Petit Trianon

Coordinates: 48°48′56″N 2°06′35″E / 48.815639°N 2.109675°E / 48.815639; 2.109675

Petit Trianon (French pronunciation: ​[pəti tʁijanɔ̃]; "small Trianon"), built between 1762 and 1768 during the reign of Louis XV, is a small château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France. The park of the Grand Trianon includes the Petit Trianon.

Design and construction

It was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel by the order of Louis XV for his long-term mistress, Madame de Pompadour, and was constructed between 1762 and 1768. Madame de Pompadour died four years before its completion, and the Petit Trianon was subsequently occupied by her successor, Madame du Barry. Upon his accession to the throne in 1774, the 20-year-old Louis XVI gave the château and its surrounding park to his 19-year-old Queen Marie Antoinette for her exclusive use and enjoyment.

The château of the Petit Trianon is a celebrated example of the transition from the Rococo style of the earlier part of the 18th century, to the more sober and refined, Neoclassical style of the 1760s and onward. Essentially an exercise on a cube, the Petit Trianon attracts interest by virtue of its four facades, each thoughtfully designed according to that part of the estate it would face. The Corinthian order predominates, with two detached and two semi-detached pillars on the side of the formal French garden, and pilasters facing both the courtyard and the area once occupied by Louis XV's greenhouses. Overlooking the former botanical garden of the king, the remaining facade was left bare. The subtle use of steps compensates for the differences in level of the château's inclined location.

Le Petit Trianon

Le Petit Trianon is a mansion on the grounds of De Anza College at 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., in Cupertino, California.

Built in 1892 for Charles A. Baldwin and his wife Ellen Hobart Baldwin, the mansion was once the center of their successful wine-producing estate where the couple was known to entertain lavishly. Baldwin installed a massive stone winery; built underground cellars (today part of the De Anza College grounds) and planted vines from Bordeaux and other regions of France. Under the label Beaulieu, Baldwin's wines were sold in New York, London and Central America.

The design for Le Petit Trianon was drawn from classical French architectural motifs popular in America at the end of the 19th century. It is also the only example of "V" rustic redwood construction remaining in the area. The name Le Petite Trianon stems from its similarities to the architecture of "Le Grand Trianon," built for Louis XIV of France. Similar detail to this French precedent can be seen in Le Petit Trianon's columns, pilasters, windows and wood window shutters.