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The Grand Trianon

The Grand Trianon is located 25 minutes' walk to the north west of the Palace of Versailles, built on the grounds of a village acquired by the sovereign. Unique in its original style of architecture, it was the work of Jules Hardouin-Mansart and the King himself, as Louis XIV was greatly involved in its creation in 1687. At that time, Versailles had been overrun by crowds of courtesans. The Trianon was intended as a private retreat.

Open from midday to 6.30pm during high season (April to October) and from midday to 5.30pm during low season (November to March). In July and August, it opens exceptionally at 10am from Tuesday to Sunday.Gardens open until 7.30pm during high season and until 6pm during low season.

Gardens Of The Grand Trianon

The Grand Trianon was built on the orders of Louis in 1663, and is surrounded by parterres and fountains. The laying out of the gardens was the work of Michel Le Bouteux, who also set out a number of orange trees, protected from winter weather by an ingenious moveable greenhouse.

Horseshoe Fountain

Flanked by two ramps, the Horseshoe Fountain faces the secondary axis of the Grand Canal and gave access to the Grand Trianon by boat.

Lower Fountain

Situated in the north west axis of the Grand Trianon, and decorated with dragons by Jean Hardy; here you can see the Grand Trianon's reflection.

Amphitheatre

Called the Amphithéâtre or the Antiques Room, this place consists of busts copied from ancient times.

Green Rooms

The Green Groves are visible from the Bottom Fountain and were formerly decorated with statues and marbles vases.

Petit Trianon

Madame de Pompadour, who wished to “relieve the king’s boredom”, was the instigator of this small palace built by Ange-Jacques Gabriel between 1763 and 1768, close to the botanical gardens and the new menagerie. To please the Marquise who was always at the height of fashion, the architect abandoned the "rocaille" style and adopted a cubist form with straight lines in accordance with the latest "Greek style" architectural trend.
Only the garden level of the Petit Trianon is accessible to disabled visitors.

The Petit Trianon is open every day except Monday. During high season, it is open from midday to 18:30 (April to October) and from midday to 17.30 during low season (November to March). In July and August, it opens exceptionally at 10am from Tuesday to Sunday. Last admission 30 minutes before closing. The gardens are open until 7:30 p.m. during high season and until 18:00 during low season.

French Garden Of The Petit Trianon

In 1749, encouraged by Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV, residing in the Grand Trianon, extended his estate by creating a new "French-style" garden characterised by geometric and symmetrical lines. The parterres were designed by the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel and the gardens were managed by Claude Richard, who confirmed the scientific vocation of the new estate. Vegetable garden, fig trees, flowers and rare fruits completed the nursery.

French Pavilion

This is known as the "French" pavilion as it is located at the centre of the rectilinear gardens that were referred to in this way to distinguish them from the emerging English garden trend. Built by Gabriel in 1750, it consists of a vast circular room flanked by four small rooms that served as a boudoir, "rechauffoir" (warming room), kitchen and wardrobe.
The French Pavilion can only be viewed from the exterior.

Chapel

Completed in 1773 by the architect to Louis XV, Ange-Jacques Gabriel, the chapel of the Petit Trianon was decorated in the latest neo-classical fashion, which was in vogue at the time. Inside, on the altar, is a canvas by painter Joseph-Marie Vien.

Queen's Theatre

The Queen's Theatre was a small hall where games and operas took place. It was built in 1780 by Richard Mique on the orders of Marie-Antoinette. The severe exterior contrasts with the refined interior which, through its harmonies of blue, white and gold, recalls the opera of Versailles, only smaller since it has a capacity of just one hundred people. But the greatest luxury is not in the wood-panelled room painted in a false, veined white marble and adorned with pasteboard sculptures - it lies in the machinery used for the scenery changes, which has fortunately been preserved.
The inside of the theatre can be viewed from the hall without a guide.

Jussieu Orangery

In 1759, at the request of Louis XV, a famous botanist called Bernard de Jussieu created a botanical garden at Trianon and had the biggest glasshouses in Europe built. Today this is called the Jussieu Orangery. With gardeners Claude and Antoine Richard, he undertook experiments on exotic or rare plants: strawberries, pineapples, tobacco, etc.

