Château de Bercy

The Château de Bercy once stood here as a sprawling symbol of French aristocratic power, designed to rival the grandeur of Versailles. Construction began in sixteen fifty-eight under the direction of architect François Le Vau, the younger brother of the man who famously shaped the look of the Sun King’s royal residence. At its peak, the estate featured magnificent gardens laid out by the legendary André Le Nôtre, which stretched in terraces all the way to the banks of the Seine.