricted power of the autocrat.

13. After the death of Cardinal Mazarin in 1661, the young king convened a Council of State, at which he announced that from now on he intended to rule independently, without appointing a first minister. Then he decided to build a large residence in Versailles, so as not to return to the unreliable Louvre.

14. In 1661, the 23-year-old King Louis XIV of France arrived at his father's small hunting castle, located near Paris. The monarch ordered the large-scale construction of his new residence to begin here, which was to become his stronghold and refuge. The dream of the Sun King came true. In Versailles, created at his request, Louis spent his best years, and here he ended his earthly journey.

15. In the period from 1661 to 1673, the monarch carried out the most productive reforms for France. Louis XIV carried out reforms in the social and economic spheres to reorganize all state institutions. Literature and art flourished in the country.

Versailles

16. The royal court moves to the Palace of Versailles, it is considered a monument of the era of Louis XIV. The monarch there surrounds himself with noble nobles and keeps them constantly under control, thus he excluded any possibility of political intrigues.

17. This king, as they say, worked great with frames. The actual head of government for two decades was Jean-Baptiste Colbert, a talented financier. Thanks to Colbert, the first period of the reign of Louis XIV was very successful from an economic point of view.

18. Louis XIV patronized science and art, because he considered it impossible for the prosperity of his kingdom without a high level of development of these areas of human activity.

19. If the king would only be engaged in the construction of Versailles, the rise of the economy and the development of the arts, then, probably, the respect and love of subjects for the Sun King would be limitless.

20. However, the ambitions of Louis XIV extended much beyond the borders of his state. By the early 1680s, Louis XIV had the most powerful army in Europe, which only whetted his appetites.

21. In 1681, he established the chambers of reunification to seek the rights of the French crown to certain areas, seizing more and more new lands in Europe and Africa.

22. Louis XIV became an absolute monarch and first of all put things in order in the treasury, created a strong fleet, and developed trade. By force of arms, he realizes territorial claims. So, as a result of hostilities, Franche-Comté, Metz, Strasbourg, a number of cities in the Southern Netherlands and some other cities retreat to France.

23. The military prestige of France rose high, which allowed Louis XIV to dictate his terms to almost all European courts. But this circumstance turned against Louis XIV himself, the enemies of France rallied, and the Protestants turned against Louis for the persecution of the Huguenots.

24. In 1688, the claims of Louis XIV to the Palatinate led to the fact that all of Europe took up arms against him. The so-called War of the League of Augsburg dragged on for nine years and led to the parties maintaining the status quo. But the huge expenses and losses incurred by France led to a new economic decline in the country and the depletion of funds.

25. But already in 1701, France was embroiled in a long conflict, called the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV expected to defend the rights to the Spanish throne for his grandson, who was to become the head of two states. However, the war, which engulfed not only Europe, but also North America, ended unsuccessfully for France. According to the peace concluded in 1713 and 1714, the grandson of Louis XIV retained the Spanish crown, but its Italian and Dutch possessions were lost, and England, by destroying the Franco-Spanish fleets and conquering a number of colonies, laid the foundation for its maritime dominion. In addition, the project of uniting France and Spain under the hand of the French monarch had to be abandoned.

King Louis 15

26. This last military campaign of Louis XIV returned him to where he started - the country was mired in debt and groaning from the burden of taxes, and here and there rebellions broke out, the suppression of which required more and more resources.

27. The need to replenish the budget led to non-trivial solutions. Under Louis XIV, trade in public offices was put on stream, reaching its maximum scope in the last years of his life. To replenish the treasury, more and more new positions were created, which, of course, brought chaos and discord into the activities of state institutions.

28. The ranks of opponents of Louis XIV were joined by French Protestants, after the “Edict of Fontainebleau” was signed in 1685, repealing the Edict of Nantes by Henry IV, which guaranteed the Huguenots freedom of religion.

29. After that, more than 200,000 French Protestants emigrated from the country, despite severe penalties for emigration. The exodus of tens of thousands of economically active citizens dealt another painful blow to the power of France.

30. At all times and eras, the personal life of monarchs influenced politics. Louis XIV in this sense is no exception. Once the monarch remarked: "It would be easier for me to reconcile the whole of Europe than a few women."

Maria Theresa

31. His official wife in 1660 was a contemporary, the Spanish Infanta Maria Theresa, who was Louis' cousin both by father and mother.

32. The problem of this marriage, however, was not in the close family ties of the spouses. Louis simply did not like Maria Theresa, but dutifully agreed to a marriage that was of great political importance. The wife bore the king six children, but five of them died in childhood. Only the first-born survived, named, like his father, Louis and went down in history under the name of the Great Dauphin.

