Luxembourg Palace
Luxembourg Palace, built for Marie de Médicis, houses the French Sentate. As I marveled at the opulence here, I had difficulty remembering that this palace is now a place of business – one which is tasked with the serious business of running a country!
Situated in the 24 acre Luxembourg Gardens, the Palace has been home to the French Senate since the late 1800s. During the 16th century the hôtel particulier, now called Petit Luxembourg, located here belonged to the Duke of Luxembourg. It was purchased by Marie de Médicis. She then had a larger palace constructed adjacent to it that would remind her of her palace in Italy.
Organized tours of the Luxembourg Palace take place only once a month so count yourself fortunate if you are in Paris at the same time as the tour. You can also tour the Senate (Palace) on the Journées du Patrimoine . These Heritage Days take place the 3rd weekend of September and you can tour many other buildings that are not normally open to the public. I’m fortunate to have a friend who was able to give me a short personal tour of this truly beautiful building.
The Tournon Dome
Unremarkable from the outside, the beauty began to unfold as we made our way into the Palace.
Entry hall ceiling with its stylized rosebuds
Luxembourg Palace Main Staircase
The main stair case of 48 steps is located in the Palace’s west wing. It has a coffered vault and is supported by the 28 columns you see. There are 12 Gobelin and Beauvais tapestries hanging on the walls between the columns. It also has the stylized rosebuds on the ceiling.
Main Staircase
Ornate Balustrade
Looking up toward the coffered ceiling of rosebuds
Achilles and Deidamia Statue (1854)
Luxembourg Palace Senate Chambers
Onward to the Senate Chambers where we had to check our coats, bags and cameras. Quelle horreur! I was so disappointed not to be able to take photos in here! I will do my best to describe what I saw.
The Senate’s Chambers are huge – visualize gold and red velour/velvet in a huge semicircular room. Around the perimeter are grand tier boxes much like those in large concert halls such as the Royal Albert Hall in London. Senate debates take place here and I was lucky to be able to watch and listen to a bit of debating.
Luxembourg Palace Conference Hall
At this point, I felt overwhelmed with the size and beauty of what I had seen but when we entered the Conference Hall, I was stunned – absolutely stunned by this 187 by 33 foot room. This room is over half the length of an American football pitch! The Conference Hall is so enormous it is labeled as Conference Hall East and Conference Hall West depending on which way you are facing. It is in this room that Senators, government members and journalists can meet. It is decorated in the style of the Second Empire and has conference tables where the Senators can read the day’s papers. Gold ornamentation, paintings and frescoes covered every surface here!
Conference Hall
Reading Tables
Apotheosis of Napoleon I by Jean Alaux in the Conference Hall
Detail above the marble fireplace (see next photo)
Marble fireplace with a bust of the République
The Conference Hall was at one time the throne room. In 1852 Napolean III had the room transformed to a banquet hall and a fireplace built where the throne once stood. A bust of the République now sets on the mantle of this marble fireplace.
One of two frescoes depicting the history of France
There two historical frescoes, one at each end of the Conference Hall which represent the history of France. These are only two of an uncountable number of paintings and frescoes found here. Luxembourg Palace is still a veritable museum of artwork: paintings, frescoes, sculptures…..
Louis XIV style sofa
Senate Library
The library holds over 400 000 volumes on law and economics for the Senators’ use.
French Senate Library
The library runs parallel to Conference Hall and its annex holds another 75000 volumes. The ceiling of its cupola has a scene from Dante’s Divine Comedy.
Scene from Dante’s Divine Comedy
Salle D’Or
The Golden Book Room (Salle du Livre d’Or de la Pairie) is a ceremonial room and was designed to hold the Golden Book of Peerage – a list of illustrious visitors. It contains what is left of the lavish Palace decorations of the apartments of Marie de Médicis. On the ceiling is a fresco of Marie de Médicis reestablishing the union of the state.
Salle du Livre d’Or de la Pairie
Ceiling fresco: Marie de Médicis reestablishing the union of the state
What a privilege to have been able to visit Luxembourg Palace. My friend assured me that it was at least if not more beautiful than Versaille. You will have to decide for yourself!
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