1 00:00:03,819 --> 00:00:09,019 the palace of versailles in france is home to some of the most spectacular architecture 2 00:00:09,019 --> 00:00:15,660 gardens and art in the world it is a lasting symbol of louis xiv the king who lived there 3 00:00:15,660 --> 00:00:26,609 and ruled his country for over 72 years louis xiv ascended to the throne in 1643 at the age of five 4 00:00:27,329 --> 00:00:33,490 because louis was too young to rule his mother anne of austria was named regent to rule in his 5 00:00:33,490 --> 00:00:38,929 name. She requested that his father's chief minister, Cardinal Jules Mazarin, remain in 6 00:00:38,929 --> 00:00:45,490 charge of the country. It was a time of unrest in France as the monarchy sought to centralize 7 00:00:45,490 --> 00:00:52,450 its power at the expense of the noble class, leading to a series of civil wars between 1648 8 00:00:52,450 --> 00:01:00,609 and 1653 called the Fronde. After Mazarin died in 1661, Louis chose to rule alone and further 9 00:01:00,609 --> 00:01:06,390 consolidate his power. Louis believed in the divine right of kings, that the king's right to 10 00:01:06,390 --> 00:01:11,870 rule came directly from God and could not be bound by the will of the people, the aristocracy, 11 00:01:12,209 --> 00:01:18,569 and in some cases the church itself. He was influenced by the writings of his childhood 12 00:01:18,569 --> 00:01:25,750 tutor, Bishop Jacques Bossuet. Bossuet wrote of kings, he is a public personage, all the state 13 00:01:25,750 --> 00:01:32,129 is in him, the will of all the people is included in him. As all perfection and all strength are 14 00:01:32,129 --> 00:01:38,049 united in God, so all the power of individuals is united in the person of the prince. 15 00:01:39,709 --> 00:01:42,609 Louis conveyed this concept with this simple phrase, 16 00:01:43,030 --> 00:01:49,189 l'état c'est moi, translated as, the state is me. To cement his absolute power, 17 00:01:49,510 --> 00:01:55,170 Louis transformed Versailles, a hunting lodge outside of Paris, into an immense palace of 18 00:01:55,170 --> 00:02:02,189 great opulence that would become a center for art and culture. In 1682, he ordered the court 19 00:02:02,189 --> 00:02:07,010 and the government to move to Versailles permanently and made it a home for thousands 20 00:02:07,010 --> 00:02:12,849 of nobles and officials. At Versailles, Louis used a series of tightly controlled rituals 21 00:02:12,849 --> 00:02:18,590 and ceremonies to keep the nobles vying for his favor instead of battling him for power. 22 00:02:19,210 --> 00:02:24,710 He also had them spend a significant amount of time every year at Versailles to prevent them 23 00:02:24,710 --> 00:02:27,789 from developing their own regional power. 24 00:02:27,789 --> 00:02:30,409 Louis referred to himself as the Sun King 25 00:02:30,409 --> 00:02:33,330 because he believed his subjects revolved around him 26 00:02:33,330 --> 00:02:36,330 the same way the planets revolved around the sun. 27 00:02:37,949 --> 00:02:41,069 Louis XIV placed tariffs on imported goods, 28 00:02:41,069 --> 00:02:43,870 fostered overseas colonies, and regulated trade. 29 00:02:43,870 --> 00:02:45,229 Under his leadership, 30 00:02:45,229 --> 00:02:48,110 France became the richest nation in Europe. 31 00:02:48,110 --> 00:02:50,169 Foreign dignitaries who visited Versailles 32 00:02:50,169 --> 00:02:51,610 were often intimidated, 33 00:02:51,610 --> 00:02:54,169 yet inspired by the tremendous display 34 00:02:54,169 --> 00:02:55,849 of wealth and power. 35 00:02:57,069 --> 00:02:59,610 During Louis' reign, France waged war 36 00:02:59,610 --> 00:03:01,770 against several European nations, 37 00:03:01,770 --> 00:03:05,919 running up tremendous debts. 38 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,580 Combined with the costs of maintaining Versailles, 39 00:03:08,580 --> 00:03:12,020 the economy was left on the brink of financial ruin. 40 00:03:12,020 --> 00:03:15,039 When Louis XIV died in 1715, 41 00:03:15,039 --> 00:03:17,919 his form of absolute rule had brought stability 42 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:21,139 to the nation, turning France into a world power 43 00:03:21,139 --> 00:03:23,740 and unleashing an era of art and culture 44 00:03:23,740 --> 00:03:25,639 that is still celebrated.