Editing Louis XIV (section)

==Personal life==

===Marriages and children===
[[File:Louis XIV wedding.jpg|thumb|Wedding of Louis and Maria Theresa]]
[[File:Dual Cypher of King Louis XIV & Queen Marie Thérèse of France.svg|thumb|right|upright|Dual Cypher of King Louis{{Nbsp}}XIV & [[Maria Theresa of Spain|Queen Marie Thérèse]]]]
Louis and his wife [[Maria Theresa of Spain]] had six children from the marriage contracted for them in 1660. However, only one child, the eldest, survived to adulthood: Louis, ''[[le Grand Dauphin]]'', known as ''Monseigneur''. Maria Theresa died in 1683, whereupon Louis remarked that she had never caused him unease on any other occasion.

Despite evidence of affection early on in their marriage, Louis was never faithful to Maria Theresa. He took a series of mistresses, both official and unofficial. Among the better documented are [[Louise de La Vallière]] (with whom he had five children; 1661–1667), [[Bonne de Pons d'Heudicourt]] (1665), [[Catherine Charlotte de Gramont]] (1665), [[Françoise-Athénaïs, Marquise de Montespan]] (with whom he had seven children; 1667–1680), [[Anne de Rohan-Chabot]] (1669–1675), [[Claude de Vin des Œillets]] (one child born in 1676), [[Isabelle de Ludres]] (1675–1678), and [[Marie Angélique de Scorailles]] (1679–1681), who died at age 19 in childbirth. Through these liaisons, he produced numerous illegitimate children, most of whom he married to members of [[cadet branch]]es of the [[royal family]].

Louis proved relatively more faithful to his second wife, [[Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon]]. He first met her through her work caring for his children by Madame de Montespan, noting the care she gave to his favourite, [[Louis Auguste, Duke of Maine]].{{Sfn|Bryant|2004|p=80}} The king was, at first, put off by her strict religious practice, but he warmed to her through her care for his children.{{Sfn|Bryant|2004|p=80}}

When he legitimized his children by Madame de Montespan on 20 December 1673, Françoise d'Aubigné became the royal governess at Saint-Germain.{{Sfn|Bryant|2004|p=80}} As governess, she was one of very few people permitted to speak to him as an equal, without limits.{{Sfn|Bryant|2004|p=80}} It is believed that they were married secretly at Versailles on or around 10 October 1683{{Sfn|Buckley|2008|p=276}} or January 1684.{{Sfn|Bryant|2004|p=77}} This marriage, though never announced or publicly discussed, was an [[open secret]] and lasted until his death.

===Piety and religion===
[[File:Paris - Séminaire des Missions étrangères - 9.jpg|thumb|Louis XIV encouraged Catholic missions through the creation of the [[Paris Foreign Missions Society]]]]
Louis was a pious and devout king who saw himself as the head and protector of the [[Catholic Church in France]]. He made his devotions daily regardless of where he was, following the [[liturgical calendar]] regularly.{{Sfn|Wolf|1968|p=280}} Under the influence of his very religious second wife, he became much stronger in the practice of his [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] faith.{{Sfn|Bryant|2004|p=83}} This included banning opera and comedy performances during [[Lent]].{{Sfn|Bryant|2004|p=83}}

Towards the middle and the end of his reign, the centre for the King's religious observances was usually the [[Chapels of Versailles|Chapelle Royale]] at Versailles. Ostentation was a distinguishing feature of his daily Mass, annual celebrations (such as those of [[Holy Week]]), and special ceremonies.{{Sfn|Gaudelus|2000|pp=513–526}} Louis established the [[Paris Foreign Missions Society]], but his informal [[Franco-Ottoman alliance#Revival of the alliance under Louis XIV|alliance]] with the [[Ottoman Empire]] was criticised for undermining [[Christendom]].{{Sfn|Claydon|2007|p=182}}

