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Petit Trianon

France · 18th century

Founded
1762
Style
Classicism
Architect
Ange-Jacques Gabriel
Location
Versailles
Coordinates
48.81569°, 2.10972°
Links
Wikimedia Commons
Open on the map →Official website ↗Wikipedia ↗
Petit Trianon in France
Photo: KimonBerlin · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Description

The Petit Trianon (French pronunciation: [pəti tʁijanɔ̃]; French for 'small Trianon') is a Neoclassical style château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France. It was built between 1762 and 1768 during the reign of King Louis XV. The Petit Trianon was constructed within the gardens of a larger royal retreat known as the Grand Trianon.

The Petit Trianon was built on the site of a botanical garden developed about a decade earlier by Louis XV, within the grounds of the Grand Trianon, Louis XIV's retreat. It was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel by order of Louis XV for his mistress, Madame de Pompadour, and was constructed between 1762 and 1768. Madame de Pompadour died four years before its completion, and the Petit Trianon 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 wife, Marie Antoinette, for her exclusive use.

The Petit Trianon is an example of the transition from the Rococo style of the earlier part of the 18th century to the Neoclassical style of the 1760s and onward. It attracts interest in its four façades, each designed according to that part of the estate it would face. The Corinthian order predominates, with two freestanding and two engaged columns 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 façade was left bare.

Marie Antoinette would visit the Petit Trianon to escape the formality of court life and to rest from her royal responsibilities. Since it was her private property, no one was permitted to enter the property without the Queen's permission. Only the Queen's inner circle (including the princesse de Lamballe and the duchesse de Polignac) were invited, which alienated the court nobility. In the spring of 1779, Marie Antoinette retired to the Petit Trianon to recover from illness after the birth of her daughter Marie-Thérèse. Her entire household came with her, as well as four male friends to attend her: the duc de Coigny, the duc de Guînes, the comte d'Esterházy, and the baron de Besenval. This innocent activity was in violation of court etiquette and caused gossip to circulate.

Text adapted from “Petit Trianon” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

In the rankings

Petit Trianon ranks #152 of 9,902 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #20 of the 954 mapped in France. Founded 1762, it is older than 16% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 757 atlas entries founded in the 18th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 28,522 times in the last 60 days, more than 98% of the atlas. 55 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Paris, 18 km away. See how France compares in the castle statistics.

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