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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Etang Pavilion, also known as the King's Pavilion, is a small square building in millstone and coated, about 10 meters side by side. Located on the dike separating the Old and Nine ponds from Saclay (Essonne), it dominates pond Neuf thanks to a milled base and a double staircase of seven steps. Its three pond-side facades are pierced with two large arched rectangular windows, while the roadside façade has a central door of the same style. The slate roof, slightly steep, is surmounted by a chimney on the south side. Opposite, on the other side of the road, a similar construction without pavilion houses a platform overlooking the pond.

Built in the 1680s under Louis XIV, the pavilion was part of the hydraulic system supplying the fountains of Versailles Park. It housed the valves regulating the flow between pond Neuf and pond Vieux, collecting the rainwater from the Saclay plateau to transport it via the Buc aqueduct. A second pavilion, now extinct, existed west of Old Pond to control its flow. After the death of Louis XIV, the hydraulic system was gradually abandoned, and the Buc aqueduct ceased to function in the 1950s, allowing the ponds to flow into the Bièvre.

Ranked a historic monument on October 31, 1912, the Etang Pavilion is now closed to the public. Its accesses (doors and windows) are condemned by cement plates, with the exception of a small metal door allowing restricted access. The site thus retains its historic role as a witness to the water supply system designed for the gardens of Versailles, while illustrating the 17th century utility architecture.

The Saclay ponds, built in the 1680s, played a key role in the water supply of the Palace of Versailles. Their creation was part of a series of major hydraulic works undertaken to supply the fountains and ponds of the park, symbols of royal power. The pavilion, though modest, embodied this desire for technical mastery of nature, characteristic of the reign of Louis XIV. Its classification in 1912 underscores its heritage importance, linked to both its architecture and its historical function.

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