Château du Petit Trianon, Neoclassical castle in the park of Versailles, France

The Château du Petit Trianon is a square stone building 23 metres on each side, with four facades of five tall windows framed by Corinthian columns or pilasters. Because the ground slopes, the service ground floor opens only to the south and east; the noble floor above is reached by a grand staircase from a vestibule conceived as an inner courtyard. An entresol of three rooms held Marie-Antoinette's library, and the attic rooms once assigned to Louis XV now evoke the "Dames de Trianon".

Louis XV decided in 1749 to reclaim Trianon and, urged by Madame de Pompadour, planned a small country pavilion; the Seven Years' War delayed the project. The final decision came on 20 May 1762, with 700,000 livres allocated after the Treaty of Paris, and Ange-Jacques Gabriel built it from 1762 to 1768. Pompadour died before completion and Madame du Barry inaugurated it in 1768; Louis XVI then gave it to Marie-Antoinette.

The castle marks a shift in French royal taste, moving away from ornate Rococo toward simpler, more orderly design. Visitors can see this change in the clean lines and balanced proportions that define the building's appearance.

The castle sits within the Versailles park and is accessible on foot, though interior visits operate on limited schedules with some days closed to the public. Check opening hours in advance and allow time to explore both the exterior and any accessible rooms inside.

The attic level once held lodgings assigned to Louis XV and his suite; today these rooms display an evocation of the "Dames de Trianon", the women who left their mark on the building, from Madame de Pompadour to Marie-Antoinette. Look up at the top floor above the Corinthian pilasters.