Versailles Part 3: The Trianons

The Grand Trianon was built in the late 1600's as a "home away from home" for Louis XIV.  It was a smaller château where he could spend time with his mistress away from the prying eyes of the court at Versailles.  The Grand Trianon consists of two wings connected by a peristyle, or columned walkway.  The pink marble facade is really striking; this is a view from the back garden.

And a closer view of the outdoor colonnade linking the two parts of the château.

The Grand Trianon has its own gardens, separated from the rest of the Versailles gardens.  We did not walk the whole length of them, but the flowers just behind the palace were lovely.

Inside the Grand Trianon was a special exhibition called "The 18th Century Back in Fashion", showcasing the work of modern clothing designers as influenced by the fashions of the 1700's.

Scattered throughout the rooms of the palace, 50 mannequins sported couture ensembles by designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Lacroix, and Vivienne Westwood.  Photographs were strictly prohibited.

Pink Vivienne Westwood gown in the antechamber

A ruffly pantsuit in Boudoir of the Empress Marie-Louise

Thierry Mugler & Yohji Yamamoto ensembles in the Emperor's Antechamber

Bedchamber of the Queen of the Belgians, with Christian Dior jacket

Cotton candy pink tulle dress by Doutzen Kroes

If you need an escape from all this haute couture, here's a view of the garden.

Okay, sweetie-darlings, here is some more eye candy.

Jean-Paul Gaultier in the very yellow Drawing Room

Elegantly draped Vivienne Westwood gown in the Emperor's Study

Okay, enough fashion!  The Cotelle Gallery is lined with pictures of Versailles and the gardens.

A short distance away from the Grand Trianon is the Petit Trianon.  This smaller home was originally built in the 1760's for Madame de Pompador (Louis XV's mistress), but it was Marie-Antoinette (wife of the next king Louis XVI) who really made it her home.  It was recently restored in 2008 and is now open to the public.

Marie-Antoinette was only 19 years old when her husband ascended the throne.  The pressure of court life could be too much for her at times so she would escape to the Petit Trianon as a place of refuge.  No one (not even the king) was allowed to enter without her express permission.

The entrance to the Petit Trianon is through a rustic, but pretty, courtyard.

The simple, small chapel features a painting by Joseph-Marie Vien called Saint William Offering Lilies to Saint Louis and Marguerite de Provence.

This tiny carriage belonged to Marie-Antoinette's son, the dauphin (that's what the French monarchy used to call the king's eldest son).  The carriage was intended to be drawn by goats instead of ponies.

A bust of Marie-Antoinette is on the mantel in the billiard room.

The railing of the Grand Staircase is ornamented with Marie-Antoinette's initials

The Salon de Compagnie was used as a game room and music room.  The pianoforte was made by Pascal Taskin in 1790.

For this inner drawing room, the queen had a system of moveable/sliding mirrors designed to block the windows from prying eyes.

The Queen's bedroom.  Note the small size of the bed -- it's unlikely that the king spent much time here. His bedroom is tucked away in the attic (only accessible with a guided tour).

The Petit Trianon also has its own gardens.  This is the view of the back of the house from the informal English garden.

This solitary swan was swimming in the stream running through the garden.

Several "follies" (miniature artificial decorative structures) were added to the gardens in the 1770-80's.  This is the Temple of Love, built in the classical style.

A more rustic "folly" is the Queen's Hamlet, a small village built within the gardens.  That will be the next post.