King Louis XIV’s Delights of the Magical Isle (1664)
Versailles, the opulent palace that epitomizes the Baroque era (its later additions were more Rococo style) needed a grand party to mark its completion. To celebrate, King Louis XIV threw a week-long party for 600 guests called Delights of the Magical Isle in the gardens. On the surface, the party was to honor his mother, but behind the scenes, it celebrated his mistress, Louise de la Valliére.
Each night of the party brought something new, a ballet, exotic animals, horse races, the debut of plays and ballets. On the seventh day, Molière (who was still in good graces after is connection to the Fouquet incident) debut a shocking play, Tartuffe. The King loved it, but his advisors pressured him to censor it for wider audiences. While the party was officially to honor his mother, behind the scenes, it was a celebration of his mistress, Louise de la Valliére.
