Tuileries Palace
Monday, October 8th, 2007
I have written about Paris before, specifically about the Axe Historique and I thought I might write a bit more about one of the attractions I mentioned then, the Jardin des Tuileries.
The palace of Tuileries was built in the 1560s, commissioned by Catherine de’ Medicis after the death of Henry II. Louis XIV lived there for convenience (while Versailles was being built) before the French Revolution and under house arrest from 1789 to 1792. The National Constituent Assembly met there as well as the Jacobin Club du Manège. Napoleon resided there and in 1808, he began construction on the north gallery of the palace, which joined the Louvre, just as the southeast corner had done since the 1600s. This was not completed until the Second Empire under Napoleon III. However, in 1871, the palace was burned to the ground by members of the Paris Commune, and the ruins were demolished in 1883. Three centuries in planning and execution, 12 years in destruction. The large open space is now home to the 63 acre Jardin des Tuileries. The gardens still follow the design of the architect who designed them in the 1660s.
Of course, when you visit, you’ll need to be looking for cheap hotels and Hotel Club has great deals on hotels in Paris.
