Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) arrived in France at the age of 15 to marry the heir to the throne, later Louis XVI. At the age of 16, she had already become Queen of France and, although she found herself at the head of a European empire, she discovered that her freedom was very limited and she was obliged to devote herself endlessly to ceremonies and events held at the Palace of Versailles. Even on her wedding night, the queen was not granted privacy and was forced to allow selected courtiers to watch her as she dressed for the first night (she could not dress herself but had to wait until the highest-ranking duchess in the royal court handed her the item of clothing. Try to imagine how much suffering this could cause on a particularly cold day, when the queen is standing naked and waiting for the duchess to arrive and give her her shirt).
If all this was not enough, the king was not interested in having sex with her because of a medical problem called phimosis, which caused him pain during erection. This naturally led to many years in which the couple had no children and the queen became the subject of gossip at court. This problem was not solved until Joseph II, Marie Antoinette's brother and Holy Roman Emperor, arrived in France and convinced Louis XVI to undergo a minor operation, similar to our circumcision, so that he could have sex with his wife. The conversation helped and the couple had a total of 2 children, including the Dauphin who died in 16. Louis XIV who died in 1795 and Marie Therese, who later married her cousin.
Bored, married to a man she didn't love, and tired of the never-ending court life, Marie Antoinette found refuge from reality through Fashion business, gambling and rebuilding the Petit Trianon Palace. At another time, her pursuits, which cost the state a lot of money, would have been relatively understandable. However, in late 18th-century France, where many citizens were starving, the queen's spending led to social unrest, which eventually erupted in 1789 and led to the French Revolution. Her life ended about 4 years later in the "Place de la Revolution" (later "Place de la Concorde") When she nobly stepped onto the guillotine platform and said her last words, "Sorry, I didn't mean to," after accidentally stepping on the executioner's foot Sanson...
The figure of Marie Antoinette has never ceased to fascinate historians and the general public, thanks to her larger-than-life figure and tragic fate. The path ahead is different from the oneThe other routes Because it will require you to leave Paris and travel to Versailles, located a few dozen minutes' drive west, so that we can experience some of the sights, sounds, and smells experienced by the queen with such a tragic life story.
Versailles itinerary following Marie Antoinette
The Little Trianon
We will begin the trip at the small Trianon Palace, which is located within a complex. Palace of VersaillesTo get there you have to take the train. RER C From central Paris, get off at Versailles Rive Gauche station. From there, follow the signs until you reach the Palace of Versailles. From there, head towards the Petit Trianon, which was originally built by Louis XV for his mistress Madame de Pompadour. Louis XVI gave this small palace as a gift to his wife, who turned it into a kind of private retreat from the hustle and bustle of the royal court at Versailles. Note the design of her bedroom, decorated with floral fabrics and the chairs carved in such a way that they resemble vines with blue daisies (the queen's favorite flowers).
Step outside the palace and enjoy its garden. It used to be a French garden, which, like all French gardens, was characterized by precise geometric shapes. The Queen ordered that this formal garden be uprooted and replaced with an English garden characterized by a freer, more natural style.
Queen's Theatre
Walk around the lake and stop to admire the Queen's Theatre (Théâtre de la Reine). Marie Antoinette loved to act in plays and there she performed with her friends, including The Marriage of Figaro, which the king forbade from being performed in Paris.
Marie Antoinette's village
Keep walking until you reach the farm (La Ferme) and the “Hameau de la Reine” (I couldn’t find a more accurate translation for Hameau de la Reine). Marie Antoinette, whose highest ambition was to milk goats, built the farm and hamlet. There she and her friends played a kind of role-playing game in which the queen, duchesses and countesses became peasants (the queen didn’t really do any agricultural work but simply liked to walk around in peasant clothes).
The Temple of Love in Versailles
Retrace your steps to the Temple of Love (Temple de l'Amour), walk around and notice the French gardens with their rigid geometric shapes, which are a complete contrast to the English gardens that the Queen loved.
The Grand Trianon
Continue towards the Grand Trianon Palace. Although Marie Antoinette did not like this palace, the pink columns, reminiscent of her dresses, and the splendor of the place are definitely worth the detour.
Marie Antoinette in Paris
This is where our trip to Versailles ends. If you want to follow Marie Antoinette in Paris, I suggest you take the train back and get to the Cité metro. From there, go to the Concierge Service , where Marie Antoinette stayed in the last months of her life (the cell she lived in has been restored to look as if she was still there).
Another option is to visit the museum.Carnival There you can see some of her personal belongings and the famous painting in which she says goodbye to her husband before his execution.
Here we are done. Hope you enjoyed it. Interested in trying Itineraries More? Click HERE.
Hi, I am interested in joining the trip.
I would be happy if you would get back to me with details.