Nicolas Fouquet (1615-1680) who ordered the construction of Vaux-le-Vicomte was descended from a line of parliamentarians, that rich and enterprising body of men, upon whom the crown came increasingly to depend and whose services were rewarded with appointments to high office. Fouquet's own father, François Fouquet, had been a trusted advisor to Cardinal Richelieu on maritime and commercial affairs.

There are two elements of major significance that contribute to Vaux le Vicomte's lasting fame.

Vaux was the tragic setting for the downfall of Fouquet, a faithful minister who paid the price of life imprisonment, because of an embezzlement he did not commit, because of the jealousy of others and also because he went a little too far in bestowing lavish hospitality.

For a period of ten years under Fouquet's protection, Vaux was also a haven for leading French artists. Writers, poets, painters and sculptors gave the best of their talents to the glory of Vaux.

At the time when Fouquet was the Minister of Finance, France’s finances were in a disastrous state. Fouquet was intelligent, and successful in his work reviving a depleted French treasury. Fouquet's success also brought personal fortune, and he lived a lavish, boisterous lifestyle with a distinguished circle of friends, including artists like La Fontaine and Moliere. This did not go unnoticed by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who directed French internal affairs at the time. Colbert was in the confidence of Louis XIV, and Colbert used his access to suggest that Fouquet’s wealth was inappropriate and disrespectful to the Sun King, as it seemed to exceed even the luxurious lifestyle of the royal court.

When Louis XIV showed interest in seeing the renovations at Vaux le Vicomte, Fouquet and his wife held what is now known as the most remarkable party of 17th century in France. The festivities of August 17, 1661 included a feast in the chateau, promenades in the gardens, and a play by Moliere (Les Facheux) performed at the edge of the forest. The celebration ended with an extraordinary production with rockets and fireworks.

While Fouquet's intention was to honour the King, having thrown the party for him, the King was insulted by the attention and applause given to Fouquet for a celebration unlike any other. Louis XIV saw that Vaux le Vicomte had been transformed into a property more grand than his own royal estate. Thus, even as Fouquet believed the party was the peak of his career, the evening would actually be the end – within two weeks he was arrested and remained imprisoned until he died 19 years later.

Voltaire is said to have summarised the events with the phrase: "On 17 August, at six in the evening Fouquet was the King of France: at two in the morning he was nobody".

When Fouquet was arrested, his wife was sent into exile and Vaux le Vicomte was confiscated. Louis XIV reportedly apprehended statues, orange trees and 120 tapestries from the estate. After a decade passed, Madame Fouquet returned to the property where she stayed until she decided to sell it in 1705, after the death of her husband and son.

The Marshall Villars, a great military leader of the time, purchased the property without even seeing it beforehand. In 1764 the Marshall's son sold the estate to the Duke of Praslin, whose family owned Vaux le Vicomte for more than a century. However by the time the property changed hands again, it had been neglected for more than 30 years.

In 1875, Monsieur Alfred Sommier acquired Vaux le Vicomte at a public auction. The estate was in quite a state of disrepair; the château was empty and the gardens were completely overgrown. Because of the work of Sommier, with the help of his daughter and son-in-law, Vaux le Vicomte was restored. Today Patrice and Cristina de Vogüé, direct descendants of Sommier, continue to preserve and maintain the estate.

The vast gardens at Vaux le Vicomte span 100 acres, or 40 hectares and were designed by Le Notre who was the leading landscape architect of "jardins a la française" during the 17th century. Le Nôtre is most known for his work at the Palace of Versailles; he also designed the gardens at Chantilly, Fontainebleau, Saint Cloud and Saint Germain. Le Notre contributed to the design of the Tuileries in Paris, which later would affect the Champs-Elysees.

The most remarkable of Le Notre's work at Vaux le Vicomte is the meticulous play on perspective, making the gardens appear to be a much closer distance to the chateau than in reality. The view from the chateau is distorted; for example the pools are narrower at the closest end to the chateau, creating a false impression of the distance between the two. Le Nôtre's visual illusions cannot be seen through photographs, and can only be discovered in person through the views from the chateau, and walks in the gardens.