Bassin d'Apollon

About

The basin of the Apollo tank or basin of Apollo is an artificial basin of the Palace of Versailles park and named after Apollo and its solar tank. It is located on the central axis of the park, in front of the Grand Canal.

History: The castle garden, developed by André Le Nôtre, was built to illustrate the solar myth of Apollo, and through this way the splendor of the Sun King. The Apollo Basin fountain is a central part of this garden. The Char du Soleil, the central group of the golden lead basin, was made in 1668-1671 by Jean-Baptiste Tuby, after a drawing by Le Brun. Apollo's tank emerges from the water, fired by four horses. The sculptor added to his feet Phaéton, fell from the chariot and around him in the basin, tritons blowing in their conques and dolphins. The group was manufactured in the Gobelins and then transported to Versailles in 1670. Several restorations have been carried out since the 18th century. The last major restoration dates back to 1923-1927 and smaller ones in 1955 and 1981. During the restoration of 1955, under the direction of architect Marc Saltet, structural treatment had been initiated and the damaged frames were replaced. More...