Louis XIV

LOUIS XIVAbsolute Monarch of

France

RISE TO POWER Louis XIV came to the throne in 1643 at

the age of four Gained supreme control in 1661 at the

age of 23

HOW HE HELD ABSOLUTE POWER Believed in the

Divine Right of Kings

Fostered the myth of himself as the Sun KingSource of light for all

of his people Created a

centralized governmentKing oversaw

everything

CENTRALIZED GOVERNMENT Louis removed nobles and princes from

the royal councilKept them busy with entertainment and out

of politicsAs a result, Louis had complete authority

over Foreign Policy Religion Taxes

CENTRALIZED GOVERNMENT

VersaillesThe king’s palaceMoved the court here from ParisServed three major purposes

Personal household of the king Offices of the state were located here Place where powerful subjects came

Life at Versailles Carefully staged Complex etiquette Lots of entertainment

Hunting, boating trips, plays, ballets, concerts etc.

Technical details

Floor area 67,000 m2

Number of windows 2,153

Number of rooms 2,300 

Staircases 67

Paintings in the museum’s collection

6,123

Drawings in museum’s collection

1,500

Engravings in museum’s collection

15,034

Sculptures in museum’s collection

2,102

Pieces of furniture and objets d’art

5,210

ECONOMY AND WAR King Louis spent A LOT of money

Building palacesMaintaining his courtGoing to war

WarDeveloped a standing army numbering

400,000 Waged 4 wars between 1617 and 1713

LEGACY Died in 1715, at the

age of 76He ruled for 72 years,

longer than any other known European monarch

Left France with great debts

Gained many enemies through war

Versailles