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Versailles is a French city that served as the capital of France for over a hundred years, from 1682 to 1789. Today, it is an important administrative and judicial center that is located west of the current capital, Paris. With a population that doesn’t exceed 100,000 people; the city of Versailles is known for being the city where the most famous treaties were signed. This includes the Treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolutionary War and the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I.Versailles, the beautiful French city is rich in architecture, and is renowned for being the site of one of the largest and most beautiful palaces in the world, the Chateau de Versailles. It is also the site of the Grand Trianon.

The Grand Trianon History

As the reigning King of France, Louis XIV often tried of the pomp and circumstance of the main palace. He desired a place he could go to escape the strict etiquette of the Court. He wanted a retreat where he would take his mistress and other invited guests away from the scrutiny of the Palace. In 1670, he purchased a hamlet on the outskirts of Versailles called Trianon. He commissioned a young architect named Louis Le Vau to build a porcelain pavilion out of white and blue porcelain tiles. The pavilion was finished in 1672 and named the “Porcelain Trianon”. However the porcelain did not hold up well and by 1687, the pavilion had deteriorated so badly that King Louis XIV ordered for it to be demolished. He wanted it replaced with another structure of greater beauty that was made out of a stronger material. King Louis XIV adored the design ideas of the architect Jules Hardouin Mansart and commissioned him to build the new structure.However, Jules Hardouin Mansart did not just design and build a replacement for the “Porcelain Trianon” that had been demolished. Following the specifications of King Louis XIV, what he designed was a small palace named the “Grand Trianon”. Many feel that the “Grand Trianon” is the most refined group of buildings anywhere in the Palace of Versailles. Made mostly from light red marble from Languedoc, Jules Hardouin Mansart once described the “Grand Trianon” as “a little pink marble and porphyry palace with delightful gardens.”

The Beauty and Magnificence of the The Grand Trianon

The Grand Trianon is not little by any means, although it is significantly smaller than the main palace. However, the single story palace “radiates a sense of coziness, sweetness, and grandeur” all at the same time. When viewing the Grand Trianon, it is clear that the architecture of the building was greatly influenced by Italian architecture. The fact that it’s made of marble is the first sign of the Italian influence. It has many marble columns and the windows are all well proportioned that lend to its beauty and charm. The Grand Trianon sits in between a courtyard and a garden. Like many Italian influenced structures, the Grand Trianon has a flat roof. The roof was hidden at one time by a balustrade that includes vases, statues of children and sculptures. Since its design in 1687, the Grand Trianon has undergone quite a few renovations and the balustrade has since been removed.It took six months for Jules Hardouin Mansart to complete the Grand Trianon. In January of 1688, King Louis XIV and his mistress, Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon moved into the residence for the first time.Even with the elaborate furnishing, delicate works of art, and gorgeous chandeliers, the most impressive and memorable feature of the Grand Trianon are the elegant and well manicured gardens. King Louis XIV was infatuated with nature and required that the Grand Trianon have elaborate gardens.

The Grand Trianon: The Internal Divisions and Structure

Centered around the cour d’honneure, the Grand Trianon in divided into two halves. South of the courtyard are the kitchens and the apartments of the Grand Dauphin, the king’s oldest son. North of the courtyard are the royal apartments. King Louis XIV insisted on having a colonnade built that would allow views of the gardens from the cour d’honneur.The geometrical French-style gardens are filled with thousands of potted flowers and plants that can be changed often. The shrubbery and flowers bring color to the gardens and are changed often, to create a beautiful and fragrant flower show. Bunches of trees surround the gardens. This tousled landscaping design provides a contrast to the gardens’ perfectly manicured horizon.Besides luxurious and fragrant flowers, the Grand Trianon gardens also feature parterres and terraces that descend towards the Petit Canal. However the principle feature of the Grand Trianon gardens is not the flowers or the exquisitely designed terraces. The principle feature of these famous gardens is a fountain that was designed by Jules Hardouin M called the Buffet d’Eau.Like the Grand Trianon, the Buffet d’Eau is constructed of light red marble. The fountain is shaped like a stepped cake stand with a basin underneath. Sculptures of Neptune, the God of Water and Amphitrite, the Sea Goddess, dominate the center of the fountain. They are framed by two bronze lions.

Grand Visitors for The Grand Trianon

Over the years, the Grand Trianon hosted the king, his mistress, and his family whenever they wanted to retreat from their hectic lives at Court. During his reign, the King’s sister-in-law, Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, known only at court as Madame, made the Grand Trianon her permanent residence. In 1708 King Louis XIV once again commissioned Jules Hardouin Mansart to build a wing called the Trianon sous Bois for the Orleans family that included King Louis XIV’s daughter Francoise-Marie de Bourbon.King Louis XIV died in Versailles in 1715; however the Grand Trianon was used frequently by his predecessors. Some of the most notable occupants of the Grand Trianon are Peter the Great, the Emperor of Russia, Marie-Antoinette, and Stanislas Leszczynski, the former king of Poland stayed there during his frequent trips to Versailles.Unfortunately, during the French Revolution, the Grand Trianon was neglected. The original furniture and artwork were scattered all over France. At that time, Napoleon Bonaparte and his second wife, the Empress Maria Louise of Austria, took up residence there. Napoleon refurnished the small palace, in the Empire Style that he enjoyed.

The Grand Trianon, and Its Journey Towards the Future

In 1963 the president of France, Charles de Gaulle had the Grand Trianon renovated and restored as a guesthouse for the presidents of France. The wing that had been built for the Orleans family was converted into an official presidential residence.Today, the Grand Trianon is a popular tourist attraction in Versailles. Because it is not very close in distance to the Grand Chateaux, the Grand Trianon sees fewer crowds than the main palace which adds to the charm of the small palace.The Grand Trianon is still used as a presidential retreat, and is often used by the French President to host and entertain foreign officials.