Petit Trianon · The Second Queen at Versailles

The Petit Trianon was a “village” that Marie Antoinette built for herself in the gardens of Versailles, where she dressed as a shepherdess and kept clear of court rules.

In 1901 two English scholars visiting the place claimed to have come upon her and a group of court figures in 18th-century dress, walking and sketching among the trees, who then vanished. Those records have been cited again and again for over a hundred years.

Today it is part of Versailles. In the evening the gardens are locked after closing — the reason given is to protect the lawns.

Historical Mysteries / Versailles · France / 1789