The Gardens of Versailles were created in the mid-to-late 1600s and contain hundreds of sculptures and 50 fountains. Right next to the Palace of Versailles itself is a small section of the gardens called Parterre du Nord, which includes two circular pools with Tritons and Nereids (mermaids), and another pool with the baroque Pyramid Fountain. map
The Gardens of Versailles – and indeed the Palace of Versailles and most of the entire estate – miraculously survived the French Revolution with only minor damage, and has been restored, maintained and preserved since the 1830s.
The Palace of Versailles and its gardens ( map ) are visited by millions of tourists every year. Covering more than 800 hectares (1975 acres, or 3 square miles), plan on spending at least a full day at Versailles to see the highlights.
Most of the sculptures in fountains have acquired a somewhat monotonous greenish-gray color, which you will see in some of the photos below. Many of the photos are color-enhanced to show details more clearly.
References:
● https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles
● https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens_of_Versailles
● The Mermaids of Earth coffee-table book: See page 61 in the book about these sculptures.
