Buildings of the King

Under the Old Mode, the administration of the Buildings of the King , depend on the Department of the House of the King, is mainly responsible for the work ordered by the sovereign, in his residences of Paris or of the surroundings.

History

The superintendence of the buildings was created by Henri IV and was entrusted by this one to Sully, to put a term at the former situation in which each royal residence had its own superintendent. The superintendent was assisted by an intendant and an general inspector.

During the 17th century, competences of the superintendent of the Building industries extended to the tapestry workshops, royal Printing works, the royal Garden (future Botanical garden) and its title was modified consequently: in 1664, Jean-Baptiste Colbert is thus superintendent and general director of the buildings, arts, tapestries and manufactures of France .

By the importance of his attributions and the exceptional personality several of the holders of the function, the superintendent acquires a row almost equivalent to that of a minister. In fact, the superintendent or managing director plays a part who connects it with that of a Minister for the culture. By the royal orders, he exerts a considerable influence on the artistic life of his time and on the evolution of the taste.

In 1708, the service is brought back to the row of head office. It takes again its name of superintendence in 1716, before recovering that of head office in 1726. As from this date, the function ceases being a Charge to become simple a Commission, revocable AD nutum . The title more the current is director and general director of the buildings, gardens, arts, academies and manufactures royal .

Organization

The administration of the buildings employs between 250 and 300 people, with a variable budget enters 14 million books (1685) and 1,2 million (1709).

The managing director is assisted by the First architect of the King and by the First painter of the King. Until 1776, it has under its orders several general, directing intendants general and general inspectors; after 1776, one counts 3 intendants, 1 ordinary architect, 1 general inspector and 4 controllers. Officers of the Building industries are moreover affected in each royal house.

Attributions

Attributions of the Building industries of the King include/understand, according to the royal declaration of September 1st 1776:

construction and maintenance of the royal residences (Palate of Louvre, Tileries, Castle of Versailles) and of the satellite residences (castles of Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer, Fontainebleau, Compiegne, etc), as well as the parks and gardens;
the realization and the maintenance of works of general interest such as the place Louis-the-Large (current Place Vendôme), or the Hotel of the Invalids;
the management of the royal patronage, through the supervisions of several academies: royal Academy of painting and sculpture, royal Academy of architecture, Academy from France to Rome and residences of the artists, in particular those of Louvre;
manufactures of the Goblins, the Soap factory and Sevres;
functions of large-voyer of the town of Versailles.

List royal houses concerned with the Building industries of the King

Castle of Versailles, Large Trianon, Small Trianon and dependences
Castle of Marly
Castle of Fontainebleau
Castle of Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer
Castle of Meudon
Palate of Louvre
Palate of Tileries
Palais Royal
Palate of Luxembourg
Castle of Madrid
Castle of the Dumb woman
Castle of Vincennes
Castle of Compiegne
Castle of Blois
Castle of Chambord
Castle of Amboise
Castle of Choisy
Castle of Saint-Hubert
Castle of Bellevue
Botanical garden
royal House of Saint-Louis to Saint-Cyr-the School
Collège de France
Manufacture of the Goblins
Manufacture of the Soap factory

Chronological list of the superintendents or managing directors of the Building industries of the King

Of 1602 with 1708, then of 1716 with 1726, one has general superintendents ; of 1708 with 1716 and of 1726 with 1791, managing directors of the Building industries.

1602 - 1621: Maximilien de Béthune (1560 - 1641), duke of Sully, in parallel Superintendent of finances
1621: Louis d' Aloigny, baron de Rochefort
1622 - 1624: Jean de Fourcy de Corbinière
1625 - 1638: Henri de Fourcy de Corbinière
1638 - 1645: François Sublet de Noyers
1646 - 1648: Jules Mazarin (1602 - 1661)
1648 - 1656: Etienne Camus
1656 - 1664: Antoine de Ratabon
1664 - 1683: Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619 - 1683), superintendent and general director of the buildings, arts, tapestries and manufactures of France, in parallel General inspector of finances and Secretary of State at the House of the King
1683 - 1691: François Michel Tellier de Louvois (1641 - 1691), superintendent and general director of the buildings, arts, tapestries and manufactures of France
1691 - 1699: Edouard Colbert de Villacerf (1629 - 1699)
1699 - 1708: Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646 - 1708), in parallel First architect of the King
1708 - 1736: Louis Antoine de Pardaillan de Gondrin (1665 - 1736), Duke of Antin, managing director of the Building industries of the King, Academies and Manufactures (1708 - 1718 and 1726 - 1736) or superintendent of the Building industries of the King, Academies and Manufactures (1718 - 1726)
1736 - 1745: Philibert Orry (1689 - 1747), managing director of the Building industries of the King, Academies and Manufactures, in parallel General inspector of finances
1745 - 1751: Charles François Paul Normalizing It of Tournehem (1684 - 1751), managing director of the Building industries of the King, Academies and Manufactures
1751 - 1773: Abel-François Poisson de Vandières (1727 - 1781), marquis de Marigny, managing director of the Building industries of the King, Arts, Gardens and Manufactures
1773 - 1774: Joseph Marie Terray (1715 - 1778), in parallel General inspector of finances
1774 - 1789: Charles Claude Flahaut of Billarderie (1730 - 1810), count d' Angiviller, managing director of the Building industries of the King, Arts, Gardens and Manufactures

External bonds

the House of the King on www.heraldica.org (in English)
Note on the department of the House of the King

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