Luxembourg garden

About Luxembourg garden

A real Parisian favourite, the Luxembourg garden is a beautiful 25 hectares green oasis on Paris fashionable left bank. Spread with statues, fountains and flowers, the garden has many attractions for children (poneys, merry-go-round, puppet shows). It is constantly animated by lovers, students and outdoor chess and tennis players.

Located in the Luxembourg garden, the Luxembourg palace  was built in the 17th century by Marie de Medicis, a French queen, on the model of Palazzo Pitti in her native Florence (Look at the picture on the right and click on it to have it full size).

During the 19th century the palace was extensively remodeled: the garden facade was added (1836-41) by Alphonse de Gisors, and a cycle of paintings (1845-47) by Eugène Delacroix was added to the library. The building was a prison during the Revolution, used for the peace conference of 1946, and now houses the French Senate.

The large number of statues in the Jardin de Luxembourg make it an open air museum of XIXth sculpture. A gallery of queens and illustrious women around the pond, the Delacoix monument by Dalou in front of the Petit Luxembourg.