American patrons have been significant contributors of restoration funds of Versailles, Petit Trianon and Le Hameau. John D. Rockefeller donated twenty-three million dollars for various projects including roof covering 26 acres - that number seems high, but that's what the book said- the Grand Canal, which had been turned into a pasture, statues and the Hameau. Others, beginning with Napoleon, understood the importance. He gave it, first, to his sister, Pauline and, later, to his second wife, Marie Antoinette's niece (he said he "married a womb") Marie-Louise, then it passed from hand-to-hand for years and years. I hope they continue to build on the work they've done and restore every building to its former glory.
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