Jussieu Pavilion - Research Centre

The Palace of Versailles Research Centre focuses on research and training in relation to courtly traditions at Versailles and throughout Europe, mainly in the 17th and 18th century.
The Jussieu Pavilion is not accessible without a guide.

Temple Of Love

This Temple of Love, which Marie-Antoinette could see from her room in the Petit Trianon, was erected by Richard Mique in 1778 in a neo-classical style. Fully decorated in marble, this precious building is especially remarkable for the quality of the sculptures by Deschamps which ornament the Corinthian capitals, the friezes and the inside of the dome.

Belvedere

Dominating the lake, this charming octagonal pavilion was built by Richard Mique in 1777. It is complemented on the exterior by several sculptures by Deschamps: a fruit frieze garland once painted with colours, pediments evoking the pleasures of hunting and gardening, window imposts symbolising the four seasons.
The Belvedere can only be viewed from the exterior.

Anglo-Chinese Garden

Sacrificing the botanic garden of Louis XV, Marie-Antoinette commissioned her architect, Richard Mique, and the painter Hubert Robert to create a picturesque garden. The vogue at the time was for English-style gardens, consisting of an artificial succession of "natural" landscapes. The Queen dreamed of free nature that was not imprisoned in glasshouses or parterres.

Rock

The Rock is a man-made elevation near the Belvedere. It took four years to complete, from 1778 to 1782. Thanks to a reservoir behind it, water flows into the lake in a torrent.

Cool Pavilion

The Cool Pavilion was built in 1751 to serve as a dining room, probably for the consumption of produce from the dairy and vegetable garden.
A number of architectural digs took place in the Pavilion Frais garden between 2006 and 2009, the results of which were used to restore this building, which was built during Louis XV's reign and destroyed in 1810.
The Cool Pavilion can only be viewed from the exterior.

Queen’S Hamlet

Marie-Antoinette, seeking to flee the Court of Versailles, ordered the construction of her hamlet in 1783. She regularly went there to experience the charms of country life, surrounded by her lady's companions. It became a genuine farm, managed by a farmer, whose produce supplied the kitchens of the Palace.
The workshops in the Hamlet can only be viewed from the exterior.

Queen's House

The interior visit is only available on a guided tour

The largest building in the Hamlet, the Queen's House has a dining room and a games room on the ground floor, while the first floor is made up of a large living room, a small living room and a Chinese room. The building is linked to the Billiard House by a wooden gallery, decorated with white and blue faience flower pots with Marie-Antoinette's initials.

Boudoir

With its roof of reeds, dormer window, its lean-to and old stone staircase, the small Queen’s House, known as the boudoir, is made up of a living room and a wardrobe and is surrounded by a closed garden.

Warming Room

With its arrangement of right angles, the Warming Room is a traditional cottage that housed a large kitchen, a pantry and small offices. Dishes were brought here before being served in the dining rooms of Marie-Antoinette's Petit Trianon.

Guard House

Swiss Guard Jean Bersy, guardian of Marie-Antoinette's estate, lived in this small residence, known as the "Swiss House". One of the fences is bordered by a path covered with trellis-work arches where games of bowls took place, restored in the 20th century.

Marlborough Tower

The departure point for boat rides on the lake, the Fishery Tower, known as the Marlborough Tower, houses the material used for pike or carp fishing. Its upper portion was used as an observatory, making it possible to communicate with the Palace of Versailles using signals.

Refreshments Dairy

In the estate Dairy, Marie-Antoinette would taste the skimmed milk and churned butter. The Queen enjoyed using the dairy products from her Hamlet. Furnished with marble tables set with china, the Dairy was restored under Louis XVIII, in the 19th Century.

Watermill

Built at the edge of the lake in Marie-Antoinette's Hamlet, near the Marlborough Tower, the Watermilland its wheel were used to grind the grain. It also had a washing place for the use of the village.

Dovecote

In Marie-Antoinette's Hamlet, next to the ballroom, the barn and the hen house which have all disappeared, the charming Dovecote still stands, built by Richard Mique in 1783. The Dovecote is located near the stone bridge which spans the carp-populated river, and has been designed in a picturesque style.

