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Vindication of the Fronde? The cost of Louis XIV's Versailles building programme

2007/05/15 by Richard Bonney · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · Engineering · #Historical Art and Culture Studies #Historical Influence and Diplomacy #Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis #Navy #Criticism #Work (physics) #Political science #Economic history #History #Engineering #Law

paper · doi:10.1093/fh/crm004

openalex publication_date 2007/05/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

In the years after 1661, Louis XIV went some way to meeting public criticism raised during the Fronde. Yet the king refused to concede the reduction of taxation. Instead, resources were appropriated for a large land army and a navy, as well as for the royal buildings programme. Though expensive, the Versailles project was affordable in years of peace. Expenditure on the château of Versailles never amounted to more than 6 per cent of annual total expenditure, while in most years the cost did not exceed 1 per cent. The ambitious exterior work for the project put up the overall costs of the project from 67 to 92 million livres.

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