Belvedere

The small pavilion rises above the water near a deliberately constructed rocky landscape. Richard Mique, Marie-Antoinette’s architect, designed the Belvedere in the late 1770s. Its many-sided shape gives views in several directions across the garden. Decorative painting and patterned marble enrich the interior, while the setting outside uses water, slopes and vegetation. From the paths, compare the pavilion’s precise geometry with the uneven rock nearby. The contrast belongs to the landscape garden that replaced parts of Louis XV’s botanical grounds.