Bassin d'Apollon

The château's garden, designed by André Le Nôtre, was created to illustrate the solar myth of Apollo and, through it, the splendor of the Sun King. The Apollo Basin fountain is a central feature of this garden.

The Chariot of the Sun—a central sculptural group made of gilded lead—was created between 1668 and 1671 by Jean-Baptiste Tuby, based on a design by Le Brun. Apollo’s chariot emerges from the water, drawn by four horses. The sculptor included Phaethon—who has fallen from the chariot—at Apollo's feet, and surrounded the group in the basin with tritons blowing conch shells and dolphins. The sculpture was crafted at the Gobelins manufactory and then transported to Versailles in 1670.