33. For the sake of marriage, Louis broke off relations with the woman he really loved - the niece of Cardinal Mazarin. Perhaps parting with his beloved also influenced the attitude of the king towards his lawful wife. Maria Theresa resigned herself to her fate. Unlike other French queens, she did not intrigue and did not get into politics, playing a prescribed role. When the queen died in 1683, Louis said: "This is the only worry in life that she has caused me."

Louise - Francoise de Lavaliere

34. The king compensated for the lack of feelings in marriage by relations with favorites. Louise-Francoise de La Baume Le Blanc, Duchess de La Vallière, became Louise-Francoise de La Baume Le Blanc, for nine years. Louise was not distinguished by dazzling beauty, besides, due to an unsuccessful fall from a horse, she remained lame for life. But the meekness, friendliness and sharp mind of Limps attracted the attention of the king.

35. Louise bore Louis four children, two of whom survived to adulthood. The king treated Louise quite cruelly. Becoming cool to her, he settled the rejected mistress next to the new favorite - the Marquise Francoise Athenais de Montespan. The heroine de Lavaliere was forced to endure the bullying of her rival. She endured everything with her usual meekness, and in 1675 she took the veil as a nun and lived for many years in a monastery, where she was called Louise the Merciful.

Françoise Athenais Montespan

36. In the mistress before Montespan there was not even a shadow of the meekness of her predecessor. The representative of one of the most ancient noble families of France, Francoise not only became the official favorite, but for 10 years she turned into the “true Queen of France”.

37. Francoise loved luxury and did not like to count money. It was the Marquise de Montespan who turned the reign of Louis XIV from deliberate budgeting to unbridled and unlimited spending. Capricious, envious, imperious and ambitious Francoise knew how to subordinate the king to her will. New apartments were built for her in Versailles, she managed to arrange all her close relatives for significant government posts.

38. Francoise de Montespan bore Louis seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood. But the relationship between Françoise and the king was not as faithful as with Louise. Louis allowed himself hobbies in addition to the official favorite, which angered Madame de Montespan. To keep the king to herself, she became involved in black magic and even got involved in a high-profile case of poisoning. The king did not punish her with death, but deprived her of the status of a favorite, which was much more terrible for her. Like her predecessor, Louise le Lavaliere, the Marquise de Montespan changed her royal quarters to a convent.

39. The new favorite of Louis was the Marquise de Maintenon, the widow of the poet Scarron, who was the governess of the king's children from Madame de Montespan. This favorite of the king was called the same as her predecessor, Francoise, but the women differed from each other, like heaven and earth. The king had long conversations with the Marquise de Maintenon about the meaning of life, about religion, about responsibility before God. The royal court changed its luster to chastity and high morality.

40. After the death of his official wife, Louis XIV was married in secret to the Marquise de Maintenon. Now the king was occupied not with balls and festivities, but with masses and reading the Bible. The only entertainment he allowed himself was hunting.

Marquise de Maintenon

41. The Marquise de Maintenon founded and directed the first secular school for women in Europe, called the Royal House of Saint Louis. The school in Saint-Cyr has become an example for many such institutions, including the Smolny Institute in St. Petersburg. For her strict disposition and intolerance for secular entertainment, the Marquise de Maintenon was nicknamed the Black Queen. She survived Louis and after his death retired to Saint-Cyr, living the rest of her days in the circle of pupils of her school.

42. Louis XIV recognized his illegitimate children from both Louise de La Vallière and Francoise de Montespan. All of them received their father's surname - de Bourbon, and dad tried to arrange their lives.

43. Ludovic, the son of Louise, was promoted to French admiral at the age of two, and having matured, went on a military campaign with his father. There, at the age of 16, the young man died.

44. Louis-Auguste, the son of Francoise, received the title of Duke of Maine, became a French commander and, in this capacity, accepted Abram Petrovich Hannibal, godson of Peter I and great-grandfather of Alexander Pushkin, for military training.

45. Francoise-Marie, the youngest daughter of Louis, was married to Philip of Orleans, becoming the Duchess of Orleans. Possessing the character of a mother, Françoise-Marie plunged headlong into political intrigues. Her husband became the French regent under the infant king Louis XV, and the children of Francoise-Marie married the offspring of other royal dynasties in Europe. In a word, not many illegitimate children of ruling persons got such a fate, which fell to the lot of the sons and daughters of Louis XIV.

46. ​​The last years of the king's life turned out to be a difficult test for him. The man who all his life defended the choice of God of the monarch and his right to autocratic rule, experienced not only the crisis of his state. His close people left one by one, and it turned out that there was simply no one to transfer power to.

