Saturday, August 22, 2009

Marie-Antoinette's Chapel at Petit Trianon

The chapel at Petit Trianon was used by Marie-Antoinette during her stays there. Sometimes she would visit her country house for an afternoon but other times she would remain there for a month. The altar painting (1774) by Joseph-Marie Vien portrays Saint Louis IX and Queen Marguerite visiting Saint Thibauld, whom they were asking to pray for them to have a child. What a very appropriate subject for the chapel of a Queen who spent many years praying for children herself! The statues on either side of the altar of "St. Anne" and "Christ in the Garden of Olives" by Jacques-Augustin Dieudonné were added by King Louis-Philippe in the mid-nineteenth century. The chapel is decorated in a simple style so cherished by Marie-Antoinette, as is the rest of Petit Trianon. There is a tiny onion dome over the chapel roof reminiscent of Austria.


(Photos) Share

5 comments:

Lucy said...

I love this post- Thank you:) I really want to get spend some time there one day.

Michelle Therese said...

Can you imagine how lovely it would be to have a chapel in your house????

M Buvat de Virginy said...

I just saw this a few weeks ago, it was wonderful. The entire estate has been wonderfully restored, and you can really get a sense of the workings of the Petit Trianon in its entirety now. The theatre is also open to the public now (unfortunately you can only see through the main entrance, which is blocked by plexiglass, but the view of the entire theatre and stage is great). The Trianon itself is beautifully restored by Breguet, and in addition to the salons and bedchambers themselves, the basement kitchens and service areas are also open to the public. It really gives an added appreciation to all the people who lived and worked there.

elena maria vidal said...

Thank you, my friends, for the feedback. It is truly a joy to live under the same roof as the Blessed Sacrament, as I know from past experience. It is amazing that the chapel is intact.

Aron said...

It IS something else! I wonder, is it possible to have the Eucharist celebrated there? Or does this already take place now and again? It seems so unutterably sad to think of all of the places that once saw worship of God and the celebration of the Eucharist lying empty and cold, mere tourist curiosities. I have heard that some side-chapel altars at Notre Dame (sp?), for example have not had the dust on them (how sad to begin with!) disturbed for a generation at least. If only we could remedy this!
~Aron <><