Petit Trianon

The Petit Trianon is a small château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France.

Design and construction

It was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel by the order of Louis XV for his long-term mistress, Madame de Pompadour, and was constructed between 1762-1768. Madame de Pompadour died four years before its completion, and it was subsequently occupied by her successor, Madame du Barry. Upon his accession to the throne in 1774, the 20-year-old Louis XVI gave the château and its surrounding park to his 19-year-old Queen Marie Antoinette for her exclusive use and enjoyment.

The château of the Petit Trianon is a celebrated example of the transition from the Rococo style of the earlier part of the 18th century, to the more sober and refined, Neoclassical style of the 1760s and onward. The exterior of the château is simple and elegant, architecturally correct, and highly original. Essentially an exercise on a cube, the Petit Trianon attracts interest by virtue of its four facades, each thoughtfully designed according to that part of the estate it would face. The Corinthian order predominates, with two detached and two semi-detached pillars on the side of the formal French garden, and pilasters facing both the courtyard and the area once occupied by Louis XV's greenhouses. Overlooking the former botanical garden of the king, the remaining facade was left bare. The subtle use of steps compensates for the differences in level of the château's inclined location.

Marie Antoinette would come to the Petit Trianon not only to escape the formality of court life, but also to shake off the burden of her royal responsibilities. Since all was "de par la Reine" (by order of the Queen), none were permitted to enter the property without the Queen's express permission (not even, it was said, Louis XVI). Such exclusivity alienated the court nobility since only the queen's "inner circle" (including the Princess de Lamballe, and Gabrielle de Polastron, duchesse de Polignac) were invited.

A house of intimacy and of pleasure, the building was designed to require as little interaction between guests and servants as possible. To that end, the table in the salles à manger was conceived to be mobile, mechanically lowered and raised through the floorboards so that the servants below could set places sight unseen. The tables were never built, but the delineation for the mechanical apparatus can still be seen from the foundation. In addition, she had a "Garden of Eden" designed, with extravagant gardens and servants to take care of various livestock.

Within the queen's apartment, one discerns Marie Antoinette's incessant need for privacy: the decor of her boudoir displays an inventiveness unique to the age, featuring mirrored panels that, by the simple turning of a crank, can be raised or lowered to obscure the windows. Her bedroom, although simple, is also elegant, provided with furniture from Georges Jacob and Jean Henri Riesener. The wallpaper was painted by Jean-Baptiste Pillement.

Moberly-Jourdain incident

The Moberly-Jourdain incident is alleged to have occurred on August 10, 1901 in the gardens of the Petit Trianon. In 1911, two English academics, Charlotte Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain, pseudonymously published a book entitled An Adventure, in which they claimed to have experienced a time slip during a visit to the Petit Trianon, and seen Marie Antoinette as well as many other people of the same period. The book caused a sensation with the public despite dismissal by critics.

See also

  • Subsidiary structures of the Palace of Versailles
  • Grand Trianon
  • Petit Hameau
  • Moberly-Jourdain incident
  • The design of the Kentucky Governor's Mansion was inspired by Petit Trianon

References

Шаблон:Reflist

External links

Шаблон:Commonscat-inline

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Anders Sjöstedt
27 March 2013
Take the RER from just south of Notre Dame straight to Versailles. See the main palace if you must, but don't miss Marie Antoinette's little getaway. Our reaction: "We could totally live here."
Carlos Rangel
10 January 2022
This place has amazing gardens and is close to the Queen’s Hamlet, the interior is amazing, do not forget to spend some time visiting it.
Alan x el mundo
16 November 2016
De las partes más bonitas y no tan visitadas. Este era el mundo de Maria Antonieta
Andrea Amaral
2 October 2015
Também é imperdível! Chegue cedo a Versalhes ( muito tranquilo ir de RER), e conheça o castelo, jardins e pequeno e grande Trianon
Julien @opiwann
15 July 2017
Superbe collection d'objets, bijou d'architecture, nettement plus calme que le château. Allez y! Foncez!
Benjamin
7 September 2014
Des jardins magnifiques et agréables un peu plus champêtre que les bosquets de Versailles
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