Le Jardin du Luxembourg
Rive Gauche, Paris
The scoop…
Le Magnifique Jardin du Luxembourg
True confession, this is my absolute favorite place to be in Paris. It is where for a few golden moments all is well in the world. It is where you can suspend the raw realities of your current day while you immerse yourself in this beautiful setting. This is where children, parents and grandparents gather together to sail little wooden boats in the octagonal pond, to stroll, and to playfully chase their toddlers. This is where you go to picnic on the manicured green grass on sunny days and to languish for hours with a cherished book. This is where curious new lovers are tenderly touching and whispering and loving the moment. This is where multi generations of us are lounging in chairs watching and listening to the ebb and flow of humanity. This is where old and new friends meet to talk of their current challenges of family, work, retirement and love. It is the first and last place I go when in Paris. I love being immersed within these gardens and have Queen Marie de Medici of France to thank for this, as it all began with her.
Queen Marie hailed from the famous de Medici family of Florence and was the second wife and widow of King Henry IV. Shortly after his death in 1610 she became Regent of France for her young son, King Louis XIII, and it was at this time she decided to build a new royal residence. In 1612 she bought a parcel of land on the desirable Left Bank of Paris belonging to the Duke of Luxembourg. The property contained the Hôtel du Luxembourg, known today as the Petit Luxembourg Palace, and this is where the Palais de Luxembourg and the Jardin du Luxembourg were constructed. They were commissioned and designed to replicate Queen Marie’s beloved childhood home, the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens of Florence.Thus the birth of our beloved Luxembourg Palace and Luxembourg Gardens that we continue to enjoy today.
Luxembourg Palace has gone through many lifetimes, and has been witness to many adventures. Passed down through the monarchy over many years, as would be expected and intermittently neglected, It became a museum, and then briefly converted into a prison during the French Revolution, and on to being the home of the French Sénat. Following that it was the residence of Napoleon, it housed the legislature, was headquarters of the Luftwaffe and became the site of the Paris Peace Conference. In 1946 once again it became the seat of the French Sénat and remains permanently so today.
Luxembourg Gardens were initially designed in 1612 by Tommaso Francini as the Palace was being built. Then in 1630 when additional land was purchased to enlarge the gardens the design work was continued by Jacques Boyceau of the Tuileries and Versailles Gardens. They also have a diverse history, as once the execution ground during the French Revolution, and during the German occupation of Paris in world war two it was the site of German anti-craft battery.
Located in the heart of the Left Bank, on the south side of Paris, Luxembourg Gardens cover an area of approximately 56 acres. Within its boundaries there are over 3,000 trees, and 100 statues commemorating composers, artists, royalty, heroes and villains. Luxembourg Gardens are blanketed with tree lined walkways, green manicured lawns and colorful flower beds that reap blooms in every season. There are sculptures, fountains and terraces with balustrades laid out in geometric shapes in front of the Palace aligning with the octagonal Grand Basin pool. Present day Luxembourg Gardens contain tennis courts, pétanque courts, children’s playgrounds, miniature pony rides and even a basketball court and mosr importantly continues to warmly embrace all those who visit.
Cher Luxembourg Gardens, merci mille fois pour tout!
