The
Grand Trianon is a
château (palace) situated in the northwestern part of the Domain of Versailles. It was built at the request of King Louis XIV of France (r. 1643–1715), as a retreat for himself and his maîtresse en titre of the time, the Marquise de Montespan (1640–1707), and as a place where he and invited guests could take light meals (
collations) away from the strict
étiquette of the Court.
The Grand Trianon is set within its own park, which includes the Petit
Trianon (the much smaller château built between 1762 and 1768 during the reign of Louis XV).
