Les Journées Européennes du Patrimoine: Palais Royal (Part 1 of 4)

During the European Heritage Days, Les Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, we toured the Palais Royal located near the Louvre.  

The Palais Royal was built in 1639 as the home Cardinal Richilieu, the First Minister of State under King Louis XIII.  Following Richilieu's death, the palace became a royal residence, including the childhood home of Louis XIV.  You can read more about the Palais Royal's history below.

Today, the Palais Royal is home to three different arms of the French government:  The Minister of Culture, the Council of State and the Constitutional Council.  Fortunately, much of the palace's original beauty has been well preserved.     

The best place to start a tour of the Palais Royal is in the garden, which is large and lovely.  

Below is a photographic tour of the Palais Royal garden.

Another lovely feature of the Palais Royal is the courtyard (pictured below).  Before 1985, the courtyard was a parking lot.  Then, the Minister of Culture decided the courtyard should be transformed into a modern art installation: Les Deux Plateaux by Daniel Buren (1985-1986), which was featured in an earlier blog post. 

At the Palais Royal, Les Deux Plateaux by Daniel Buren (1985-1986)

Another view

Next Up:  Inside the Palais Royal