In 1612, shortly after the death of King Henry IV, his widow, Maria de' Medici. wished to move out of the depressing Louvre. The queen bought the Duke of Luxembourg's empty palace and garden. To rebuild the acquisition, she commissioned the architect Salomon de Brosse.
De Bross had the idea of rebuilding the palace in the "Tuscan" style. However, in the layout he used the so-called French scheme, and the high roofs and dome of the palace fit into the canons of French classicism.
Maria de' Medici liked the palace. She wanted to decorate the first floor galleries with specially painted pictures. For this she invited an outstanding master - Rubens. The artist created a cycle of 24 paintings "Life of Maria de' Medici". A skilful diplomat, he took the bold step of depicting the Queen's not-so-significant milestones. were depicted as great events involving ancient gods. These are now on display in the Louvre.
Medici lived in the palace for a short time: her son Louis XIII banished her from Paris. The palace was empty until the Revolution. During the Revolution it was made a prison for the nobility. Here Demoulin, Lanton, Napoleon's future wife Josephine Beauharnais.
Children are attracted here by the Guignol miniature theatre with its hero, Parsley, an old-fashioned children's carousel, ponies and carriages. A favourite children's favourite children's entertainment is the fountain opposite the front of the palace. Here you can launch hired boats.
Luxembourg Gardens is also an open-air museum. Here you can see dozens of sculptures depicting French queens, great figures, characters of ancient myths. In one corner of the garden there is a two-metre high copy of the statue of Liberty by Frederick Auguste. of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the master who created the giant figure of Liberty for the United States.
