The Luxembourg Gardens is one of the most popular parks in Paris. A chic garden and park complex is located in the city center, right in the Latin Quarter of the French capital. This place offers many attractions for people of all ages and different interests. Students, parents with children and even tourists come here.

The area of ​​the Luxembourg Gardens is 22.45 hectares, but at the same time it is almost always crowded. Students come here to work out, parents and children have picnics, and runners go for a run. As with many other outstanding attractions in Paris, the park is always crowded with tourists. But despite such popularity, the Luxembourg Garden is still a great place to relax from the noisy Parisian streets.

History of the Luxembourg Gardens

The park originally belonged to the Duke of Luxembourg, and in 1612 was bought by Marie de Medici, widow of King Henry IV. After the king was assassinated in 1610, she decided to move from the Louvre to a new residence. Maria Medici spent her childhood in Florence, in the Pitti Palace. The famous Florentine Boboli Gardens became the prototype for the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. Salomon de Brosse was brought in to build a new palace and garden in the Italianate style. At that time, the garden was very small, since the Carthusian monastery was located south of the palace. Despite the instructions of Marie de Medici, the Carthusians refused to leave their monastery, so the garden had to be cut down.


Nearly two hundred years later, the Carthusians were forced to leave when the monastery was confiscated during the French Revolution. This made it possible to significantly expand the Luxembourg Gardens and update it in the French style. During the massive renovation of Paris in the mid-19th century, Baron Georges Eugène Haussmann shortened the edges of the Garden slightly, but it still remains one of the largest park areas in the capital.


In the middle of the park there is a large octagonal Grand Basen pond, where children can swim in small boats. The Luxembourg Gardens has many other attractions for children, including a puppet theater, pony rides and a large playground. Numerous paths, picturesque meadows and flower meadows stretched throughout the Garden. The park is decorated with hundreds of various statues. Here you can stay in any convenient location- have a picnic in the meadow, or just read a book. People come here to play chess, or just chat with each other, visit the music pavilion, or tennis courts. Directly behind the orangery is the Museum of Luxembourg with its occasional exhibitions.


The Luxembourg Gardens of Paris is famous for a number of outstanding fountains, the most famous of which is the Medici Fountain, a romantic Baroque masterpiece designed in the early 17th century. It is located on the edge of a small pond in the northeastern part of the park. The central sculptural composition depicts the Greek mythological character Polyphemus. Very few people know that there is another De Leda Fountain behind the Medici Fountain. It was created in 1806 and also depicts a number of mythical scenes.


The third fountain is located on the western side of the palace. It was created in honor of the French painter Delacroix. In the middle of the pond is a pedestal with a bust of Delacroix, surrounded by allegorical statues. In the southern part of the park is the Observatory garden, which houses another fountain. The monumental fountain of the Observatory was created by Gabriel Daviu in 1873 with a central composition depicting the Earth supported by four women. Each of them symbolizes a separate continent.


The Luxembourg Gardens has a total of 70 statues. Among them, twenty statues of French queens stand out, including Marie de Medici. Here you will also find a sculpture of the patroness of Paris, Saint Genevieve. Most of the statues in the Luxembourg Gardens depict famous people, politicians, scientists, sculptors, painters, poets and composers, including Chopin and Beethoven. A number of statues depict animals, or mythological creatures.


Many are surprised to see the statue of La Liberte here - a miniature version of the Statue of Liberty, created by Auguste Bartholdi. Thanks to the Bocca della Verita monument, Paris is home to a piece of Rome. Between 1615 and 1627, the Luxembourg Palace was built, located in the northern part of the Gardens. The palace was built for Marie de Medici, who misses her youth in the Pitti Palace in Florence. She asked the architect Salomon Brosset to use Pitti's design to create a Florentine-style Parisian palace. The queen did not have time to enjoy her palace and gardens, as she was expelled by Richelieu in 1625, even before the completion of construction. Nevertheless, the Palace was completed and became one of the most outstanding

Paris - amazing city filled with beautiful structures and parks. The famous Tuileries Park can be called the most famous in the city. But the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens, perhaps, is the most favorite place not only for the Parisians themselves, but for the guests of the city. It is not for nothing that Hugo and Balzac even mentioned him in their works.

