Marie-Antoinette’s Versailles Hamlet

I recently watched Sophia Coppola’s stunning version of the life of Marie-Antoinette, France’s iconic but ill-fated queen. And while enjoying this contemporary trip into a lavish piece of French history, I had the opportunity to envisage how this Austrian-born queen may have spent her time in the garden that she had built as a personal oasis. Marie-Antoinette’s Versailles Hamlet afforded her a humble retreat from the opulence and grandeur of the Versailles Chateau.

The Queen’s House

I first visited le Hameau de la Reine in the spring of 2016 and I must admit, I was disappointed. For metal scaffolding covered the Queen’s House that I had been so looking forward to seeing. You see, it was in the midst of a three-year restoration. I remember feeling that same disappointment during my first visit to Notre Dame Cathedral in 1995 when it’s towers were similarly cloaked. Looking back at these experiences now though, I am happy to have been able to see these historic sites in that state. It’s a relatively short-lived opportunity that has added a richness to my memories of them. And one that I got to experience for a second time recently, with respect to Notre Dame. You too can get a taste of it in my series Saving Notre Dame: An Epic Endeavour.

Interestingly, the Versailles Chapel too was under renovation during a return visit in the summer of 2018. It’s exterior, though, was clad much differently, giving visitors a glimpse into its interior glory.

And fortunately for me, the restoration of the Hamlet had been completed earlier that same year. A restoration, by the way, that was sponsored by the famous French fashion house, Dior.  It was quite a different version of la Maison de la Reine that I saw then. For here was the fairy-tale façade that I had so looked forward to seeing. It was a life-sized dollhouse that any little girl would dream of living in. And the circular staircase en-wrapping a tree on the adjoining Billiard House completed the illusion.

The Watermill

This idyllic royal jardin is tucked into a corner of Marie-Antoinette’s Trianon Estate. Built between 1783 and 1786 by Richard Mique, it was inspired by the half-timbered houses of Normandy. And while most of its ten buildings had a specific purpose, the waterwheel of le Moulin à Eau is purely decorative. In my opinion though, it is one of the prettiest fabriques in the park, with it’s many nooks and crannies, vine-covered arbour and hollyhock-decorated stucco walls.

And a nearby arbour-covered walkway provides one of its most pleasing views. It’s easy to imagine la reine strolling along this gravel path, taking shelter from the mid-summer heat beneath its vibrant, grape-covered arch. And perhaps, discovering a new friend or two. I know I was certainly grateful for it’s cooling shade on a sun-drenched day in July.

Marie-Antoinette’s Versailles Hamlet was designed in the spirit of getting back to nature, as advocated at the time by Enlightenment philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The queen insisted that le Hameau be a functioning farm. This meant that each fabrique, with the exception of the Marlborough Tower, was built with it’s own garden. This focus on an agricultural purpose, in addition to producing food for its guests and facilitating plant experimentation, also provided an educational tool for the queen’s children. These boxwood-bordered plots have been restored and are once more meticulously maintained by the gardeners of Versailles.

The Farm

And so, la Ferme is a farm within a farm. A going concern until the onset of the Revolution, it was built complete with stables, pig sty, sheep pen and hen house. Today it is once more a working farm, yielding a variety of produce and supporting an array of livestock.

The Marlborough Tower

The Hamlet occupies a crescent of land on the edge of le Grand Lac. And le tour de Marlborough anchors one edge of this little village. Named after a popular song of the time, the elegant Marlborough Tower, with its Roman-like walls, is a Fishery, crowned with a lighthouse. A small adjoining jetty provides boat access to the lake. As a rower, I love that idea. As l’Abeille Française, I love the beehives situated next to it. Jutting up next to the tower is la Laiterie. This little Dairy is where Marie-Antoinette sampled the abundance produced by her tiny Farm.

The Boudoir

Some of these rustic little cottages, such as le Boudoir, concealed elegantly decorated interiors. And while la Maison de la Reine was reserved solely for the Queen’s use, she often invited others to join her in the richly furnished fabriques. I imagine only a privileged few had the honour of being included in these petites fêtes.

We have, in no small part, Napoléon I to thank for the existence of Marie-Antoinette’s Versailles Hamlet today. For he restored the entire Versailles Estate during his reign as Emperor following the French Revolution. His second wife, Marie-Louise, the woman he left Joséphine for in order to increase his odds of producing an heir, became the recipient of his efforts. A great-niece of Marie-Antoinette, she continued the tradition of hosting country parties at le Hameau. The Hamlet was occupied for the final time in the 19th century, by the Duchess of Orleans, daughter-in-law of King Louis-Philippe.

Château de Versailles  Place d’Armes, 78000 Versailles, France