When Louis XVI presented le Petit Trianon Château to his wife Marie-Antoinette in 1774, he gave her a master key encrusted in diamonds.[1] Although she was the first resident of the Château, it had been commissioned by her father-in-law Louis XV for his mistress Madame du Barry. After his death, Madame du Barry was banished from the court, never having inhabited her Petit Trianon. The Château has always been a space dominated by women. After Madame du Barry and Marie-Antoinette were forced to abandon the estate, other remarkable women followed. Napoleon I’s sister Princess Pauline Borghèse spent time there, and after a major restoration, le Petit Trianon was later presented to his second wife Marie-Louise (who happened to be Marie-Antoinette’s great-niece). In 1867, Napoleon III’s wife the Empress Eugénie transformed the Château into a museum honoring Marie-Antoinette.
Conceived as a refuge for happiness, le Petit Trianon offered Marie-Antoinette respite from the demands of the court. Although sumptuous and extravagant, her château feels cozy next to its neighbor le Grand Trianon and to the even grander Château de Versailles. Its smaller scale makes it inviting, and the bright floral fabrics infuse the space with a femininity that is absent in other areas of the Domain.
The gardens of le Petit Trianon are extensive and varied. The French Garden and French Pavilion are right outside the Château. The garden is orderly and symmetrical, and its seasonal flowers are glorious. Beyond the French Garden is the Queen’s Garden. Inspired by English gardens, it has meandering pathways, lakes, a belvedere, a Greek style Temple of Love, and a grotto. After the rambling Queen’s Garden lies The Queen’s Hamlet, a rustic-looking reproduction of a Norman village whose recent restoration was sponsored by Dior. Visits of the interiors of the buildings are by reservation only, in French, and all visitors are required to wear special slippers!
With limited time in Versailles, should you even venture to Marie Antoinette’s château? Without a doubt, yes. In fact, you should spend an extra half-day in Versailles so that you can have a leisurely visit of Marie Antoinette’s château and gardens. Louis XIV’s golden palace draws people to Versailles, but Marie Antoinette’s estate is slightly less crowded and therefore much calmer. If you visit France with daughters, nieces, or granddaughters, le Petit Trianon gives them a glimpse of a world in which women had a degree of agency and power. In addition, the stunning gardens and Queen’s Hamlet alone are worth an afternoon visit.
If you are on the fence about carving out time for a visit of Marie Antionette’s estate or if you want to treat yourself to a visual feast, check out Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antionette (2006). The film contains a number of historical inaccuracies, but the scenes shot at le Petit Trianon depict the Château as the refuge of happiness intended by its most famous mistress.
Allison’s Tips
Access: Le Petit Trianon is 30 minutes on foot from the Château de Versailles or 20 minutes on the Petit Train. Visitors can also access le Petit Trianon from the Boulevard de la Reine.
Hours: 12:00-5:30, Tuesday-Sunday
Tickets: Visit of the Trianon Estates is included in the Passeport tickets (20-27€) . Otherwise, tickets cost 12€. Children under 18 are free. Visit of the gardens is included with admission.
For a detailed introduction to Le Petit Trianon, read Jérémie Benoît’s guide The Petit Trianon: Marie-Antionette’s Château
[1] The Petit Trianon: Marie Antionette’s Château, by Jérémie Benoît
These days, I’m living my best book life. I have short, precarious stacks of books all over the house: travel guides, novels, poetry, cookbooks. I love my books, but I am hard on them. I make copious notations, I stash them in my bag when I’m on the go, and if I sense someone needs my book more than I do, I give it away.