Luxembourg Gardens

The Luxembourg Gardens (Le jardin du Luxembourg) is a huge national park of about 50 acres and is one of the most popular parks in Paris. It is located in the 6th arrondissement, near the Sorbonne University and the Latin Quarter. Originally, the park belonged to the Duke of Luxembourg, hence its name.

The territory was bought in 1612 by Marie de Medici, mother of Louis XIII. After the death of her husband Henry IV, Medici acquires the palace of the Duke François of Luxembourg, along with an extensive plot of land. In 1615, the widow commissioned the architect Salomon de Bros to build a palace that would resemble Florentine palaces as much as possible, reminiscent of her native Florence. The Medici was of Italian descent and spent her youth in Florence at the Palazzo Pitti. The Boboli Garden in this palace was the inspiration for the Luxembourg Gardens.

Jardin du Luxembourg. Just video.

Jardin du Luxembourg

Throughout the garden, in small groves, there are fountains, sculptures and playgrounds. The park has many other attractions for children, such as the puppet show, pony rides and carousel. And in the center of the park is an octagonal pond known as the Grand Bassin. Small boats can be rented here. The park is also a popular destination for chess and petanque players, also known as Jeux de Boules.

In the 19th century, when the private park became open to the public, it was remodeled in a more French style, but the original design was retained. It is impossible not to admire the succession of statues of the queens of France and famous women as they walk along the park terrace. Including in the park is the statue of Saint-Genevieve - the patroness of Paris. At the end of the canal on the east side of the Luxembourg Palace, the famous Medici fountain, attributed to Salomon de Bros, is hidden in greenery, it was created in 1624 and belongs to the Baroque style.

The central sculptural group depicts the Greek mythological character Cyclops Polyphemus, who looks at the lovers Akis and Galatea. It is surrounded by allegorical figures depicting the rivers Seine and Rhone.