The Petit Trianon: Montres Breguet, a leading corporate donor of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication

One year after closing down for restoration and rehabilitation, the Petit Trianon reopens to the public on October 2, 2008. Situated on the National estate of Versailles, the Petit Trianon has just undergone exhaustive restoration financed by Montres Breguet, a leading corporate donor of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.

The Petit Trianon’s entire internal area is now open to the public for the first time. After exploring the daily surroundings of Marie-Antoinette until she left the palace for the last time on October 5, 1789, visitors can now acquire a better understanding of the other personalities who lived in Louis XV’s little «château» and, in some way, left their mark here.

Their presence is still felt today, giving the premises a definite feeling of continued occupation.

Montres Breguet’s exemplary donation aims at perpetuating its links with Versailles. As early as 1780 Breguet was the French court’s horologist and a supplier to Marie-Antoinette, whose love of Breguet timepieces was well known. Today, the company that bears his name has both brought a treasure of French neoclassical architecture back to life and rebuilt a celebrated watch ordered from Breguet for the queen in 1783.

The restoration work undertaken between July 2007 and September 2008 covered a variety of things. The original existing decors and those in need of rehabilitation were restored, additional museological installations were created, the apartments received furniture from the various relevant periods and the building’s technical equipments were renovated. All the crafts and trades involved in the renovation work collaborated smoothly, sharing a common concern for excellence as they sought to bring the Petit Trianon back to its former glory and allow the public to see it in a new light, under the best visiting and security conditions.

The restoration work was carried out under the close supervision of Pierre-André Lablaude, Chief architect of the directorate of Historical Monuments, working closely with the curator of the Versailles museum.

Yet the Petit Trianon’s history is largely associated with Marie-Antoinette, who by 1774 had taken possession of the domain. After the upheavals of the French Revolution, Napoleon turned the property over to his sister, princess Pauline Borghese. Later, king Louis-Philippe gave it to his son, the duc d’Orléans. Later still, empress Eugénie, wife of Napoléon III, brought the premises back to life with an exhibition saluting Marie-Antoinette.

The thorough rehabilitation undertaken since July 2007 is part of the general «Grand Versailles» restoration, modernisation and upgrading of the building and gardens at Versailles, undertaken by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication from 2003 on. It was carried out in the perspective of the opening of the Marie-Antoinette Estate in July 2006.

Press contacts

Château de Versailles

Hélène Dalifard, Aurélie Gevrey and Violaine Solari
+33 1 30 83 77 01 / 03
E-mail: presse@chateauversailles.fr

Montres Breguet

Noémie Wüger
+41 21 841 90 90
E-mail: nwuger@breguet.ch