 Surrounded by three elegant, covered arcades, this quiet garden was
the most popular place to stroll during the Revolution, and was the
stage for major historical events. Lovers of contemporary sculpture
will appreciate Pol Bury's steel-ball sculptures which decorate the
fountains, and Daniel Buren's controversial, prison-striped columns
built in 1986.
Once past the doors that open onto this garden one is struck by the
calm that reigns behind these walls rich in history...
Formerly the property of the Cardinal of Richelieu, the Cardinal Palace
was bequeathed upon his death (1642) to the Crown.
In 1643, Anne of Austria settled here with the young Louis the
Fourteenth, and it is in this year that the property became known as
the 'Palais Royal', or Royal Palace.
The palace was then occupied successively by many major players in
French history, and underwent considerable transformation until the
arrival of Louis-Philippe in 1814, who gave the buildings their
current form. Very restful, its proximity to the Daniel Buren columns
as well as to two fountains of Paul Bury, located in the other part
of the courtyard of the Royal Palace make it a place not to be
missed.
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