Palais du Luxembourg

The Luxembourg Palace is a noteworthy place of interest and the garden is the largest public park in all of Paris. The garden has exquisite fountains, namely the Fountain of Marie de Medici and Fountain de Leda, that adorn it beautifully. The garden is designed in such a way that tennis and chess players get ample space to practice their games.

The Palais du Luxembourg is a typical example of classical 17th Century French Baroque style of architecture. Exaggerated ornamentation, extensive contrast through light and shadow, an external facade symbolized via central projection, and other stylistic elements are the primary highlights of the Luxembourg Palace.

When it comes to the interior architecture of the palace, the critical detailing and intricate decorations are one of a kind. In the Senate Chamber, there are seven statues of notable people in the history of France like Turgot, d’Aguesseau and Colbert, which are gracefully sculpted and erected to face the central area of the chamber. The ceiling of the library is painted with Dante’s Inferno by Delacroix, which rests perfectly in the peaceful setting of the library

The palace was erected on the Hotel de Luxembourg after Marie de’Medici purchased it in 1645. The Palais du Luxembourg inherits its design from the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. Under the command of Marie de’Medici, the architect Metezeau was instructed to go to Florence and draw pictures of the Palazzo Pitti, to draw inspiration from it and construct the palace. Initially, she named the royal residence as Palais Medicis, after her own name, but was later changed to Luxembourg Palace.

The transformation of this building into a legislative one took six years to complete. Several changes had to be introduced in order to achieve this transformation. The grand central staircase had to be demolished and the Senate Chamber was constructed in its stead. A library was made by enclosing the flanking terraces of the palace. Subsequently, during another renovation process, a new garden was added along corps de logis. In Germany-occupied France, Hermann Goring made the palace into the headquarters of the Luftwaffe.