On April 13, 1711, his son, the Grand Dauphin Louis, died. In February 1712, the eldest son of the Dauphin, the Duke of Burgundy, died, and on March 8 of the same year, the eldest son of the latter, the young Duke of Brittany. March 4, 1714 fell from a horse and a few days later died the younger brother of the Duke of Burgundy, the Duke of Berry. The only heir was the 4-year-old great-grandson of the king, the youngest son of the Duke of Burgundy. If this baby had died, the throne after the death of Louis would have remained vacant. This forced the king to add even his illegitimate sons to the list of heirs, which promised internal strife in France in the future.

48. When the French, along with their British competitors, were mastering the newly discovered America with might and main, Rene-Robert Cavelier de la Salle staked out land on the Mississippi River in 1682, naming them Louisiana, precisely in honor of Louis XIV. True, then France sold them.

49. Louis XIV built the most majestic palace in Europe. Versailles was born from a small hunting estate and became a real royal palace, causing the envy of many monarchs. Versailles had 2,300 rooms, 189,000 square meters, a park on 800 hectares of land, 200,000 trees and 50 fountains.

50. At the age of 76, Louis remained active, active and, as in his youth, regularly went hunting. During one of these trips, the king fell and injured his leg. Doctors found that the injury had provoked gangrene and suggested amputation. The Sun King refused: it is unacceptable for royal dignity. The disease progressed rapidly, and soon the agony began, stretching for several days. At the moment of clearing his mind, Louis looked around those present and uttered his last aphorism: - Why are you crying? Did you think that I would live forever? On September 1, 1715, at about 8 o'clock in the morning, Louis XIV died in his palace in Versailles, four days before his 77th birthday. France said goodbye to the great monarch. There was a growing threat from the growing strength of Britain.

Louis XIV de Bourbon, also known as the "Sun King", also Louis the Great, (born September 5, 1638, death September 1, 1715) - King of France and Navarre since May 14, 1643.

Not every European monarch could say about himself: "The state is me." However, these words rightfully refer to Louis XIV, whose reign was the period of the highest flowering of absolutism in France.

Childhood and early years

The Sun King, the luxury of whose court overshadowed all the august courts of Europe, the son of Louis XIII and Anna of Austria. The boy was 5 years old when, after the death of his father, he inherited the throne of France and Navarre. But at that time, the dowager queen became the sole ruler of the country, contrary to the will of her husband, which provided for the creation of a regency council.

But in reality, power was concentrated in the hands of her favorite, Cardinal Mazarin, an extremely unpopular man, even despised by all sections of society, hypocritical and treacherous, who was characterized by insatiable money-grubbing. It was he who became the tutor of the young sovereign.

The cardinal taught him the methods of conducting public affairs, diplomatic negotiations, and political psychology. He was able to instill in the student a taste for secrecy, a passion for fame, faith in his own infallibility. The young man became vindictive. He never forgot or forgave.

Louis XIV had a controversial character. He combined industriousness, determination and firmness in the implementation of his plans with unshakable stubbornness. Appreciating educated and talented people, in the meantime, he selected into his environment those who could not outshine him in anything. The king was characterized by extraordinary conceit and lust for power, selfishness and coldness, heartlessness and hypocrisy.

The characteristics given to the king by different people are contradictory. His contemporary Duke Saint-Simon noted: “Praise, let's say better - flattery, he liked it so much that he willingly accepted the rudest, and savored the lowest even more strongly. Only in this way it was possible to approach him ... Cunning, meanness, servility, humiliated posture, groveling ... - only in this way it was possible to please him.

As soon as a person deviated from this path even a little, there was no turning back. Voltaire considered him "a good father, a skilled ruler, always decent in public, industrious, impeccable in deeds, thinking, easy to speak, combining courtesy with dignity." And he said that Louis XIV “was a great king: it was he who elevated France to the rank of the first nations of Europe ... What French king from the time can be compared with Louis in all respects?”

Be that as it may, any of these characteristics fit Louis. He was a worthy student of Cardinal Mazarin.

The sovereign was well built, even graceful, had, despite all the "efforts" of the doctors, enviable health. The only disease that haunted him all his life was insatiable hunger. He ate day and night, swallowing food in large chunks. Physically, the monarch remained strong enough even in old age: he rode, drove a carriage with four horses, and accurately shot on the hunt.

Rise to power

Since childhood, since 1648, the king was faced with the performances of the Fronde (nobility), directed both personally against Mazarin and against the strengthening of absolutism. These performances resulted in a civil war. But in 1661, Louis was officially proclaimed an adult. In his short speech in parliament, he said: “Gentlemen, I have come to my parliament to declare to you that, according to the law of my state, I myself take the government into my own hands ...”