Billiard House

Linked to the Queen's House by a wooden gallery, the Billiard House hosted players in the Billiard Room, decorated with wardrobes, one for men and one for women. Upstairs is a small apartment that architect Richard Mique used when he visited the Hamlet.

Jussieu Garden

In 1759, at the request of Louis XV, a famous botanist called Bernard de Jussieu created a botanical garden at Trianon and had the biggest glasshouses in Europe built. Today this is called the Jussieu Garden. With gardeners Claude and Antoine Richard, he undertook experiments on exotic or rare plants: strawberries, pineapples, tobacco, etc.

Centaur Basin

The Centaur basin, located next to General de Gaulle's former apartments, is an area comprising a fountain and a sculpture that is a 1780 copy of one of the Furietti Centaurs in Rome.

Trianon-Sous-Bois

Twenty years after being built Trianon was too small to house all of Louis XIV’s family. Shortly before his death in 1708, Jules Hardouin-Mansart built this wing, Trianon-sous-Bois, whose sober elegance ushered in the eighteenth-century style. The king’s sister-in-law, Madame Palatine, and her children were the first to occupy the group of apartments in this part of the building.

Water Sideboard Fountain

Unlike the great park of the Palace of Versailles, the Trianon gardens have relatively few fountains, with the Water Sideboard fountain being a notable exception. This fountain was added in 1703 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who also laid out a series of enclosed copses and groves on the other side of the north wing of the Grand Trianon, known as Trianon-sous-Bois. This fountain carries echoes of the artificial waterfalls which Le Nôtre designed for the Trianon, and which Mansart had removed when he was brought in to update the layout of the gardens

Now 320 years old, the Buffet d'eau had gradually and severely deteriorated since its last and only restaration in 1892. The fountain's marble and lead sculpted figures, as well as its water effects, had been severely damaged.

The restoration will be completed in June 2023. It covered the entire structure of the fountain, its marble and lead decorations, as well as the restoration of the fountainwork and waterproofing. This major heritage operation has restored the fountain to its former splendor, just as the Sun King had wished.

The Bru Foundation is responsible for restoring the Buffet d'eau and recreating the hydraulic loop in the Trianon gardens.

The Farm

Cows, goats, pigs and rabbits were all kept on the hamlet’s farm. In the fields around the building, various crops were grown, such as lucerne (alfalfa), clover, oats, barley and buckwheat. The Queen’s Hamlet really did have a working farm.

The Fountain Of The Four Nymphs

Sculpted group attributed to Jean Hardy (1653-1737) composed of nymphs sitting on rocks and holding flowers. This group was commissioned in 1706 for the gardens of Marly but later transferred to the Grand Trianon. Material : gilded lead.

The Perfumer’S Garden

At the centre of the Estate of Trianon, this new garden features hundreds of flower essences, telling the story of the history of perfume and its uses at the Court of Versailles.

This garden has been developed thanks to the patronage of Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

Access by guided tour/workshop only.

The Grand Trianon

The Grand Trianon is located 25 minutes' walk to the north west of the Palace of Versailles, built on the grounds of a village acquired by the sovereign. Unique in its original style of architecture, it was the work of Jules Hardouin-Mansart and the King himself, as Louis XIV was greatly involved in its creation in 1687. At that time, Versailles had been overrun by crowds of courtesans. The Trianon was intended as a private retreat.

Open from midday to 6.30pm during high season (April to October) and from midday to 5.30pm during low season (November to March). In July and August, it opens exceptionally at 10am from Tuesday to Sunday.Gardens open until 7.30pm during high season and until 6pm during low season.

Gardens Of The Grand Trianon

The Grand Trianon was built on the orders of Louis in 1663, and is surrounded by parterres and fountains. The laying out of the gardens was the work of Michel Le Bouteux, who also set out a number of orange trees, protected from winter weather by an ingenious moveable greenhouse.

Horseshoe Fountain

Flanked by two ramps, the Horseshoe Fountain faces the secondary axis of the Grand Canal and gave access to the Grand Trianon by boat.

Lower Fountain

Situated in the north west axis of the Grand Trianon, and decorated with dragons by Jean Hardy; here you can see the Grand Trianon's reflection.

Amphitheatre

Called the Amphithéâtre or the Antiques Room, this place consists of busts copied from ancient times.

