Grand Trianon, Versailles (must see)

Grand Trianon stands in splendour in its own park on the north-west part of Versailles and is one of the most visited of all Versailles’ beautiful buildings.

It stands on what was once the small hamlet of Trianon, which was annexed by King Louis 14th in 1668. He commissioned Louis le Vau to build a porcelain palace which he could use as a retreat for himself and his mistress Madame de Montespan.

The palace had a blue and white ceramic façade which began to look a bit tatty after a few years and in 1687 the king had it pulled down for a new, much larger building to be erected in its place.

This commission was given to architect Jules Hardouin Mansart, who built the palace you can visit today. The red marble, single storey building was finished in 1688 and the king used it as a summer residence, holding dinner parties there for personal friends.

During the reigns of Louis 15th and 16th the palace was used to house members of the royal family and visiting dignitaries. In 1708, a large wing was added to house the members of the royal family of Orleans.

During the French Revolution it became dilapidated, but was restored under the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte and he often stayed here with his second wife. The furnishings you will see today date back to when he lived there.