One of the must-see places to visit in Paris is the Luxembourg Palace. On a sunny day, and after a long walk, it is the perfect stop to rest in one of the many green metal chairs that are around. So, from reading a good book, eating a light meal or just relaxing while contemplating the many statues and sculptures found in the gardens, it’s worth a stop.
The construction of the baroque style Luxembourg Palace and gardens took place between 1615 and 1617 thanks to Marie de Medici. The then queen consort of France married to King Henry IV, very tired of life in the Louvre Palace, decided to order the construction of a palace in the Italian style, as she wished. She lived there for ten years. As time went by, the land closest to the palace was acquired for the extension of the gardens, which reached their maximum dimension in 1792. The following owners of the palace made some changes in the gardens, which were abandoned on several occasions.
The Luxembourg Palace underwent changes in its use, as is often the case with buildings throughout history. When the French Revolution broke out between 1789 and 1799, the palace was left empty and began to be used as a prison. Then, during the Second World War (1939-1945) it would be the main headquarters of the Nazis in Paris, who built a bunker dug in part of the garden. This did not please the Parisians of the time. Today, the Luxembourg Palace is the seat of the French Senate.
One of the most striking elements of this space is that the garden was designed starting from an octagonal-shaped artificial pond that is located right in the center, in front of the Luxembourg Palace.
The land where the gardens are located, occupies about 25 hectares between lawns, trees and various plants that delight everyone who passes by. In addition, this space offers the opportunity to perform many other activities such as playing tennis or petanque, take courses in arboriculture, or choose beekeeping to learn how to deal with the bees in the large hive that inhabits the garden. And children also enjoy the pond next to the Luxembourg Palace, where the past is recalled by placing small sailing boats to handle them with a stick. In addition, the park also has a puppet theater that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.
In addition, in the gardens of the Luxembourg Palace is a replica of the Statue of Liberty, one of several that are be found through-out Paris.
Resources:
https://www.viajarparis.com/jardines-luxemburgo-paris.php
https://www.paris.es/jardines-luxemburgo
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