Rustic RetreatHameau de la Reine

In this idyllic corner of Versailles, the Queen’s Hamlet (c. 1783) served Marie Antoinette’s fantasy of rural simplicity. Built by Richard Mique and inspired by Norman villages, it allowed the queen and her friends to role-play pastoral life. Blending play and politics, the hamlet was a retreat from courtly formality and a reflection of Enlightenment ideals.