This is the southwest corner of the Palais du Luxembourg. Not a very revealing shot, I admit. The pavilion that you see is the twin of another on the southeast corner, built to "bookend" the Senate library, completed in 1837. The two cylindrical towers in the background are the towers of the Saint-Sulpice church, a short walk away.
The nineteenth century southern façade of the Luxembourg Palace faces the now public palace garden.
I don't remember ever going inside the palace or taking a tour. I wish I had. Ken and I did tour the National Assembly once, located up on the river across town. We recently watched a television show about the Luxembourg Palace, its history, its architecture, and how it's used today. Very impressive.
I was in the Uffizi Galleries in the Palazzo Pitti a few times. I understand Luxembourg Palace was based on the original Palazzo Pitti.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was built to remind poor exiled Catherine de Médicis, Queen of France, of her native Florence.
DeleteI have never thought of "that big building at Luxembourg Gardens" as being "a place"... ha! Until about 2 years ago, anyway... just never thought about what it was or whether I could or would or should take a visit. Silly!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a boy, my father used to take me to the Luxembourg to see my cousin play longue paume, the ancestor of tennis.
ReplyDeleteIn the Tuileries gardens there is an historical building called Jeu de Paume which is now a museum. An even more historical one in Versailles was made famous by the Serment du Jeu de Paume.
My daughter gifted me a tiny paperback with gorgeous photos of the historic Jeu de Paume a few years ago. I didn't realize it was located in the Twileries gardens. The television show you recently watched might be just what this "armchair traveler" needs to see! I will search for it. Any memories of which channel it might have been on?
ReplyDeleteHi Mary,
DeleteThere is one series on French TV called Des Racines et des Ailes which takes you in different places. Perfect for the armchair traveler. You should check that on you tube.
Just ask youtube, Le Jardin des Tuileries à Paris, and you’ll get a number of choices of long and short videos in French or in English from the Place de la Concorde to the Louvre. Enjoy!
You might like reading this,
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galerie_nationale_du_Jeu_de_Paume
mitch, chm said it!
ReplyDeletejudy, one can't do everything!
chm, now there are tennis courts in the jardin de Luxembourg.
mary, it was on France Télévisions, either France2 or France3. It was hosted by Stéphane Bern and was part of a series called "Si les murs pouvaient parler." The video is marked "indisoponible" on the France Télévisions site here, but maybe you can find it on YouTube. Good luck!