Green Rooms

The Green Groves are visible from the Bottom Fountain and were formerly decorated with statues and marbles vases.

Centaur Basin

The Centaur basin, located next to General de Gaulle's former apartments, is an area comprising a fountain and a sculpture that is a 1780 copy of one of the Furietti Centaurs in Rome.

Trianon-Sous-Bois

Twenty years after being built Trianon was too small to house all of Louis XIV’s family. Shortly before his death in 1708, Jules Hardouin-Mansart built this wing, Trianon-sous-Bois, whose sober elegance ushered in the eighteenth-century style. The king’s sister-in-law, Madame Palatine, and her children were the first to occupy the group of apartments in this part of the building.

The Fountain Of The Four Nymphs

Sculpted group attributed to Jean Hardy (1653-1737) composed of nymphs sitting on rocks and holding flowers. This group was commissioned in 1706 for the gardens of Marly but later transferred to the Grand Trianon. Material : gilded lead.

Petit Trianon

Madame de Pompadour, who wished to “relieve the king’s boredom”, was the instigator of this small palace built by Ange-Jacques Gabriel between 1763 and 1768, close to the botanical gardens and the new menagerie. To please the Marquise who was always at the height of fashion, the architect abandoned the "rocaille" style and adopted a cubist form with straight lines in accordance with the latest "Greek style" architectural trend.
Only the garden level of the Petit Trianon is accessible to disabled visitors.

The Petit Trianon is open every day except Monday. During high season, it is open from midday to 18:30 (April to October) and from midday to 17.30 during low season (November to March). In July and August, it opens exceptionally at 10am from Tuesday to Sunday. Last admission 30 minutes before closing. The gardens are open until 7:30 p.m. during high season and until 18:00 during low season.

French Garden Of The Petit Trianon

In 1749, encouraged by Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV, residing in the Grand Trianon, extended his estate by creating a new "French-style" garden characterised by geometric and symmetrical lines. The parterres were designed by the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel and the gardens were managed by Claude Richard, who confirmed the scientific vocation of the new estate. Vegetable garden, fig trees, flowers and rare fruits completed the nursery.

French Pavilion

This is known as the "French" pavilion as it is located at the centre of the rectilinear gardens that were referred to in this way to distinguish them from the emerging English garden trend. Built by Gabriel in 1750, it consists of a vast circular room flanked by four small rooms that served as a boudoir, "rechauffoir" (warming room), kitchen and wardrobe.
The French Pavilion can only be viewed from the exterior.

Chapel

Completed in 1773 by the architect to Louis XV, Ange-Jacques Gabriel, the chapel of the Petit Trianon was decorated in the latest neo-classical fashion, which was in vogue at the time. Inside, on the altar, is a canvas by painter Joseph-Marie Vien.

Queen's Theatre

The Queen's Theatre was a small hall where games and operas took place. It was built in 1780 by Richard Mique on the orders of Marie-Antoinette. The severe exterior contrasts with the refined interior which, through its harmonies of blue, white and gold, recalls the opera of Versailles, only smaller since it has a capacity of just one hundred people. But the greatest luxury is not in the wood-panelled room painted in a false, veined white marble and adorned with pasteboard sculptures - it lies in the machinery used for the scenery changes, which has fortunately been preserved.
The inside of the theatre can be viewed from the hall without a guide.

Jussieu Pavilion - Research Centre

The Palace of Versailles Research Centre focuses on research and training in relation to courtly traditions at Versailles and throughout Europe, mainly in the 17th and 18th century.
The Jussieu Pavilion is not accessible without a guide.

Temple Of Love

This Temple of Love, which Marie-Antoinette could see from her room in the Petit Trianon, was erected by Richard Mique in 1778 in a neo-classical style. Fully decorated in marble, this precious building is especially remarkable for the quality of the sculptures by Deschamps which ornament the Corinthian capitals, the friezes and the inside of the dome.

Belvedere

Dominating the lake, this charming octagonal pavilion was built by Richard Mique in 1777. It is complemented on the exterior by several sculptures by Deschamps: a fruit frieze garland once painted with colours, pediments evoking the pleasures of hunting and gardening, window imposts symbolising the four seasons.
The Belvedere can only be viewed from the exterior.