Now, any speeches against the cardinal could be considered as treason or as a crime against His Majesty, because Mazarin had only the appearance of power left: now only Louis XIV signed laws, made decisions, appointed ministers. At this time, he, with satisfaction accepting the activities of the Prime Minister in the field of foreign policy, diplomacy and military affairs, expressed dissatisfaction with the situation in domestic politics, finance, and administration.

Reign of Louis XIV

Cardinal Mazarin

After the death of the cardinal in 1661, the king declared at a meeting of the state council: “I have gathered you with my ministers and secretaries of state to tell you ... the time has come for me to govern myself. You will help me with your advice when I ask you to." And when the council was dissolved, he added that he would “convene them when it is necessary to know their opinion.” However, the State Council never met again.

Louis XIV created a government completely controlled by him, consisting of three people: the chancellor, the general controller of finances and the secretary of state for foreign affairs. Now even his mother could not influence his decision. In France, a system began to take shape, which in the 20th century would be called administrative. The monarch received the right, based on the interests of the public good, to go beyond the limits of power prescribed to him: the powers of parliament were limited: he was deprived of the opportunity to influence the course of state affairs, to make even minor amendments to royal ordinances and legislative acts.

Disobedience and freethinking of citizens were severely punished: the death penalty, life imprisonment, hard labor, galleys. At the same time, a certain semblance of democracy was preserved. From time to time there were open investigations. This is the case of the abuses of the Minister of Finance Fouquet, and the case of poisoning, in which a number of courtiers and even titled persons were held accountable. Introduced income tax, mandatory for the nobility. Millions of sums were invested in the development of manufactories and trade, which greatly contributed to the improvement of the economic situation of France and helped to restore the fleet and create the largest army in Europe.

Foreign policy

The foreign policy of the king was a continuation of the policy of Mazarin and his predecessor: “Whoever has power has the right in the affairs of the state,” Richelieu pointed out in his will, “and he who is weak can hardly remove himself from among the wrong in the eyes of the majority ". Significant military forces were created that were supposed to serve the glory and power of the dynasty, because the central problem at that time was the struggle against domination in Europe at home and for the establishment of Bourbon hegemony.

This began with Louis' claims to the Spanish inheritance, to the throne of Spain, which the Spanish infanta renounced when she married the French king. France put forward claims to all the Spanish Netherlands, to a number of German lands. The confrontation with England, which formed an anti-French coalition, intensified. Although Louis XIV was unable to establish hegemony in Europe, he left the state better protected than he inherited: the Bourbons owned Spain and the colonies, the eastern border was strengthened. His armies fought on the territory of the Holy Roman Empire, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, America.

Domestic politics

Incessant wars devastated the treasury, a financial crisis threatened, and for several years in a row there were poor harvests. All this led to unrest in the city and countryside, food riots. The government resorted to brutal repression. In a number of cities, entire streets and even districts were demolished.

Terror against the Huguenots intensified: they began to expel Protestant pastors, destroy Protestant churches, banned the Huguenots from leaving the country, Catholic baptism and marriage became mandatory. All this led to the fact that many French Protestants renounced their faith, but the goal of the king to restore the Catholic faith was not achieved. Protestantism went underground, and at the beginning of the 18th century there was a Huguenot uprising, which in a number of places took on the scale of a civil war. It was only in 1760 that regular troops were able to suppress it.

Royal court of Louis XIV

A heavy burden on the finances of the state was not only constant wars, but also the maintenance of the royal court, numbering about 20 thousand people. At the court, festive performances, theatrical and musical performances were constantly organized, which remained in the memory of posterity for a long time.

But the monarch was engaged not only in entertainment, but also in the affairs of his subjects: on Mondays, in the premises of the royal guard, on a large table, petitioners folded their letters, which were then sorted by secretaries and transmitted with a corresponding report to the king. He personally made decisions in each case. This is what Louis did in all his affairs. “France is a monarchy,” he wrote, “the king represents the whole nation in it, and before the king everyone is only a private person. Therefore, all power, all power is concentrated in the hands of the king, and in the kingdom there can be no other power than that established by him.

At the same time, the court of Louis XIV was distinguished by a variety of vices and perversions. The courtiers were addicted to gambling to such an extent that they lost estates, fortunes, and even life itself. Drunkenness, homosexuality, and lesbianism flourished. Holiday spending was frequent and ruinous. So, only Marshal Buffle, commander of the troops, contained 72 cooks and 340 servants. Meat, game, fish, even drinking water were brought to him from various parts of the country, even from abroad.

Maria Theresa (wife of Louis XIV)

Against this background, Louis preferred to emphasize his modesty. He wore a cloth or satin camisole, mostly brown. Jewels adorned only the buckles of shoes, garters and a hat. On solemn occasions, the monarch wore a long blue sash with precious stones worth up to 10 million livres under the caftan.

