Luxembourg Palace in Paris: the history of origin, description and photo

Around the world scattered a myriad of ancient majestic castles and palaces, built several hundred years ago. These places allow a modern person to get access to the past of his or her own country to feel the trend of past centuries and try to imagine how people lived in those times and in what conditions. One of them is the Luxembourg Palace in Paris. What are the powerful walls of this architectural structure?

The history of the palace

In 1615, on April 2, Queen Maria de 'Medici laid the first stone in the foundation of her future palace in a solemn atmosphere. In 16 years he will become her desired and beloved castle. But the wife of Henry IV of Bourbon and the mother of Louis XIII of the Just can not long enjoy their chambers. Terribly disliked Louvre and constantly bored in Italy, Maria, becoming a widow, decided to build a palace that would remind her of the architecture of her native Florence. She wanted to buy something of her own. I dreamed of a place where she would be pleased to be and live.

Luxembourg Palace Built according to the project of the architect Salomon de Brossa, who made the foundation of his creation the Florentine Palazzo Pitti. However, as a result, a mixture of Italy and France. But this combination was beautiful. The Queen had an excellent taste, so she decided to choose the best for her beloved mansion. To this end, Maria hired designer Rubens - at that time a very famous person in Europe.

Confiding to him the interior of the premises, the queen subsequently did not regret her choice. For her, Rubens created a series of paintings called "The Life of Maria Medici". These 24 works so pleased the queen that she decided to order the designer portraits of her husband to perpetuate his memory. But I did not have long to admire the lady with my dream.

A few months after the castle was built, the queen was banished from Paris by her own son. Subsequently, the Luxembourg Palace Overtook the hard times. During the Nazi occupation there was the headquarters of the German Air Force. Then the castle served as a prison for political prisoners, and after that became the residence of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Earlier, before the construction of the castle, the ownership belonged to Francois of Luxembourg. When Mary bought them, they were 3 times smaller than today. Without delaying business, the queen acquired several more pieces of land around her property, where previously there were farms, houses and gardens to make the site bigger and to break the garden. A total of 23 hectares of parkland with green spaces, reservoirs and sculptures - a territory that today is considered one of the most beautiful and ennobled in the world.

Luxembourg Palace today

In 1790 the castle acquired the status of a national one. It was then that he was turned into a prison. And since that time the Luxembourg Palace in Paris, a photo of which can be seen above, began to be actively transferred from one source to another. Only in 1958, after almost 200 years, he became the property of the Senate. Today, inside the beautiful and majestic architectural structure, meetings are held. In the interior and exterior of the building several changes have been made several times, since the lock is old and it needs regular restoration. But from the outside, it remained almost the same as it was four centuries ago.

Luxembourg Palace: description

The central gate of the castle is crowned with three-story pavilions. And on the upper tier there was originally a terrace for the queen, from where the crowned person could admire the garden. It's amazing that each floor had columns made in different styles of architecture:

• On the first - in Tuscan;
• On the second - in the Doric;
• On the third - in the ionic.

The architectural style that prevails in the palace is called transitional: from the Renaissance to the Baroque. It is for this reason that the castle looks so unusual. And it is not for nothing that it is called unique. The interior of the palace has not been preserved to this day. This is understandable. After all, after the status of the residence of Maria Medici, he changed many more names and destinations. Since the building belongs to the Senate, the entrance to it is strictly limited. However, there is a museum, located in one of the wings, where various exhibitions are held. And the exterior charm of the palace can be admired all year round.

The territory of the castle

Possessions include the Luxembourg Gardens and the Palace in Paris. The park zone is no less charming. This territory can be walked by everyone who wishes 12 months a year and 7 days a week. There was a garden about the same time, when the palace. And together with his stone "friend" of the same name, he changed, depending on the circumstances in which he was submerged by the state authorities. Gradually, original sculptures appeared in the park, merging into single ensembles, representing the guises of emperors, generals, kings, thinkers and other personalities.

Throughout its existence the garden has seen many famous poets, sculptors, writers and artists. Today, it hosts a huge number of tourists from all over the world, many of whom are children. For them, this is a real expanse, because the park offers a lot of entertainment:

• A music show in the gazebo;
• puppet show;
• A pony ride;
• A pond, where ships of various models are launched into "distant" navigation;
• A playground with an attraction.

Also, for the convenience and satisfaction of guests' needs, an outdoor restaurant was opened on the territory of the Luxembourg Garden. It serves delicious dishes of national cuisine and, of course, local wine.

Excursions to the Luxembourg Palace

The garden is open to visitors in winter from 7 to 17 hours, and in the summer - from 8 to 22. The museum also operates throughout the year from morning to evening. Some of the 365 days can be significant - the doors of the palace will open and anyone can look at the interior of the castle. Only preliminary it is necessary to call in management of museums of France by phone: 331 / 44-61-21-70. Entrance to the Luxembourg Palace, the photo of which is shown above, and the garden with the same name is paid: for adults - 11 €, for youth up to 25 years - 9 €. But kids up to the age of 9 can visit it for free.

Luxembourg Palace in Paris: location

The castle is located at: Paris, 75006, 6th district, 15 rue de Vaugirard (Saint-Germain-des-Prés). You can get to it if you follow the metro along the B line to the Luxembourg RER station. Contact telephone: 33 01 42 34 20 00.