The king waited for the Observatory building to be completed before visiting it.  He was enthusiastic, since the building was just what he had imagined, and was built superbly under the leadership of Claude Perrault (1613-1688). According to the astronomer priest Jean Picard: “We can affirm that the objective of astronomy is the study of the largest structures in the Universe … and your Majesty has taken a particular interest in the advancement of this noble science, through the building of an Observatory which, together with the arcs de triumph and other trophies, will survive as an eternal witness to the glorious reign of Louis le Grand.”

caption : Louis XIV and the Academy of Sciences - copyright : Observatoire de Paris