For a long time, the king did not have a permanent residence. He lived and worked in the Louvre and the Tuileries in Paris, then in the Chambord Palace, 165 km from the capital, then in the Saint-Germain Palace, then in Vincennes, then in Fontainebleau. In this regard, Louis XIV and his court often traveled around, carrying furniture, carpets, linen, and dishes in many kilometers of carts.

Only in 1682 did they move to the still unfinished Palace of Versailles, which eventually became one of the wonders of French and world culture and cost 60 million livres. With its construction, the king, who in 1662 chose the sun as his emblem, wanted to express his greatness. The palace had 1252 rooms with fireplaces and 600 without them. Next to the royal bedroom was the Great Gallery, or gallery of mirrors, 75 meters long and 10 meters wide, with 17 windows and a panel of 400 mirrors. There, on solemn days, 3,000 candles burned. Only in the 90s. life from Versailles began to move to Paris, aided by economic and financial difficulties and, in no small measure, by the influence of Madame de Maintenon.

King's personal life

Despite the ease of morals of the royal court, the king, a pious man, did not encourage debauchery, although he had many fleeting relationships and even long attachments that lasted for years. He visited his wife Maria Theresa every night; none of the favorites could influence his political decisions. The exact number of love affairs of the monarch is shrouded in mystery. He had his first deep relationship with Maria Mancini, Mazarin's niece, back in 1658, he even wanted to marry her.

But under pressure from the cardinal and his mother, in 1660, for political reasons, he married a Spanish princess from the house of Habsburg, his cousin Maria Theresa, a very plain and unpretentious girl, who quickly reconciled herself to her husband's love affairs. From this marriage several children were born, but only one survived, the heir, who received the right only to attend meetings of the royal council.

And the official favorites of the king in the 60s. there were the Duchess de Lavaliere, who bore him 4 children, of whom two survived, and the Marquise de Montespan, who bore the king 8 children, of which 4 survived. The king legitimized all his children, spared nothing for them, especially since he took from the state treasury. So, to an illegitimate daughter who was getting married, he gave a million livres in cash, jewelry worth 300,000 livres, an annual pension of 100,000 livres; he monthly paid for his son's entertainment - 50 thousand livres, thousands of card losses, both his own and his wife and mistresses.

From the beginning of the 80s. a new favorite appeared at the court - the Marquise de Maintenon, a smart and pious woman, who at one time raised the illegitimate children of the monarch. She had apartments in Versailles adjoining the royal chambers. After the death of Maria Theresa in 1683, a secret marriage took place between Louis XIV and Madame Maintenon, who was 3 years older than her husband.

Death of Louis XIV

Time passed, the king grew old, people close to him died. In 1711–1712 one by one, a son, a grandson and a great-grandson passed away. This endangered the dynasty itself. And then the sovereign went to violate the "Salic law" - the law of succession to the throne. By order of 1714, his children born from a relationship with the Marquise de Montespan were allowed to succeed to the throne. In August 1715, the king fell ill, his condition worsened, gangrene began. On September 1, Louis XIV died.

Although he left the country with upset finances and never achieved hegemony over other European states, nevertheless, France was able to play a paramount political role in Europe.

Louis had a pleasant, endearing appearance and courtly charm. In dealing with courtiers, ministers, diplomats, he always looked very restrained and showed amazing politeness, in which, depending on the rank, age and merits of his counterpart, there were many shades.

He clearly, freely and clearly expressed his thoughts. In addition, he had an excellent memory, which was very useful to him, for example, in meetings of the "Conseil d'En Haut", the politically most important section of the royal council, as well as in numerous discussions with ministers. His behavior in society was prudent, tactful, and eminently moderate. However, these characteristic virtues of the king in the fourth or fifth decade of his life, if not completely disappeared, were nevertheless significantly suppressed by his conviction in his own political infallibility. The manifestation of obvious egocentrism also belonged to the negative traits of his character. If, for example, Colbert opened a manufactory, then the “sun king” (from 1662 Louis XIV used the sun as his emblem) believed that this initiative came from him. He tried to impress it on everyone. Humility was certainly not his forte. At least, this applies to 1690-1695, when he began to greatly exaggerate his merits.

Louis XIV ruled with unusual professionalism. This professionalism was based on natural abilities and on the practical experience that Mazarin was able to convey to him, purposefully involving him in meetings and meetings of the royal council, as well as numerous trips around the country.

