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Jardins du Luxembourg - Paris 6th
The Orangerie
Considerably expanded following various acquisitions, gardens by
Boyceau, mixed the typically French embroidery of flower beds with
Italian-style grottoes and fountains, which have now disappeared.
As a memento to this lavish past, the Médicis fountain,
attributed to Salomon de Brosse, was erected in 1861 along the rue
de Médicis. Its pediment with Marie de Médicis' coat
of  arms
supported by allegories of rivers and large bowls, contributes to
making this a highly sought-after spot by tourists in the hot summer
days. The Chartreux lands, seized under the Revolution were annexed
to this garden which enabled Chalgrin to link it to the Observatoire
by a green space.
From this viewpoint, the Observatoire fountain by Davioud, Carpeaux
and Frémiet which depicts the four parts of the world, stands
out as a result of its power and elegance.
In 1835, Gisors created an orangery not far from Petit Luxembourg
which during the period between 1886 and the construction of the
Musée national d'art moderne (National Museum of Modern Art)
(1937) was used as an exhibition space by artists and made a major
contribution to creating the reputation of the "pompiers"
group of artists which included Bouguereau and Rochegrosse.
The Palais du Luxembourg started in 1615 for Marie de Médicis
was enlarged around 1835 by A. de Gisors who constructed a new facade
on the garden side.
The pond and the statues
The pond is surrounded by a formal garden whilst bordering the
rue Guynemer and rue Auguste Comte, the landscaped garden evokes
the horticultural anglomania which reined in France at the end of
the Ancien Régime and the XIXth century.
The content of the floral displays is designed to take account of
the successive flowering periods of the various species and is constantly
renewed.
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.
A favourite place for strolling since the XVIIIth century, the
garden has succeeded in retaining its charm and is still extremely
popular. People plays boules, chess and bridge. There is also a
beekeeping school with an aviary containing around twenty hives
and a puppet theatre.
Practical information:
Address :
boulevard Saint-Michel
75014 - PARIS
Metro: Odéon
RER : Luxembourg
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