Petit Trianon - MA's domain II

In the year 1668, king Louis XIV (1638-1715) bought the little village of Trianon, right near Versailles. He wished to build a palace where he and his family could rest, away from the strong "étiquette" and rules of the court. That's how was built the Grand Trianon in the years 1780, today known as the Grand Trianon.

Grand Trianon, EPV

Few years later, king Louis XV (1710-1774), great-grandson of Louis XIV, with the advices of his 'favorite' Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764) decided to build a second palace in Trianon. This one was supposed to be used for botanical studies by the scientists Richard and Jussieu.  The king entrusted the works to his dear architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel (1698-1782), who recreated the interiors of Versailles for him. For this second palace, the king chose a Greek-inspired architecture, marking a difference with the Rocaille style in fashion in the early years of the reign. 
The works began in 1762 in the gardens of Trianon. Unfortunately, Madame de Pompadour was not able to see the palace achieved, she died in 1764. After six years, the works were done and the brand new palace could be enjoyed by the King and his new favorite Madame Du Barry. Louis XV enjoyed the palace as his ancestor enjoyed the Grand Trianon. He came there mainly with his favorite. She was much less enclined to scientific studies than her predecessor, and the original botanical purposes were quickly abandonned. The palace was starting to be associated with adultary, pleasure, and profligacy.

The columns characterizing the Greek inspiration, Petit Trianon, EPV

The palace is a square of 20 m wide, including two floors. It marked a rupture with the Rocaille style that characterized the early years of Louis XV's reign.

Engraving of the palace extracted from
 Guide illustré des palais et des jardins de Trianon, 1887, Gallica

The Northern front was made of a simple architecture, lookig towards the English Garden. The front facing the French Garden is the most Greek like, decorated with columns.
The palace was completely restored in 2008 thanks to a sponsorship with Montres Bréguet.

View of the Petit Trianon from the English Garden, Christian Milet, EPV

When Marie Antoinette arrived in France in the year 1770, she showed a profound interest for the small palace. In 1774, Louis XVI offers it to her "Vous aimez les fleurs, j'ai un bouquet pour vous, c'est le Petit Trianon" (You like flowers, I've got a bouquet for you, it is the Petit Trianon). He gave her a magnificient keyring decorated with 531 diamonds. It was the very first time that a Queen of France was becoming proprietary of her own domain, which caused a scandal because she was also a foreigner.

Louis XVI gives the key to the Petit Trianon to Marie Antoinette,
from  'Marie Antoinette' by S. Coppola, 2007

In her palace, Marie Antoinette replaced the figure of Louis XV with her own.

Thomas Garnier, EPV

She allowed her friends to visit her on invitation. They were chosen for their personnality, and not for their title of position at court as it was usual. Once they had been invited, they were written on a register held by the concierge Bonnefoy, and were given a token in order to enter the domain.
Among the most regular visitors were the Polignac couple, Axel de Fersen (alledged lover of the Queen), Madame Elisabeth (little sister of Louis XVI), the King, and her own children.



The salon de compagnie was a room dedicated to leisure (games, music, discussions,...).

Salon de Compagnie, Thomas Garnier, EPV

In one of the room on the ground floor, she had arranged mirrors to pull up in front of the windows, so that she wouldn't be spied on when on her retreat. This brought a huge scandal regarding the behaviors of the Queen and her alleged adultaries.

Cabinet des Glaces Mouvantes, Satoshi Nakagawa on WikiCommons

It was a place exempted from protocole (when the Queen enterred a room, no one had to stand up and bow to her as they were forced to do in Versailles). This brought back the sulfurous scent beared by the Petit Trianon with Madame Du Barry.
Critics began calling the palace "Small Vienna" or "Small Schönbrunn" and many pamphlets circulated speculating on what was happenning in the Petit Trianon (most talked about orgies, since most of the Queen's entourage were libertines, and there were no servants).

On October, 5th 1789, women of Paris marched on Versailles asking for bread for the people. the queen had to leave the Petit Trianon to stay alongside her huseband. It was the last time that she saw her dear palace.

A libertine vision of the Queen's journeys in the Petit Trianon,

extract from 'Marie Antoinette' by S. Coppola, 2007

During the Revolution, most of the furniture was sold in auction, as happenned for the one in Versailles. Popular balls and popuar feasts were organised in the domain of Trianon.
In 1805, with the coronation as Emperor of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), the Petit Trianon  took back its prestigious rank of palace. The Emperor to his beloved sister, Pauline Princess of Borghese. Restoration works were engaged after all the damages that had been done by the revolutionnaries. Festivals were held in the Trianon and the gardens surrounding by the Imperial family. later, the Petit Trianon was given to Napoleon's second wife Marie-Louise (1791-1847).

Marie-Louise's bedchamber in the Petit Trianon, Starus on WikiCommons

After the fall of Napoleon's Empire in 1815, monarchy was restored and king Louis XVIII was crowned. He offered the Petit Trianon to Marie-Thérèse de France, duchess of Angouleme and daughter of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Unfortunately, her memories of the place were far too painful for her and she only made a few visits there but chose not to stay there..

In the year 1830, Louis Philippe (1775-1850), duke of Orléans, was appointed "Roi des Français" (King of the French) by the assembly of deputies. He decided to restore the Palace of Versailles and to install a museum dedicated to all the glories of France ("Musée dédié à toutes les gloires de la France"), which was to be the first museum of French History (which I will surely write about in a while). To monitor the works, he and his family settled in the Petit Trianon.

The family of the Duke of Orléans in the gardens of the Peit Trianon,
 engraving of a drawing by Charles-Jean Guérard

Under the Second Empire, Empress Eugénie (1826-1920), wife of Napoleon III, admired very much Marie Antoinette. She ordered that all the original furniture and decorations shall be put back at their original place. The problem was that these had been sold under the Revolution, and it was very hard to find everything back.Still today not everything is back in place, and the Palace of Versailles regularly buys  at auctions objects and settings that were once part of the domain (like this magnificient porcelain plate aquired a few days ago by the museum).

Bust of the Impress Eugénie, Salle Eugénie du Petit Trianon [X]

The palace was completely restored in 2008 thanks to a sponsorship with Montres Bréguet.
It possible today to visit the main rooms, and the Petit Trianon is very appreciated by all visitors. personnally I fell in love with the place, it is so cosy and much more intimate than the impressive Great Apartments back in Versailles ! It was funny to learn that most of the marble used to build it originated from a place very near my hometown in the Pyrénées mountains.