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Louis XIV
The Days of Elegance
The term "splendid" is one that most English speaking people are
familiar with. To most of those people it has a meaning related to the
overall appearance or feeling of what ever is being described. Webster's
dictionary defines the term as: 1. magnificent and sumptuous. 2.
distinguished or glorious. Splendor is more that that. It is an adjective
that could be used to describe something so great and breath taking that
one is left awed.The word splendid is often associated with the palace of
Versailles, which was built Louis XIV. In the production of this grand
structure there was no cost spared. It became a symbol of France, and a
model by which all other palaces would be judged. Louis XIV received a
great deal of criticism from onlookers as he used the French equivalent to
millions of dollars to built this outstanding structure. There is still
some speculation as to whether or not this was a good investment. It has
been argued that the money could have gone to the poor or needy. The
palace of Versailles was controversial, but in high insight, it is clear
that Louis XIV made a sound decision in its erection.
As Louis XIV took the throne, he was faced with several problems. He
knew that he did not want to reside and rule in Paris, so against the will
of his advisors he chose a hunting chateau as the site of his new palace.
He also knew from history that the nobles of his domain had in the past
and would continue to cause trouble in the form of uprisings and other
conflicts. Louis XIV sought absolute power, and he knew that he would not
be able to obtain this if preoccupied by civil conflicts. His solution to
this problem was building Versailles and inviting all of the nobles to
reside there. This was a brilliant scheme to keep the nobles out of the
politics of the country. He preoccupied them with tasked normally
associated with chamber maids, thus allowing him to rule as an absolute
monarch. The splendor of the palace was a key factor in this plan because
with out it, the nobles would not have a willing to leave their homes and
move to Versailles.
The historical account, The Splendid Century , written by W.H. Lewis is
a very useful tool in understanding the life of Louis XIV. It tells of his
life, his goals, his motives, and the means by which he achieved those
goals. It is blatantly obvious that Louis XIV though a great monarch,
cared little for the common people of his country. Regardless of this, it
is almost a matter common knowledge that Louis XIV brought France to its
peak in terms of its respect and social status in the world. During his
reign France became the authority on all that was proper and elegant. All
of this seems trivial, but the fact is, it was very important to the
people of the upper class, and as always they were controlling the world.
There were several qualities that Louis XIV possessed that were found
undesirable by his common subjects. His tax system weighed most heavily on
the lower class, and they were often called to fight in all sorts of
different wars for the extension of the empire. It understandable that he
was popular among these people, but their opinion was really not
significant on the grand scheme of his plans for France. There is no
question that Louis XIV took France to an entire new level in the world
view. During his reign, the French empire grew vastly, and was greatly
respected. To this day, he remains a French hero, and is widely viewed as
the greatest monarch that ever lived. It is not because of his
accomplishments that these views are held, but rather his ability to play
the part of a great leader. All of this was possibly because of his
emphasis on materialistic splendor. He knew that by enticing his rivals
with riches, he then could control Europe.
When it is said that Louis XIV had an ability to play the part of a great
leader there is often misunderstanding. He was a powerful ruler, but more
importantly that , he took his role as king very seriously. He was known
to be a very handsome man with a well proportioned body. He believed
appearances and material goods were an important aspect of royality. He
allowed people to watch him and follow him at all times, and he made the
responsibilities of chamber maids into honors that certain nobles were
allowed to perform. He was always well dressed and concerned with his
appearance. In a sense he was a very superficial person, but he felt that
he was doing his regal duty. Louis XIV possessed a passion for the
splendor of the material world that led him to become the greatest leader
France has ever seen.
Word Count: 843
ADDITIONAL FEATURED ESSAYS
Marquise De Pompadour
Jeanne-Aintoinette Poisson was born in 1721 in Paris, France. She would go down in history not as Jeanne-Antoinette, but
Joe Louic
Joe Louis was born in Alabama on May 13, 1914. He was the son of an Alabama sharecropper, the great grandson of a slave,
Absolute Monarchs
During the middle of the seventeen century and early eighteen century, the system of central authority was established.
Abolute Monarchs
ABSOLUTE MONARCHS During the middle of the seventeen century and early eighteen century,
Ceasar Vs. Louis 16th
There have been many powerful leaders in history. Many of them share certain characteristics. Louis XIV was one of these
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