In 1686, doctors at Versailles faced a problem. King Louis XIV had a swollen gland in his crotch that developed into an anal fistula. They tried everything to treat it—including a red-hot iron to the site. It was eventually decided that surgery was the only option, except such a surgery had never been done before. The medics designed a curved silver scalpel and practiced the procedure on local farmers, killing a few in the process. The operation succeeded and the King continued to reign for another 29 years. That scalpel was just one of many royal scientific breakthroughs. This exhibition explores how the palace spearheaded science in its golden age, developments that include specially-made telescopes, a taxidermied rhinoceros, hyacinths specially bred for Marie Antoinette—and the palace itself, where the Marly Machine pumped water from the Seine to the gardens. —Elena Clavarino