Saturday, February 2, 2013

The Dairy at Trianon

From Vive la Reine:
The laiterie de propreté, or “Refreshments Dairy,” was one of two dairies built for Marie Antoinette at her hamlet retreat in the Petit Trianon; milks and cheeses were produced at the first dairy, the laiterie de préparation (“Preparation Dairy,”—it has not survived) and brought for consumption at the laiterie de propreté.

Although today, the Refreshments Dairy features ornate decor, including a trompe l’oeil ceiling, white marble basins, several gilded ram’s head fountains and an exquisitely carved marble table, these were not part of the dairy’s original design. The basins and fountains were not added until the Bourbon Restoration, and the central table was installed on the order of Napoleon’s second wife, Empress Marie-Louise, during the First Empire. (Read more.)
Share

No comments: