The palace began as a ‘modest’ hunting lodge, built by Louis XIII in 1623, and was transformed by the architect Jules Hardouin Mansart under the guidance of Louis XIII’s son, Louis XIV, into a grand palace complex surrounded by lavish gardens designed by André Le Nôtre. Louis XIV was so taken with the palace that by 1682 it had become the official residence of the court of France and a lavish statement of monarchical power.