Everybody knows Versailles for the main castle, the Chateau, but inside the jardins you may find other palaces. The most important of them is the Grand Trianon, a place built for Madame de Montespan, a royal lady with whom the king Luis XIV had an affair, and used by many queens after that, including Maria Antonieta, the one whose head was cut off during the French Revolution.
The palace is built out of beautiful pink and blue marble and it is located the west side of the gardens of Versailles. It is reserved from the big castle and it was used by the royalties to have more privacy.
Inside the palace you'll be able to see many fancy furniture, decorations and the royalty rooms, being able to imagine their lives there. Also, don't miss the balcony, with pink marble columnes and gold details, from where you can see the simetrical gardens that surround the palace.
History
The palace was first built in 1630's but the decorations made of porcelain didn't last long and the palace was reformed by the next king. A nice garden was also built in it, following the French style seen in the main castle (le Chateau de Versailles).
Le Grand Trianon was built in a place where there used to be a village with the same name, but the residents were kicked out by the king Luis XIV to build the palace. Years later, another small village was built in the domains of the Trianon as an exact resemblance of the one destroied, as wished the queen Maria Antonieta.
This queen also had another palace built in the domains of the Trianon, the Petit Trianon, a little bit smaller.
During the French Revolution in the Grand Trianon was again destroyed, but it now restaurated and open for visitations.
Visitations
To visit the Grand Trianon you need to buy tickets: it will be 20 euros with the entrance to the main palace or 12 euros only to visit the domains of Trianon. For students living in the European Union and under 25 years old, the entrance is free.
Even though it can be expensive, it is totally worth it. If you're not impressed by the Chateau and the main gardens, the Trianon domains will totally impress you!
