Audio GuideQueen’s Hamlet
Hameau de la Reine
Lakeside folly commissioned by Queen Marie-Antoinette in 1783, designed to resemble a working farm.
Museum
Versailles, France
The Hameau de la Reine rests in the park of the Palace of Versailles near the Petit Trianon. Commissioned by Queen Marie Antoinette in seventeen eighty-three and completed by seventeen eighty-six, it served as a private escape from the rigid formality of court life. Inspired by natural simplicity and the ideas of thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the queen created a bucolic retreat that mirrored a working farm.
The hamlet blends Norman, Flemish, and French architectural styles. Its charming cottages and functional buildings feature half-timbered facades, reed-thatched roofs, and decorative gables. This design was led by Richard Mique with creative input from the painter Hubert Robert. Standout structures include the Queen’s House, which connects to a billiard room via a curved wooden gallery, a small boudoir for private moments, a decorative mill that once served as a laundry, and the enchanting Marlborough Tower.
Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the village maintained orchards and vegetable gardens, reflecting the everyday life of the time. Today, visitors can stroll through this picturesque landscape where art, history, and nature meet, offering a glimpse into the private world of one of France’s most famous queens.
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