The palace at Versailles is the home that nearly everyone associates with Marie Antoinette but there's another location on the grounds, called Petit Trianon, where the last queen of France escaped from the public eye. Translated to 'small palace,' that is, indeed, what Petit Trianon was. It was here that Marie Antoinette would have moments to herself and they didn't always just include her - there were many rumors that she wasn't always alone in this part of the palace.
It was also here that her grown-up playhouse, Hameau de la Reine, was built. This is where Marie Antoinette would practice living life as a normal person, away from the prying eyes of the general public and the rest of Versailles. While the names of these places imply that they were small parts of the land, they were actually quite large; Petit Trianon encompassed small, thatched cottages, a farm, a windmill, and took up the entirety of a small hamlet. It was altogether not a great look for the queen of France at the time while many outside of the palace gates were impoverished and without food, as she took up a partial separate residence outside of an already elaborate palace home.
Petit Trianon
King Louis XVI presented Marie Antoinette with the gift of Petit Trianon when she was only 19, and it was intended to be somewhat of an escape for her. The gift would, in turn, prove to be exactly that - when her duties were fulfilled to the extent at which they were expected, the queen would often spend time in her 'smaller' mansion, away from everyone else. Petit Trianon was, for all intents and purposes, a smaller estate that shared the same land as Versailles. While the palace was often full of people, Petit Trianon was used exclusively by Marie Antoinette with guests that she allowed at her own discretion. This, of course, stirred up some controversy and gave the queen quite a scandalous reputation, although none of it has been proven true.
The cottages consisted of the windmill which was for decorative purposes and not actually in working order, the Queen's House, boudoir, stove room, and billiard room. Across the water, there was a fully-working farm which included both a working dairy and one that was for show, a barn, the guardhouse, and the fisherman's cottage. The farm itself was there to serve the purpose of education for the children, as they learned what it took to run a farm and how to care for the animals and the dairy. While many assumed the setting was a place where the queen pretended she was not royalty, it was actually a place of serenity and relaxation for her. Walks along these grounds served as a way to offset so much time spent in the public eye and tied to her obligations, which is why the scenery was as lavish and peaceful as it was.
In contrast to the serenity of the location, it was often said that Marie Antoinette would entertain suitors here, as well. It was rumored that she met with various figures, many of whom held a high political or royal status of their own, to entertain them at Petit Trianon. It was also rumored that some of the queen's close friends were also romantically involved with her, male and female, but none of these rumors were ever confirmed or came close to having concrete evidence deeming them so. In reality, it's likely that this theoretical home away from home allowed the queen a much-needed break and casual time with those close to her.
The Decay And Restoration Of Petit Trianon
During the French Revolution, Petit Trianon became nothing of consequence as people stormed Versailles in search of the king and queen. The hamlet's grounds were forgotten and fell into disarray, with no upkeep and no way to repair things that were damaged from storms and disuse. When Napoleon came into power, he ordered the restoration of the cottages between 1810 and 1812, but there was no saving the dairy farm or the barn.
While these restorations came with good intentions, more was needed to save the hamlet from complete dilapidation and that help eventually came from a man named John Rockefeller. During the 1930s, certain parts of the hamlet were restored to their former glory. Even the farm was restored, with live animals now living on the grounds, cared for by the Foundation for Animal Welfare. Now, tickets for tours are available for both the palace and Petit Trianon, with separate, guided tours of the Queen's House.