In 1632, the king got the manor of Versailles which was the former property of the Archbishop of Paris, Francois de Gondi. After that, he bought more land and more land to enlarge his hunting area. In 1631, Louis XIII decided the chateau was too small so Philibert LeRoy was offered the job of altering and enlarging the chateau to suit the king’s taste. The alterations consisted of bringing the facade forward, lengthening it and adding a detached pavilion at each end. Then the courtyard facade was altered and closed the fourth side with a portico of arcades which were decorated with railings. This was all completed by 1636 for the Feast of Our Lady. The park surrounding the chateau was also changed a bit. Flower beds were added, the Sublet des Niyers added the Rondeau des Cygnes which later became the Bassin d’Appollon, one of the most famous fountains at the Palace today.
Although changes were added to the outside appearance which were somewhat lavish, the changes that occurred inside remained simple. There were earthenware tiles for the floors and less primitive furniture was added. A few somewhat elegant pieces were added which were given to the king by his sister Christine of France, Duchess of Savoy. The king being quite thrifty and easily satisfied spent very little on Versailles. This second chateau cost little more than 213,000 livres and the gardens 42,000. This chateau was only a second residence, and therefore was treated as such. Not much money was spent in the renovations, nor the upkeep. It was simply a place where the king went to hunt. However, this second chateau is of great importance because it was the framework for King Louis XIV’s chateau which is where he resided for almost 25 years. The big renovations did not occur until Louis XIV was about 23 years old in 1661 and lasted for about ten years. While King Louis XIII’s chateau was gradually changed and embellished, it remained the heart of the palace that was to come. In fact, it is said that King Louis XIV’s room was built in the same spot that his father’s room was at. While looking at the chateau of Versailles that is around today, we can not ignore the first and second chateau’s which frame the palace of Versailles as we know it.