Ménagerie royale de Versailles

The Royal Menagerie of Versailles was Louis XIV's first major project at the chateau, begun in 1663 to plans by Louis Le Vau at the south-western end of what became the Grand Canal. The central octagonal pavilion was a salon with glazed walls, from which the Sun King could look out onto seven radial enclosures - a built allegory of absolutist order, with every animal in its assigned slot. Exotic creatures including elephants, ostriches, pelicans and a rhinoceros lived here, many systematically observed in Europe for the first time; the Academy's anatomists dissected those that died and laid foundations for comparative anatomy. During the French Revolution most animals were moved to what is now the Jardin des Plantes, the buildings fell into ruin and were demolished in the 19th century. Today nothing remains above ground; the site by the Grand Canal is part of the UNESCO World Heritage area of Versailles.