Location

The Luxembourg Gardens is located on the left bank of the Seine. Not far from it are the Sorbonne University and the Latin Quarter. There are always a lot of students on its lawns who finish their assignments, and mothers and grandmothers walk with their kids along the alleys of the park. The park always has a calm and peaceful atmosphere, there are always a lot of people here. The garden is an oasis of peace and quiet amidst the bustle of Paris. The atmosphere of the park was very accurately conveyed by Joe Dassin in his song. The Luxembourg Gardens has been a favorite haunt of Parisians of all ages since its inception. Years and whole centuries go by, and the alleys of the park are still crowded with people.

garden history

Like any famous landmark, the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris has its own history. A beautiful park appeared thanks to the whim of Marie de Medici. It was she who gave the order in 1611 to lay out a garden. This event happened shortly after the death of her husband Henry IV, who was stabbed to death by a religious fanatic. Marie de Medici was crowned, at her great request, literally the day before the unfortunate event. As a result, she changed her faith for the sake of the French throne. Overnight, she became regent for her son, while gaining unlimited power.

Marie de Medici grew up in beautiful Florence, so Paris seemed to her incredibly gloomy and cold. Having received power, she immediately ordered the arrangement of a beautiful park and palace, which would remind her of what she was used to in Florence. To do this, Maria Medici acquired the former estate of the late Duke of Pinay, who was a representative of the Luxembourg family. It is for this reason that the castle and the park got their name. So the name of the duke was immortalized and gained worldwide fame. If the Luxmebug Garden had not been laid out on the territory of his estate, then hardly anyone would have remembered his name even after a hundred years.

Initially, the park was planned to be planted with a large number of trees, to equip many reservoirs and to lay out numerous flower beds. For all this, it was necessary to have water, so an aqueduct was built. Much that was conceived and implemented in that era has come down even to the present day.

The palace was built within fifteen years. To this day, it appears before us in the form of an openwork Tuscan castle. During the construction work, all the wishes of Maria Medici, who wanted to get a palace that reminded her of her native Florence, were fulfilled.

Fountains of the Luxembourg Gardens

It should be noted that the main objects of the garden are numerous reservoirs. At one time, a large central fountain was planned as the center of the park composition; it remains the main place in the park to this day. The reservoir is surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped ramp with terraces of flowers.

Even the most famous and romantic fountain of the garden called the Medici has survived to this day. The pond was built by Salomon Debros (architect of the palace) in 1624. On the other side of the complex is a bas-relief - Leda and the swan. And the frontal part of the fountain itself is more like a pond in which fish live.

In addition, there is an observatory fountain in the garden, which was created by several architects at once. The center of the whole composition are four girls, on whose shoulders the earthly sphere is held. The figures of women personify the four continents on Earth. But Australia was deliberately not included in the composition, because, according to the authors, it would violate all harmony.

Not yet fully equipped, the park was already very popular with the inhabitants of Paris in the seventeenth century. In general, the garden has experienced a variety of times. After the French Revolution, noble prisoners walked around it, and the palace itself became an elite prison. It was during this period that the park area acquired its current size, since the revolutionaries annexed the lands of the neighboring monastery to it. Currently, the Luxembourg Gardens covers an area of ​​about 26 hectares.

The park was opened for free visiting only in the eighteenth century. Celebrities such as Denis Diderot and Jean Jacques Rousseau liked to walk along its alleys.

Garden and celebrities

It is worth noting that the park has seen many celebrities on its territory in its history. And his landscapes are captured in the works of poets and artists. It is about him that Joe Dassin sings in one of his songs. The Luxembourg Garden was generally a place of inspiration for many creative people, among whom were not only the French, but also Russian writers and poets: Joseph Brodsky, Anna Akhmatova, Maria Tsvetaeva.

The garden has forever remained imprinted in the works and works of David and Delacroix, George Sand, Hugo, Balzac, Hemingway.

And now on the Russian stage you can see a lyrical comedy based on the play by Lev and Alexander Shargorodsky "The Luxembourg Garden". BDT - Bolshoi Drama Theater named after G. A. Tovstonogov - timed the performance to coincide with the 85th anniversary of Shtil G. A., People's Artist of Russia.

Luxembourg Palace

Speaking of the park, it is impossible not to mention the famous palace of the same name, built by Maria Medici. True, its building was rebuilt several times, but still it has retained its lightness and airiness to this day. At one time, Maria Medici ordered the famous artist Rubens for the new palace 21 canvases, which reflect scenes from her life, as well as three of her own portraits. The paintings are currently kept in the Louvre.

