A masterpiece of French seventeenth-century art and architecture, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is the largest privately owned historic monument in France.

The man who commissioned it, Nicolas Fouquet, who was Louis XIV's Superintendent of Finances, surrounded himself with the most brilliant artists of his time - the architect Louis Le Vau, garden designer André Le Nôtre, and artist Charles Le Brun - to create a perfect fusion of architecture and landscape that would soon be celebrated as a model of the artistic genius of the Grand Siècle. Protected and restored by a succession of owners over the centuries, Vaux is now owned by the de Vogüé family, who are passionate in their pursuit of ambitious strategies for the conservation of this outstanding legacy.

Illustrated with breathtaking photography by Bruno Ehrs, this volume is a private invitation to experience the wonders of a unique French estate. Christian Lacroix, whose definition of elegance and haute-couture design have been inspired by eighteenth-century culture and court dress, shares his passion for Vaux-le-Vicomte in the foreword.