THE ARCHITECTURE |
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The Pavillon Français
(map)
The next king, Louis XV, disliked the grandeur of Versailles and preferred the more intimate Trianon. The kings mistress, Madame de Pompadour , persuaded him to create a ménagerie to the east of Trianons garden, this was begun by the architect Ange-Jaques Gabriel in the spring of 1749.. The Nouvelle Ménagerie was an elegant dairy surrounded by ornamental henhouses, aviaries and cowsheds, which housed a collection of chickens, pigeons and other domestic livestock. The king needed a suitable place to rest and play cards, so Gabriel created the Pavillon Français (1749-50), to the south of the ménagerie. This elegant pavilion was set in the center of a small formal garden.
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