The palace's water supply was so limited that whistle-blowers signaled when King Louis XIV approached, prompting gardeners to turn on the fountains just for him.

This classic French formal style used strict symmetry and geometric shapes to symbolize King Louis XIV's absolute power and control over the natural world.

Orange trees were a rare luxury in 17th-century France, so the structure was built with massive stone walls to keep over a thousand potted trees warm.

The mile-long body of water was maintained by a crew of sailors in a designated area called Little Venice, who operated scaled-down warships for royal entertainment.