The much-quoted saying "Accuracy is the courtesy of kings" applies especially to Louis XIV. He was always punctual, listened attentively and did not get tired at the longest meetings. He had an exceptionally developed sense of duty. Along with the busy court life, the king devoted from 5 to 10 hours a day, and later more, to intensive work at the desk and at conferences. He was interested in the details of the ongoing processes and could always identify the essential and main directions of development. In this he was helped by his political instinct and ability to quickly perceive. However, he was not very strong in putting forward his own constructive ideas. Hence it is clear that in the field of domestic and foreign policy he followed a long-term program, a kind of "Grand Plan" (grand dessein). Louis XIV showed himself as a pragmatist who used current political events in the interests of the crown and state. At the same time, he never waited, but tried to create a favorable situation for France, to nip anti-French coalitions in the bud or, if this was not possible, to crush them with preventive military actions. He was always firm in matters of dignity, etiquette and ceremonial.

All researchers are unanimous in the fact that the king was very partial to fame. The leitmotif in his "Memoirs" and other documents are such concepts as "my rank, my glory, my greatness, my reputation." Personal glory, personal dignity for Louis XIV were closely connected with the power and well-being of the state. But the interests of the state have always been above the interests of the king. This is how his statement should be understood: “The interests of the state have priority ... Bearing in mind the state, they act for themselves. The well-being of one is the glory of another." Although it cannot be denied that Louis XIV had a tendency to equate his reputation and his interests with those of the state, yet - as this quotation shows - he was quite capable of seeing the difference between his person and the state. He emphasized this difference again on his deathbed: "I am leaving, but the state will always remain."

Louis XIV was more a man of action than of abstract ideas. Nevertheless, in solving state issues, he always adhered to several general principles. These were his deeply felt responsibility for his actions before God, his high opinion of his duties as king, and his determination to always consider the interests of the state. It has already been noted how much importance he attached to his personal authority and the reputation of the state among his contemporaries and descendants. But such views were characteristic not only of Louis XIV. They were widespread while outside as well as in France itself.

The king was actively involved in court life. He was an excellent rider and loved to hunt.

As a gentleman, he was figurative. He willingly danced, appreciated the theater and court holidays, But he lacked the dignity of a soldier and military leader, although in situations associated with a danger to his personality, he showed remarkable fearlessness.

Louis XIV had a good, healthy constitution, coupled with exceptional willpower. With stoic composure, he endured intense pain, moments even mortal dangers. This character trait manifested itself even in childhood, when in November 1647 he fell ill with chickenpox and for some time was even under the threat of death. With amazing endurance he endured the treatment, when he was repeatedly opened the blood. According to numerous contemporaries, he reached old age thanks to his powerful body, and not the art of doctors, who could finish off a weaker person with life-threatening methods of treatment.

Versailles is considered a model of the court and court culture. Louis XIV made a significant contribution to the creation of the myth of Versailles. This resulted in some distortion of reality. To avoid such misunderstandings, it must be constantly remembered that almost half a century of the personal reign of the king was not uniform. And under Louis XIV, the court at first did not have a permanent seat: Fontainebleau (1661, 1679), the Louvre (1662-1666) and the Tuileries (1666-1671) in Paris, where he spent the winter, Saint-Germain-au-Laye (1666-1673 , 1676, 1678-1681) and Versailles (1674, 1675, 1677), which from 1682 became the permanent seat of the court and government. In addition, the court had previously been in Chambord on the Loire and in Vincennes. It is noteworthy that between April 1682 and the day of his death, Louis XIV was in Paris a total of 16 times with short visits.

Relatively frequent until 1682, the change of the seat of the court was associated with high costs. Everything that was necessary for the court and made its life comfortable was transferred from one palace to another: furniture, linen, carpets, lamps, tableware, kitchen utensils, etc. Until 1682, Louis was most often in the New Palace of Saint-Germain-au-Laye, which belonged to Henry IV, where his grandson was born. Here he ordered the construction of a magnificent terrace 2.5 km long, from which an unobstructed view of the surrounding landscape opened. On his instructions, and Chambord, Vincennes, Fontainebleau, Saint-Germain-au-Laye, the Louvre and the Tuileries were made significant improvements.

The restructuring and changes of the hunting palace in Versailles left from Louis XIII, Louis XIV began already in 1661. It took more than 5 decades until the magnificent palace was ready in its main parts. Since the beginning of his reign in 1661, the king has been there perhaps 20 times. The first changes began shortly after Mazarin's death and were more about the parklands than the palace. The famous creator of parks, André le Notre (1613 - 1700), from 1658 was appointed "inspector general of buildings and parks of the king."

Large reconstruction works or new buildings began to take shape only in the second half of the 60s and were under the direct and constant control of the king. In this he was supported by the most significant and influential minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619 - 1683). Responsible for the construction work in the palace was the famous Louis de Vaux (1612-1670). Charles le Brun (1619 - 1690), who commanded a whole army of artists, plasterers, carpet makers, and sculptors of Versailles, directed numerous works on decoration and interior design. Even in 1685, when the court had been in Versailles for a long time (since 1682), about 36,000 workers and 6,000 horses were still employed in the huge palace complex.