Maria Medici was not able to enjoy her brainchild for long. Soon after the completion of construction, she was expelled from Paris by her own son, Louis XIII, who was tired of his mother's intrigues. At that time, he had great confidence in no less intriguing - the Prime Minister, known as Cardinal Richelieu. Maria Medici wandered around Europe for more than ten years, after which she settled all alone in Cologne, in the house of her beloved artist Rubens, who had already died by that time.

Meanwhile, life was in full swing in the Luxembourg Palace. Another son of the Queen settled within its walls - Gaston of Orleans with his daughter (Duchess de Montpensier). Until the revolution of 1789, the palace remained royal. And in 1791 the building was declared state. It housed the Directory, then the Chamber of Peers and the Senate.

Sculptures of the park

The Luxembourg Garden (photo is given in the article) is decorated with numerous sculptures. Near the building of the palace is the "Woman with apples." And very close you can see the marble statues of the most famous French queens, which appeared here in the nineteenth century.

The garden was also decorated with sculptures by Paul Varlin, Charles Baudelaire, Gustave Flaubert, Stendhal, Massenet, Eugene Delacroix and Antoine Watteau. In general, throughout the park there are a lot of stone and bronze statues that appeared here in different periods. There are 106 in total.

In addition, the garden is famous for its beautiful flower beds and green terraces.

Greenhouses and conservatory

On the territory of the garden there are a number of buildings, which include greenhouses and a greenhouse. Their presence is simply necessary, since gardeners change plants in each flower bed three times a year. The seedlings are cultivated in the greenhouse, and then the flowers fall on the flower beds. In total, 180 varieties of plants reproduce in the greenhouse and greenhouses, among which there are also tropical forms. During the summer, they present temporary exhibitions for tourists.

Luxembourg Gardens Reviews

According to tourists, this is one of those places that you should definitely visit in Paris. Numerous references to the park in Dumas' book about the Three Musketeers and the song by Joe Dassin will intrigue any person, so you need to see the legendary garden with your own eyes. This extraordinary place surprisingly gathers representatives of all generations on its territory: students, mothers with children, elderly people, jogging athletes.

The park can be safely called amazing beautiful place. Only the French could create such magnificence and skillfully maintain it for many years. Getting on its alleys, you simply do not have time to admire the beauty of architectural complexes, fountains, flower beds and palm trees. The Luxembourg Garden impresses not only with its beauty, but also with its cleanliness, despite the large number of visitors every day. This amazing place It's really impossible not to love. A beautiful garden sets you in a lyrical mood. It is not in vain that while walking along its alleys, poetic lines were born from poets.

The Luxembourg Gardens is open to the public, admission to its territory is completely free, as well as viewing all the sights. The only place that is currently impossible to get to is the Luxembourg Palace. The Senate is located in its building, and therefore the entrance for tourists and other visitors is closed. Tours are organized once a month, which can only be accessed by appointment, which is done for security purposes.

Instead of an afterword

The Luxembourg Gardens can be called one of the most romantic places in Paris. Shady alleys, ponds and fountains, stunning sculptures and beautiful palace- all this is worth it to dedicate a walk all day, enjoying the beauty of the park.

Capitals of France. When referring to him, the French themselves say in superlatives: he the biggest, beautiful, romantic, French, amazing. The list of epithets is endless.

The Luxembourg Gardens (Jardin du Luxembourg) appeared in the 17th century thanks to Marie de Medici. Missing her native Italy, she decided to build a suburbana residence framed by plantings, similar to the one where she grew up.

From the moment it was opened to the public, it has become a favorite place for Parisians, creative intelligentsia from all over the world and tourists. Along shady alleys with unique beauty beds, flower arrangements, passages, lawns, ponds and numerous shops strolled Diderot, Hugo, E. Hemingway,Akhmatova, Brodsky, other famous personalities.

Until now, the inhabitants of the French capital rush here to wander along the alleys and take a breath,contemplating the natural beauty, admire the fountains on special chairs that look like deck chairs, have a bite to eat in numerous cafes, play with children,meet lovers. Here everyone has something to do. Be aware that the walk can take a whole day.

What is the Luxembourg Garden?

The territory of the most French in spirit of the park is huge. The green zone has grown to almost 23 hectares. It is conditionally divided into three parts:

In the centerin front of the magnificent Luxembourg Palace, built for 16 years, which became the seat of the Senate, there is a huge square witha magnificent pond (Le Grand Bassin) and numerous sculptures of royalty, prominent figures.

northeastern part is marked by the fountain of Maria Medici, resembling an Italian grotto in shape, surrounded by massive plane trees. Beside himalways crowded. Opposite, in the shade of the trees, there is a cozy cafe where you can taste a truly French breakfast: fragrant coffee with melt-in-your-mouthcroissants. Nearby are tennis courts, playgrounds for basketball and "ball" (golf in French), a town for active children's games (entrance paid).

