The Petit Trianon
On Gingerguide's self-guided Versailles audio tour, The Petit Trianon is a stop worth about ~30 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type palace
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Versailles Versailles guide
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About The Petit Trianon
A sober neoclassical cube built for Louis XV and his mistresses, not for Marie-Antoinette, who received it only in 1774 and remade its gardens entirely into her own.
The Petit Trianon was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel and built between 1762 and 1768. It was commissioned by Louis XV, initially in connection with Madame de Pompadour, who died in 1764, four years before completion; Madame du Barry then became the first to stay there regularly. It was therefore not built for Marie-Antoinette. On his accession in 1774, Louis XVI gave the pavilion and its grounds to his nineteen-year-old wife for her exclusive use, and it became closely identified with her.
Architecturally it is a landmark of early French Neoclassicism, a cube-like pavilion with four differing facades, marking a shift away from Rococo. Marie-Antoinette reworked the grounds into an Anglo-Chinese landscape garden and added structures including the Temple of Love and, later, the Queen's Hamlet, so the gardens seen today are largely her creation rather than Gabriel's original layout.
Did you know? Despite its bond with Marie-Antoinette, the Petit Trianon was built for Louis XV and his mistress Madame de Pompadour. She died in 1764, four years before it was finished, never having lived there.
How much time do you need at The Petit Trianon?
Around ~30 min works well for The Petit Trianon — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at The Petit Trianon?
Yes — The Petit Trianon made the cut as one of 15 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Versailles. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Versailles
Day 2 of the Versailles in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of The Petit Trianon
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