Grand Trianon, EPV |
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
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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
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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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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.