The Luxembourg Garden is ideal for family outings. Children can float rented sailboats in the central pond, ride an old carousel, ride horses, donkeys, together with their parents in an old carriage. According to a long tradition, see a performance at the Guignol puppet theater, wherethe main character resembles the Russian Petrushka. It is usually held three times a week: on Wednesdays and weekends.

southwestern part of the park is the quietest, like a forest. It ends with a garden with fruit trees, the fruits of which fall on the table to the senators, with a rich harvest, they are distributed to the needy.

Landmarks of Luxembourg Garden

Of the architectural monuments of interest are:

Greenhouse(entrance from Rue Vaugirard), where artists periodically exhibit their works, concerts are held, at the end of September a exhibition "expo-autumn".

Luxembourg Palace(Palais du Luxembourg), where the Senate meets. A rare tourist manages to see the chic interior decoration. Free access possible once a year. On the Days of National Treasure, on the third Sunday of September, the palace is open to everyone. The rest of the tourare held on one of the Saturdays of each month by prior arrangement.

When to visit, how to get there?

At any time of the year, the Luxembourg Gardens are beautiful and open for free visits: in the summer months from half past nine to eight in the evening, in winter from 8.00 to 17.00 hours. If, while in Paris, you intend to see everything with your own eyes, choose the next to the Odeon station or the RER B train Luxembourg.

The landmark is a high wrought-iron fence and a stream of people, incessantly rushing to plunge into the special atmosphere of the Luxembourg Garden.

Every time I'm in Paris, I try to look into the Luxembourg Gardens.
Well, how not to visit here for at least a few minutes! Sit on a chair, stretch your legs and feel that you have come home. Look at visitors like you: someone comes here every day, someone came to Paris for a few hours. And we all unanimously plunge into peaceful contemplation, when we don’t want to talk, think, or rush, but serenity settles in the soul.

Someone, however, runs or plays tennis and petanque, but it is there, in the depths. The garden is divided into a zone of activity, alleys of peaceful walks and a seating area in front of the Luxembourg Palace.

Brodsky wrote: “The garden looks like a cross between the Pantheon and the famous “Breakfast on the Grass”.
The Pantheon, indeed, peeps in the depths of the alley - from it to the Luxembourg Gardens, about 5 minutes on foot.

However, in this case, the poet meant a large number of sculptures of royalty and other French celebrities, arranged in the garden, one of which - Mary Stuart - he dedicated his poem.

In addition to historical characters, there are also mythological

and animals

Fountain of Maria Medici

For me, the main “magnet” of the Luxembourg Gardens is the Marie Medici Fountain, a shady, secluded place under the canopy of plane trees, where a long ribbon of water stretches to a portico-grotto, and green ivy garlands hang along the water.

Please note that the height of the sides of the pool increases as you approach the portico, creating the illusion of a slope.
Around, of course, chairs with people sitting. It's impossible not to be drawn to this place. It seems that he is busy with his own business, but at any moment you can dip your eyes into beauty - and again for business.

Here are the plane trees!

The Italian style fountain was built in 1624 for the Queen Regent Marie de Medici. True, the fountain was decorated with the figures of Galatea in the arms of Akida and the Cyclops Polyphemus threatening them already in the 19th century (sculptor Otten). The plot was not chosen by chance, but with a hint of the complex relationship between Marie de Medici and Cardinal Richelieu.
At first they were in the same camp and even went into exile together to the castle of Blois (where they were sent by the grown son of Mary, Louis XIII). Then Louis reconciled with his mother, and she put in a good word for Richelieu.

Thanks to the queen mother, Richelieu received the rank of cardinal, and soon after that he began to intrigue against his protégé. As a result, Marie Medici's long-term lover, Concino Concini, was killed, the queen was forced to flee France and ended her life in Cologne. However, Richelieu, who won the victory, outlived her by only six months.

The light fell very successfully, illuminating the tender Galatea, lying in the hands of Atys, and the formidable cyclops hanging over them remained in the shadows.

Cyclops Polyphemus

According to legend, at the last second, the Nereid Galatea saw Polyphemus and managed to slip into the water. And at Atys, the angry Polyphemus threw a piece of rock, but the young man did not die irrevocably, but turned into a river.

