Passages to the Past: Castles or Bust! Marie Antoinette's Petit Hameau

Our second stop on the Castles or Bust tour is Marie Antoinette's Petit Hameau in France (I'm obviously not going in geographical order). I don't remember when I found an original picture of this beautiful place, but once I did I was completely smitten! Isn't it just so very, very pretty?

Queen Marie Antoinette's "little hamlet" was designed by Richard Mique at the Queen's commission in 1783 and comes complete with a dairy, mill and farmhouse. It is located inside the provate section of the park in Versailles.

Often you would find the Queen and her ladies wondering the grounds dressed as shepherdesses and milkmaids, playing peasant for the day. Milking cows with porcelain bowls and attending to the other docile creatures living there.

At Petit Hameau Marie Antoinette ruled supreme and even the King bowed to her.

The Queen's Hamlet also included a theater where Marie would stage plays there with her friends and would invite the King and his retinue to attend.

The Royal family in the garden at Petit Hameau. The Temple of Love can be seen in the background.

Click here for a first hand account of a visit to Petit Hameau from a fantastic new blog I found, Jane Austen's World. She includes great pictures and a little tour!

14 comments:

Lynn Irwin StewartJanuary 30, 2009 at 2:32 PM
I could live there!
AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Oh, I've never seen pictures of the Petit Hameau before. So lovely!
Lynn Irwin StewartJanuary 30, 2009 at 4:54 PM
Oh, by the way -- thanks for the Jane Austen link -- interesting!
Lucy January 30, 2009 at 5:42 PM
I have never seen such beautiful pictures of the Petit Hameau! It's sooo MA. I can really picture her there...(and myself)! Thanks, Amy, fgreat post as usual;-)
Beth FJanuary 30, 2009 at 6:33 PM
Oh my, your photos are great! I remember reading about the little mill -- it is beautiful!!

So glad my passport is up to date . . . I have places to go!
MicheleJanuary 30, 2009 at 7:52 PM
Say what you will, the woman had impeccable taste, didn't she? Wow.
AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 8:20 PM
It's so beautiful! For some reason, I am thinking it would make a beautiful backdrop for a wedding. :)
AlyceJanuary 30, 2009 at 11:24 PM
It is beautiful and elegantly quaint. I love the mental image of her milking cows into a porcelain bowl.
AmyJanuary 31, 2009 at 11:56 PM
How gorgeous is that! Thanks for the photos!
Jenny GirlFebruary 1, 2009 at 5:26 PM
The Kirstin Dunst movie Marie Antoinette, prominently featured this hamlet. Apparently they used the real thing, I thought it was destroyed but apprently not.

Oh to play peasant for the day :)
AnonymousFebruary 1, 2009 at 6:22 PM
This is definitely on my list of places to go when I get to visit France. I love this new series of yours!
WendiFebruary 2, 2009 at 1:32 AM
What wonderful pictures - it seems like something out of a fairy tale!

I've left you an award! Stop by when you get a chance and pick it up! ~ Wendi
ToniFebruary 2, 2009 at 2:23 AM
I am so happy I am blogging before bed.. perfect serene images. Thank you so much for posting.
The Budgeting DivaFebruary 2, 2009 at 9:39 PM
How beautiful it is!