===Patronage of the arts===
[[File:Portrait de Louis XIV entouré des arts et des sciences.jpg|thumb|left|Painting from 1667 depicting Louis as patron of the fine arts]]
[[File:Cour de Marbre du Château de Versailles October 5, 2011.jpg|thumb|left|The ''Cour royale'' and the ''Cour de marbre'' at Versailles]]
{{See also|Louis&nbsp;XIV style}}
Louis supported the royal court of France and those who worked under him. He brought the {{Lang|fr|[[Académie Française]]|italic=no}} under his patronage and became its "Protector". He promoted classical French literature by protecting such writers as [[Molière]], [[Jean Racine|Racine]], and [[Jean de La Fontaine|La Fontaine]]. Louis also patronised the visual arts by funding and commissioning artists such as [[Charles Le Brun]], [[Pierre Mignard]], [[Antoine Coysevox]], and [[Hyacinthe Rigaud]]. Composers and musicians such as [[Jean-Baptiste Lully]], [[Jacques Champion de Chambonnières]], and [[François Couperin]] thrived. In 1661, Louis founded the [[Académie Royale de Danse]], and in 1669, the [[Paris Opera|Académie d'Opéra]], important events in the evolution of ballet. He also attracted, supported and patronized such artists as [[André Charles Boulle]], who revolutionised [[marquetry]] with his art of [[inlay]], today known as "[[Boulle work]]". Always on the lookout for new talent, the king launched music competitions: in 1683, [[Michel-Richard de Lalande]] thus became deputy master of the Royal Chapel, composing his ''Symphonies for the Soupers du Roy'' along with 77 large scale ''Grand Motets''.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

Over the course of four building campaigns, Louis converted a hunting lodge commissioned by Louis{{Nbsp}}XIII into the spectacular [[Palace of Versailles]]. Except for the current Royal Chapel (built near the end of his reign), the palace achieved much of its current appearance after the third building campaign, which was followed by an official move of the royal court to Versailles on 6 May 1682. Versailles became a dazzling, awe-inspiring setting for state affairs and the reception of foreign dignitaries. At Versailles, the king alone commanded attention.

[[File:LouisXIV-Bernini.jpg|thumb|Bust of Louis{{Nbsp}}XIV by [[Gianlorenzo Bernini]]]]

Several reasons have been suggested for the creation of the extravagant and stately palace, as well as the relocation of the monarchy's seat. The memoirist [[Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon|Saint-Simon]] speculated that Louis viewed Versailles as an isolated power centre where treasonous cabals could be more readily discovered and foiled.<ref name="fordham">{{Cite web |last=Halsall |first=Paul |date=August 1997 |title=Modern History Sourcebook: Duc de Saint-Simon: The Court of Louis XIV |url=http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/17stsimon.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410084543/http://www.fordham.edu/HALSALL/mod/17stsimon.html |archive-date=10 April 2008 |access-date=19 January 2008 |website=Internet Modern History Sourcebook |publisher=History Department of Fordham University}}</ref> There has also been speculation that the revolt of the ''Fronde'' caused Louis to hate Paris, which he abandoned for a country retreat, but his sponsorship of many public works in Paris, such as the establishment of a police force and of street-lighting,{{Sfn|Dunlop|2000|pp=242–251}} lend little credence to this theory. As a further example of his continued care for the capital, Louis constructed the {{lang|fr|[[Les Invalides|Hôtel des Invalides]]}}, a military complex and home to this day for officers and soldiers rendered infirm either by injury or old age. While pharmacology was still quite rudimentary in his day, the ''Invalides'' pioneered new treatments and set new standards for hospice treatment. The conclusion of the [[Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1668)|Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle]] in 1668 also induced Louis to demolish Paris's northern walls in 1670 and replace them with wide tree-lined boulevards.{{Sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=247}}

Louis renovated and improved the [[Palais du Louvre|Louvre]] and other royal residences. [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini]] was originally to plan additions to the Louvre; however, his plans would have meant the destruction of much of the existing structure, replacing it with an Italian summer [[villa]] in the centre of Paris. Bernini's plans were eventually shelved in favour of the elegant [[Louvre Colonnade]] designed by three Frenchmen: [[Louis Le Vau]], [[Charles Le Brun]], and [[Claude Perrault]]. With the relocation of the court to Versailles, the Louvre was given over to the arts and the public.{{Sfn|Bluche|1986|p=497}}
During his visit from Rome, Bernini also executed a renowned [[Bust of Louis XIV (Bernini)|portrait bust]] of the king.