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Belvédère (Petit Trianon)
Neoclassical garden built between 1778 and 1781 for Marie-Antoinette. / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Belvédère du Petit Trianon, or Pavillon du Rocher, is a neoclassical garden built by Richard Mique between 1778 and 1781 for the French queen Marie-Antoinette within the Jardin anglais du Petit Trianon on the grounds of the Château de Versailles.
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Location | France |
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Designer | Richard Mique |
Beginning date | 1778 |
Completion date | 1781 |
Website | http://www.chateauversailles.fr/decouvrir-domaine/domaine-marie-antoinette-/les-jardins-et-le-hameau/le-jardin-anglais- |
A small octagonal pavilion, designed by the Queen's architect, is one of the features of the new garden of the Petit Trianon and serves as a music salon. It is flanked by an artificial rock from which a waterfall cascades and is surrounded by miniature mountains that form an alpine garden. It is guarded by eight stone sphinxes sculpted by Joseph Deschamps. Deschamps was also responsible for decorating the eight facades, whose bas-reliefs allegorize the four seasons and whose pediments are decorated with attributes of hunting and gardening. The interior salon is richly decorated with arabesques painted on stucco depicting scenes from nature, a marble floor, and a ceiling by Jean-Jacques Lagrenée depicting cherubs in a blue sky.
Despite enduring two centuries of deterioration and alteration, the Belvédère du Petit Trianon and its rock were restored and meticulously brought back to their ancien régime condition in 2012. This extensive restoration, encompassing the Alpine Garden, was a labor of love, restoring the entire structure to its former glory. Now listed as a historic monument, along with the Château de Versailles and its outbuildings, it is a testament to the dedication and care put into preserving our history. It is now open to the public as part of the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon within the Domaine de Marie-Antoinette.