Anglo-Chinese Garden

Sacrificing the botanic garden of Louis XV, Marie-Antoinette commissioned her architect, Richard Mique, and the painter Hubert Robert to create a picturesque garden. The vogue at the time was for English-style gardens, consisting of an artificial succession of "natural" landscapes. The Queen dreamed of free nature that was not imprisoned in glasshouses or parterres.

Rock

The Rock is a man-made elevation near the Belvedere. It took four years to complete, from 1778 to 1782. Thanks to a reservoir behind it, water flows into the lake in a torrent.

Cool Pavilion

The Cool Pavilion was built in 1751 to serve as a dining room, probably for the consumption of produce from the dairy and vegetable garden.
A number of architectural digs took place in the Pavilion Frais garden between 2006 and 2009, the results of which were used to restore this building, which was built during Louis XV's reign and destroyed in 1810.
The Cool Pavilion can only be viewed from the exterior.

Jussieu Garden

In 1759, at the request of Louis XV, a famous botanist called Bernard de Jussieu created a botanical garden at Trianon and had the biggest glasshouses in Europe built. Today this is called the Jussieu Garden. With gardeners Claude and Antoine Richard, he undertook experiments on exotic or rare plants: strawberries, pineapples, tobacco, etc.

The Perfumer’S Garden

At the centre of the Estate of Trianon, this new garden features hundreds of flower essences, telling the story of the history of perfume and its uses at the Court of Versailles.

This garden has been developed thanks to the patronage of Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

Access by guided tour/workshop only.

Queen’S Hamlet

Marie-Antoinette, seeking to flee the Court of Versailles, ordered the construction of her hamlet in 1783. She regularly went there to experience the charms of country life, surrounded by her lady's companions. It became a genuine farm, managed by a farmer, whose produce supplied the kitchens of the Palace.
The workshops in the Hamlet can only be viewed from the exterior.

Queen's House

The interior visit is only available on a guided tour

The largest building in the Hamlet, the Queen's House has a dining room and a games room on the ground floor, while the first floor is made up of a large living room, a small living room and a Chinese room. The building is linked to the Billiard House by a wooden gallery, decorated with white and blue faience flower pots with Marie-Antoinette's initials.

Boudoir

With its roof of reeds, dormer window, its lean-to and old stone staircase, the small Queen’s House, known as the boudoir, is made up of a living room and a wardrobe and is surrounded by a closed garden.

Warming Room

With its arrangement of right angles, the Warming Room is a traditional cottage that housed a large kitchen, a pantry and small offices. Dishes were brought here before being served in the dining rooms of Marie-Antoinette's Petit Trianon.

Guard House

Swiss Guard Jean Bersy, guardian of Marie-Antoinette's estate, lived in this small residence, known as the "Swiss House". One of the fences is bordered by a path covered with trellis-work arches where games of bowls took place, restored in the 20th century.

Marlborough Tower

The departure point for boat rides on the lake, the Fishery Tower, known as the Marlborough Tower, houses the material used for pike or carp fishing. Its upper portion was used as an observatory, making it possible to communicate with the Palace of Versailles using signals.

Refreshments Dairy

In the estate Dairy, Marie-Antoinette would taste the skimmed milk and churned butter. The Queen enjoyed using the dairy products from her Hamlet. Furnished with marble tables set with china, the Dairy was restored under Louis XVIII, in the 19th Century.

Dovecote

In Marie-Antoinette's Hamlet, next to the ballroom, the barn and the hen house which have all disappeared, the charming Dovecote still stands, built by Richard Mique in 1783. The Dovecote is located near the stone bridge which spans the carp-populated river, and has been designed in a picturesque style.

Billiard House

Linked to the Queen's House by a wooden gallery, the Billiard House hosted players in the Billiard Room, decorated with wardrobes, one for men and one for women. Upstairs is a small apartment that architect Richard Mique used when he visited the Hamlet.

The Farm

Cows, goats, pigs and rabbits were all kept on the hamlet’s farm. In the fields around the building, various crops were grown, such as lucerne (alfalfa), clover, oats, barley and buckwheat. The Queen’s Hamlet really did have a working farm.