The construction of the ensemble cost about 77 million livres. Between 1661 and 1683 expenses for the court and royal palaces accounted for 12 - 14% of all public expenditures (from 10 to 15 million livres per year). Until 1684, about 30 million were spent on Versailles, Louvre - 10, destroyed during the revolution of 1789 Marly - 7, Saint-Germain-au-Laye - 5 and laid in the northwestern part of the Versailles Park "porcelain Trianon" - 3 million livres. On average, expenses for Versailles from 1678 to 1682 amounted to 3,853,000 livres per year, and in 1685 - more than 8 million. Without a doubt, the construction of the palace complex in Versailles absorbed unimaginable sums. And yet, with a glimpse into the past, it can be seen as a cost-effective investment. Unique in its proportions, combining the play of all the arts, reflecting the culture of a unique era, Versailles has an impact through the centuries.

While in Germany the flowering of court life occurred either before or simultaneously with the transition from a patriarchal state to an absolute monarchy, in France this structural transition had already been completed by the time of Louis XIV's accession to the throne. Therefore, the court policy of the "Sun King" basically had the task of not only strengthening these conquests, but also expanding them, giving the necessary splendor. From this point of view, the court served the king as an instrument of control over a powerful and influential part of the nobility, the “great” countries, who could mobilize significant forces in their provinces. This high nobility was attracted to the court by various methods, including the distribution of profitable places of income and pepsin, where, given the high costs of representation and the way of life corresponding to their rank, they were more and more dependent on the king.

Madame de Maintenon (1635 - 1719) in 1678 estimated the minimum amount needed for a childless nobleman with 12 servants to live in Versailles at 12,000 livres a year. Only a small part of the nobility could spend such sums for a long time. Thus, the court also had the task of including the highest nobility as much as possible in the sphere of influence of the king, tying it to the personality of the king through etiquette, court life and the control resulting from them.

The royal court and the palaces at its disposal, especially Versailles as the main residence, served to a large extent to demonstrate the greatness, power and reputation of the king and the monarchy to the whole world. Versailles with the park ensemble and the canals laid through it under Louis XIV in all its details was designed for the impression it made. For example, the famous "ladder of ambassadors" in the palace, which led to the front chambers. It was made of multi-colored precious marble, and its frescoes depicted representatives of all the peoples of the world. This staircase led to the majestic bust of the king.

Finally, the king decided to gather around him the best artists, architects, artists, poets, musicians and writers of France, and not just court society. At the same time, Louis XIV pursued the goal of influencing all the art of France, directing it and using it in the interests of his policy. In this aspect, one should consider the commission given to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to organize the encouragement of representatives of literature, arts and science and use them to glorify the absolutism of Louis. The French Academy, which existed since 1635, founded by Colbert in 1663, was supposed to serve this purpose. 1666 Academy of Sciences, founded in 1671 by the Academy of Architecture, and also opened in 1672 by the Royal Academy of Music.

From 1683 to 1690 there were gradual changes in the specific meaning and external impact of the court. To a superficial contemporary observer, the transformation of Versailles in 1682 into the permanent residence of the court seemed to be a continuation and culminating point of the trend of the past decades. But Versailles gradually turned into a deceptive, external facade, because the courtyard began to be more and more fenced off from the outside world. Fewer and fewer impulses came from Versailles to the outside world; it ceased to set the tone. After 1690, the patronage of the king practically no longer mattered. Life left Versailles to move to Paris and provincial towns. The reasons for the changes were financial difficulties due to wars and economic problems, the aging of the king and not least the growing influence of Madame de Maintenon.

The daily life of the king proceeded mainly in public, among a large court staff, numbering about 20 thousand people. Visitors, curious people and a large number of petitioners mixed in with the noble court society in the vast castle premises. In principle, every subject could exercise the right to submit a petition to the king. From 1661, Louis XIV encouraged this practice. The monarch saw this as an opportunity to get to know the immediate concerns and needs of his subjects. Later, at Versailles, every Monday and in the premises of the royal guard, a large table was set up on which petitioners put their letters. Until 1685, the Marquis de Louvois (1641-1691), secretary of state for military affairs and minister (since 1672) was responsible for the further passage of these petitions. They were processed by secretaries of state and, provided with a corresponding report, were transferred to the king, who made a decision on each case personally.

