Versailles Part 4: The Queen's Hamlet

In the late 1780's Queen Marie-Antoinette had Richard Mique, her favorite architect, build her a rustic village near her Petit Trianon palace.  There is a mill, a working farm, a dairy, and the queen even kept a small cottage residence there.

The Marlborough Tower was the starting point for boating excursions and it was also used as a signal tower that allowed the queen and staff to communicate with the palace of Versailles without leaving the village.

To reach the farmhouse, you walk past a small vineyard.

The pastoral front view of the farmhouse.  Note the quaint touches such as the thatched roof, wagon, and well.

It is still a working farm -- cows, sheep, goats, mules and chickens were all on display.

Sheep grazing

One of many pumpkins growing in the vegetable gardens.

Pretty windows on one of the farm buildings

This picturesque bridge crosses the stream coming from the lake.

This structure is actually two buildings connected by a balustrade.  On the left, with the wooden spiral staircase, is the Billiard Room.  On the right is the Queen's House.

Each house has a vegetable and/or flower garden.

According to the official Versailles website, the Mill was used as a laundry facility for the hamlet and was also used for grinding flour.  According to wikipedia, the millwheel is non-functional and grain was never processed there.  Either way, it's a pretty building.

Pink flowers line the steps leading to the queen's boudoir.

After touring the hamlet, we made our way on foot back to the Château.  After five straight hours of walking, we were kicking ourselves for not renting one of these convenient golf carts.

And here are a few final views as we leave the Château.  Don't worry, we will be back tomorrow night for the Grandes Eaux Nocturnes (evening fountain and firework show).  Here is one last view of the Latonne fountain with the palace in the background.

 

And here is a statue representing the River Rhône, one of eight river statues adorning the Water Parterre.