We do, however, possess a handful of engravings in scholarly books that describe his early inspirations and professional successes. Although Le Vau never visited Italy, throughout his career he was increasingly influenced by contemporary Italian trends. Le Vau, “collected and carefully studied through prints, books and drawings the works of classical Roman and Renaissance Italian architects and builders, such as Vitruvius, Andrea Palladio and Sebastiano Serlio” (Byme, 2005). Through the blend of these classical Roman and Italian Renaissance architect styles, Le Vau developed a repertoire of design elements that he would use in the structure and ornamentation of his works. In his previous collection of works, Le Vau designed large structures, maintaining the French tradition of assembling various building units as opposed to creating a single uniform and unified whole. The classical elements surrounding the interior and facade of the building, such as the pilasters, columns and pediments, appeared out of place, even sporadic, forcing the entire effect of the building to be more provincial than monumental. This effect created by Le Vau was not that of traditional French classical architecture, rather the beginning of Italian influence seeping into his design