Sculpture at the top of the fountain:

On the other side of the fountain is a bas-relief depicting Leda and the Swan.

Luxembourg Palace

A stone's throw from the fountain is the Luxembourg Palace, the main building, relative to which the entire composition of the garden is built. In front of the palace is a large stepped space of an octagonal fountain.

The Avenue of the Observatory departs from the fountain, which ends with another fountain depicting the 4 cardinal directions.

Marie de Medici grew up in Florence in the Palazzo Pitti and wished that the palace being built for her was similar to her Florentine house.
Anyone who has been to Florence will probably find it difficult to recognize in the completely French spirit of the Luxembourg Palace, monumental as a wall and unshakable as a fortress, the last and most magnificent of the three palaces belonging to the Medici clan in Florence.

In such cases, they say - "based on".

For the planned construction, an estate was purchased from the Duke of Luxembourg. The name of the former owner gave the name to the palace and garden.

The Luxembourg Palace was built for 16 years, from 1615 to 1631 by the architect Salomon de Brosse (he is also the author of the Medici fountain).
To decorate the palace, Antwerp artist Peter Paul Rubens, who was booming at that time, was invited to Paris, who really did his best and, in addition to arranging interiors, painted 21 paintings for the Luxembourg Palace on the theme “The Life of Marie de Medici” for two years (1622-1624). and 3 portraits. All of them are now in the Louvre.

Marie de Medici herself did not have long to live in the palace built for her - in July 1531 she fled from Paris.
The palace has seen a lot of things for several centuries of its existence. During the French Revolution, it was turned into a prison for eminent prisoners. Both the initiators of the revolution, Danton, Desmoulins, and lesser-known personalities at that time, such as, say, Josephine Beauharnais, were kept here. Josephine was lucky to avoid the guillotine and later become the wife of Napoleon. Who, having come to power, chose the Luxembourg Palace for his residence. Here are some unexpected twists.

During the Second World War, the Luftwaffe General Staff was located in the palace, and here, while in Paris, Goering stayed.
Now the French Senate is sitting in the palace, and getting there is difficult if you are not a senator.
But you can visit the Luxembourg Museum, which is located to the left of the palace (assuming that the Medici fountain is on the right).

Map of the Luxembourg Gardens

Park area

The regular "French" park is replaced by a natural "English" one, which has its own adherents.

But still, the "French" part of the garden looks spectacular.

Harmony is violated by the black "tooth" of the Montparnasse tower - it always sticks out inopportunely

On the left bank of Paris, a special atmosphere of true French flavor hovers. Every pebble and every brick here is saturated with notes of Parisian romance. One look at cozy cafes, magnificent gardens, ancient cathedrals and the smiles of the townspeople is enough to feel the local mood. And in the center of all this splendor, called " latin quarter”, there is a beautiful park “Luxembourg Gardens” (Jardin du Luxembourg). This […]

On the left bank of Paris, a special atmosphere of true French flavor hovers. Every pebble and every brick here is saturated with notes of Parisian romance. One glance at the cozy cafes, magnificent, old and smiles of the townspeople is enough to feel the local mood. And in the center of all this splendor, called the "Latin Quarter", there is a beautiful park " luxembourg garden» (Jardin du Luxembourg).

This place is thoroughly saturated with poetry and the unique energy of the left bank. You can get here on foot along San Michel Boulevard. Or by metro, getting off at Luxembourg station. Hidden behind a forged high fence, the garden occupies about twenty-six hectares.

In the center of the park is the palace of Maria Medici or Luxembourg Palace. It periodically hosts art exhibitions, admission to which is free.

The most beautiful and romantic fountain in Paris is also located in the Luxembourg Gardens. Here you will see the first version of the famous American Statue of Liberty.

There are many magnificent statues in the park. For example, Mary Stuart statue, which is not so easy to find, although it is famous all over the world thanks to the poets who sang it in verse.

The territory of the park is very large and is divided into two parts: the central part in front of the palace and numerous alleys with clearings, benches, pavilions, passages, sculptures and cafes.

luxembourg garden- this is the most beautiful and interesting place to spend your leisure time in Paris. Here you can cozy up in a cafe, ordering a fragrant baguette or croissant for breakfast. If you are a supporter active rest, you will be delighted with tennis courts or basketball courts. Here you can also ride a carousel, in an old carriage or on a horse.

You can't visit Paris without visiting the Luxembourg Gardens...

Boulevard Saint-Michel, 75005 Paris, France

Take the metro to Odéon station

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