Philibert Le Roy (died 1646) was a 17th-century French architect and

military engineer Military engineering is loosely defined as the art, science, and practice of designing and building military works and maintaining lines of military transport and military communications. Military engineers are also responsible for logistics b ...

who worked in the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

and classical styles. Today, he is chiefly remembered for his appointment as "''royal engineer and architect''" to King

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

Works

Historical records show that in 1625 Le Roy was employed by the King's brother, Gaston, duc d'Orléans. By 1627 he had become a royal architect and was involved in some minor projects on behalf of the king. These included the construction of a tennis court at the King's hunting lodge at Versailles, then a village a few kilometres from Paris. It can be assumed that he replaced Nicolas Huau, the previous court architect who died in 1626. From 1631 he was employed in the creation of a small chateau replacing the existing hunting lodge. This phase of construction was completed in 1634. It was this small chateau of three wings around an open court that would eventually become the core of the great chateau at Versailles built by Louis XIV. Le Roy's original chateau was of a simple construction. Its walls were of cream coloured stone which framed stuccoed panels painted to resemble bricks. The roof was of blue slate. The colours employed by the architect were no coincidence, but reflected the red, white and blue of the King's livery.Spawforth, p3 In appearance, Le Roy's Chateau de Versailles is not dissimilar from Francois Mansard's designs for the

Château de Maisons The Château de Maisons (now Château de Maisons-Laffitte), designed by François Mansart from 1630 to 1651, is a prime example of French baroque architecture and a reference point in the history of French architecture. The château is located in M ...

. A near contemporary of the Versailles chateau, the construction of Maisons is considered a defining moment in French architecture's movement towards the Baroque style. Little more is known of Le Roy's personal life. He died in 1646.

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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Le Roy, Philibert 1646 deaths 17th-century French architects French Baroque architects Year of birth unknown French neoclassical architects