Great festive performances, theatrical and musical performances were organized at the court, but there were many other opportunities for entertainment. Along with the great magnificently staged festive performances, the “Great Carousel” in the Tuileries in June 1662, arranged in the gardens of Versailles in the spring of 1664, a multi-day court festival “Fun of the Enchanted Island”, “Great Divertissement” remained in the memory of the court society, noble families of Paris and posterity » 1668, as well as the «Versailles Divertissement» of July and August 1674. The increase in the number of courtiers participating in these festivities makes it possible to clearly see the growing attractiveness of the court. If in 1664 only about 600 “courtesans” were present at the “Fun of the Enchanted Island” festival, then 4 years later there were already more than 1500 of them at the festivities on the occasion of the conclusion of the Peace of Aachen (by the way, Molière’s comedy “Georges Danden” was presented). In 1680, about 3,000 nobles lived in Versailles as long-term guests. The influx of nobles, as well as the growing number of court staff and servants, made it necessary to expand the city of Versailles, officially founded in 1671.

The king caused timidity in those who could only observe him from a distance and therefore knew him poorly. But if this barrier was overcome, then an amiable monarch appeared before the interlocutors, possessing in the highest degree not only tact, but also humor. Despite all the boundaries established by etiquette, Louis XIV tried not to lose friendly relations. He maintained such relations, for example, with Mazarin, Colbert, Louvois, the Duke of Saint-Aignan (1607 - 1687), with his ministers, "the first valets", as well as the "chief quartermaster of the king's music" Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687 ), who, as they said, could afford almost everything, and with the famous comedian Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, nicknamed Molière (1622-1673), etc.

Long-term close relationship with Colbert was based primarily on the unlimited trust that Louis XIV had in him. The minister constantly proved his modesty and devotion, that he was worthy of trust. He showed himself to be a faithful servant of the king, not only in the performance of political and administrative functions, but also in special cases relating to the personal life of the king. So, it is known that every time Mademoiselle de la Vallière (1644 - 1710), the king's maitre, was about to give birth, he made all the necessary preparations. First of all, he made sure that only reliable people were involved in the participation, so that nothing would become known to the public. Later, when La Vallière fell out of favor with the king and the Marquise de Montespan (1641-1707) took her place, Colbert's wife took care of the upbringing of La Vallière's children, while Colbert himself again had to assume the role of trusted king in matters with Montespan. Through him there was a correspondence of the king and temporary metres.

The complication of relations between the king and Colbert was due to the growing rivalry between the comptroller general of finances and Louvois, which eventually escalated into open tension between the two ministers. That Louis XIV could quickly fall out of favor is shown by the example of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Simon Arnold, Marquis de Pomponnay (1618-1699), who was abruptly dismissed in November 1679. Colbert and Louvois also played their role here. The king accused Pomponnet of weakness and too much compliance shown during the peace negotiations at Pimwegen (1678/79).

The way of life of the king and his dealings with the metresses were sharply criticized by respected clerics, sometimes even in the presence of the whole court. In his memoirs, Louis XIV admitted to the Dauphin that by doing so he set a bad example that should not be followed. First of all, the king warned the Dauphin against abandoning the affairs of state because of love stories. The king must in no case allow his master to influence him in political decisions. Otherwise, in such matters, the king should exercise as much restraint as possible. Louis XIV adhered to this in all his love affairs between 1661 and 1683. So, for example, while Queen Maria Theresa (1638 - 1683) was alive, he visited her every night.

The exact number of love stories of the king is a mystery. The most famous of his novels is with the unmarried Louise-Françoise de la Baume le Blanc, later the Duchess de la Vallière (1644 - 1710) and with the married Francoise-Athenais de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan (1641 - 1701). The fruit of a relationship with la Vallière, which probably lasted from 1661 to 1667, was four children, of whom two survived. Mademoiselle de Blois was legally legitimized by the fact that her mother received the title of Duchess of La Vallière. In January 1680, Louis Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti (1661 - 1709) married her. The son, Louis de Bourbon, Count of Vermandois (1667 - 1683) was legitimized in February 1669 and in November of the same year he was awarded the rank of Admiral of France.

Marquise de Montespan from 1667 to 1681 gave the king eight children, of whom four reached adulthood. Louis-August de Bourbon, duc de Megnes (1670 - 1736) was legitimized in December 1673. Shortly thereafter, he received high military knowledge. His sister Louise-Françoise de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Nantes, born in 1673 and legitimized, married Louis III, Duke of Bourbon-Conde in 1685. Her sister, born in 1677 and legalized in 1681, Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, named, like her half-sister, Mademoiselle de Blois, in February 1692 married Philip II, Duke of Orleans (1674 - 1723) , later regent. The last child from this relationship, Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Count of Toulouse (1676 - 1737), legitimized in 1681, two years later received the title of Admiral of France, and in 1694 - Duke and peer of Damville. As these facts show, Louis XIV showed great paternal care for his illegitimate children.