Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Trianon

It's hard for me to remember, exactly, my experience of Versailles in the early '80s. I didn't really have a grasp of the history of the place, apart from it starting out as the hunting lodge of Louis XIII and being transformed into the seat of French government by Louis XIV. Bits and pieces of my first visit come back to me, but probably what made the most impression was the size and scale of the domain.

The entrance courtyard at the Grand Trianon. We didn't go in, just looked from outside.

I was surprised last month to learn the château and the Trianon complex have their own entrance fees as if they're separate attractions. So, when Sue and I decided to go see Marie Antoinette's hamlet, we had to get an additional ticket to enter. We also had to wait a while because the Trianons didn't open until noon. We walked from the entrance to the Petit Trianon over to the entrance to the Grand Trianon while we waited. We also decided to grab a bite before going in. There is a small restaurant at the entrance that offers pre-made sandwiches and salads. We enjoyed that!

With the Grand Trianon at my back, this is the road that leads past the Petit Trianon and the hamlet.

I also did not know what the word "Trianon" means. Apparently, there was once a village in the area called Trianon. That village was annexed into the domain of Versailles by Louis XIV and destroyed so the park could be expanded. All that remains is the name.

5 comments:

  1. Very interesting series on Versailles and lovely photos.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I totally agree with chm; thanks Walt!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just learned what a bosquet is. Another thanks for this series.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm really enjoying this 'visit', never knew anything about Marie-Antoinette's hamlet, so you made me lose myself on the net for quite a while, looking up all the info and amend my lack of knowledge. ;) Thx!

    ReplyDelete
  5. chm, thanks! Glad you're enjoying them.

    jan, :)

    evelyn, I learn a lot by doing it. Writing these things down forces me to read about them first, to verify or correct my assumption. It's a good exercise!

    elgee, I remember cringing when teachers said, "you never stop learning." Damn if they weren't right! ;)

    ReplyDelete

Tell me what you think!