The Mirror Room

The Grand Trianon's "Mirror Room" has far fewer mirrors than the Hall of Mirrors at the main Versailles palace, but shares its name. The room was used most often by Madame de Maintenon, Louis XIV's secret second wife.

The white wood carvings along the upper walls date back to Louis XIV's own era, and the mascaron decorations — faces framed by flowers — are typical of the Sun King's period. Louis XIV originally intended to decorate the room in gold, but financial troubles late in his reign forced him to abandon the plan in favor of white woodwork instead. That simplicity gave the Grand Trianon a charm quite different from that of the main palace.

Years later, Napoleon spent his last Christmas here with his first wife, Josephine, and after their divorce spent even more time here with his second wife, Marie-Louise. The furniture seen in the room today dates from Napoleon's era, and the easel in one corner belonged to Marie-Louise, who enjoyed painting.