The Latona Fountain in the Gardens of Versailles lies in the Latona Basin between the Chateau de Versailles and the Grand Canal. On the top tier, there is a statue of the goddess Latona, mother of the sun and moon gods. The fountain operates three times a week during the high season.
The reconstruction of the Latona Fountain after restoration work, December 2014
Panorama of the Latona Basin with the Grand Canal in the background
Image: Latona Fountain Gardens of Versailles Palace of Versailles original 1
The Gardens of Versailles occupy part of what was once the Domaine royal de Versailles, the royal demesne of the château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some 800 hectares of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French formal garden style perfected here by André Le Nôtre. Beyond the surrounding belt of woodland, the gardens are bordered by the urban areas of Versailles to the east and Le Chesnay to the north-east, by the National Arboretum de Chèvreloup to the north, the Versailles plain to the west, and by the Satory Forest to the south.
Aerial view of the gardens from above the palace
Versailles, Du Bus plan
Garden plan, c. 1663
Exterior of the Grotte de Thétys by Jean Le Pautre, 1672