The Petit Trianon and the Grand Trianon at Versailles

The Petit Trianon was originally built at the request of Madame de Pompadour, the king's favorite, who wanted a charming setting that could amuse the king. It was inaugurated in 1769. The building reached the height of its use in the second half of the eighteenth century, when Louis XVI gave it to his wife, Marie-Antoinette. The young queen renovated the space, notably having an English-style garden planted in place of the old greenhouses, and she often took refuge there to escape the pomp and etiquette of the court, which sometimes weighed heavily on her.

In 1687, Louis XIV commissioned what the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart described as a small palace of pink marble and porphyry with delicious gardens. The Grand Trianon served as a refuge for the king, who could escape the constant bustle of the court while surrounding himself with more select company. To be invited there was a privilege, an honor granted to few courtiers, and over the centuries famous figures stayed there, among them Napoleon.