Grand Canal and Latona BasinAndré Le Nôtre

The Grand Canal and the Latona Basin (1668–70) form the principal axis of the gardens, extending a straight line of water and terraces toward the horizon. The Latona Basin, dedicated to the myth of Latona pleading for her children, rises in tiered marble basins surrounded by figures transforming into frogs for defying the goddess. This mythic centerpiece reinforces Louis XIV’s vision of geometric order and divine legitimacy spread across the landscape.