Bosquet des Dômes (Groves of the Domes), Versailles

The Groves of the Domes is a striking example of 17th-century French landscape design. Created by André Le Nôtre in 1675, and later transformed in 1677 by the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, this grove initially featured an intricate amphitheater layout. Its centerpiece was a hexagonal basin surrounded by a balustrade, with a white marble fountain supported by dolphins situated in the center. The grove was originally named the grove of Fame after a statue of Fame, which played a central role in the design. This statue, which spouted water from its trumpet, was a focal point of the grove until its removal in 1684.

The grove was renamed Grove of Apollo's Baths after the statues of Apollo and the Horses of the Sun were relocated from the Grotte de Thétys between 1684 and 1704. These statues, originally part of the fountain display, were eventually moved to a new site, and the name Grove of Apollo's Baths was later reassigned to a different location within the gardens.

The current name, Groves of the Domes, reflects the grove's most distinctive feature: the two white marble pavilions topped with domes, designed by Hardouin-Mansart. These pavilions, which gave the grove its name, were destroyed in 1820. Despite their removal, the layout of the grove, with its circular arrangement and elegant marble basin, continues to be a testament to the grandeur of the original design.