French Pavillon, Versailles

French Pavillon, Versailles

During his reign, King Louis XV often found court life either over-taxing or tedious. His mistress-en-titre Madame de Pompadour persuaded him to have a “small retreat” built on the grounds of Versailles where they could relax with a few friends and this idea resulted in the construction of the French Pavilion.

Far from being a little cottage, the Pavilion, designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1750, is a miniature palace standing in front of a terrace and a sizeable pond. It was used for lunch parties and open-air concerts.

The façade is rather simple, with large French windows, topped by fan-lights over which you will see stone masks. A balustrade surrounds the roof and there are four pairs of statues of cherubs, or perhaps young children. Each pair represents one of the seasons and one of the elements. There are also eight pairs of stone jardinières filled with lead wildflowers.

The interior consists of a large circular room which you can visit, and four smaller chambers which you can’t. The chambers were the kitchen, the warming room, the boudoir and the wardrobe.

The main room has a beautiful ornate chandelier and an inlaid marble floor. Its walls are painted in a clear green and the decorations and woodwork are in gilt. The elaborate carvings around the ceiling are of children and symbolize fishing, gardening and hunting; intertwined with the carvings of flowers and vines you will see pigeons, ducks, swans and hens.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Versailles. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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French Pavillon on Map

Sight Name: French Pavillon
Sight Location: Versailles, France (See walking tours in Versailles)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

Walking Tours in Versailles, France

Create Your Own Walk in Versailles

Create Your Own Walk in Versailles

Creating your own self-guided walk in Versailles is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Versailles Introduction Walking Tour

Versailles Introduction Walking Tour

Situated on the southwest outskirts of Paris, Versailles is a small city famed for housing the opulent residence of French royalty, the Palace of Versailles. The latter is, by far, Versailles' main attraction, complete with its Hall of Mirrors, Grand Apartments and the Royal Chapel, as well as the spacious formal gardens adorned with fountains and sculptures. Another major attraction is the...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Versailles Garden Fountains Tour

Versailles Garden Fountains Tour

Besides its many wonderful plants and trees landscaped into amazing patterns, the gardens at the Royal Palace of Versailles have another key ingredient: water. The marvelous fountains and other fantastic water features here only serve to underline the magnificent beauty of the whole complex. Take our tour to see the best water features in the royal gardens.

Tour Duration: 4 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 10.1 Km or 6.3 Miles