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Located close to the Louvre museum, this imposing and majestic palace boasts an interesting and immense history. The palace was created by Cardinal Richelieu, chief executive of King Louis XIII, who was famous for having his pluses and minuses with the famous musketeers of Alexandre Dumas´ novel.
The building of the palace was designed by architect Jacques Lemercier in 1624 and originally the building was named Palais Cardinal (Cardinal´s Palace). Richelieu gave it to the Crown before his death and thereafter, it begins to be known as the Royal Palace. In 1784 it opened its gardens to the public, which galleries were used for apartments, shops, cafes and restaurants and two theaters. The police could not access this area, which gave it an aura of freedom, sometimes debauchery, much appreciated by artists and intellectuals of the time. There, one could read the books of Rousseau and Voltaire, banned by the censors. At this time, again the center of political intrigue and one of its cafes Camille Desmoulins announced eloquently to present to the Crown, two nights before the storming of the Bastille.
Many celebrities of the time including Balzac, Henry James, Zola and Flaubert used to frequent the palace. In 1938, Colette, the versatile writer of dubious reputation, was installed in an apartment overlooking the garden, where she spent great moments until her death. She was so attached to the palace that came to be called “the lady of the Royal Palace” and there is a plaque in her honor in the building.
Currently, the campus is home to the Councils of State and Institutional and the National Library. The galleries of the gardens are in full swing, with cafes, boutiques, art galleries and places of legend to visit, and the restaurant Grand Vêfour. Open since 1784, it has had the privilege of having among its clientele, important celebrities such as Simone de Beauvoir, George Sand and Victor Hugo. With its neoclassical decoration, it remains to be one of the most glamorous restaurants in Paris.
You will be able to enjoy this refuge of calm, while admiring its gardens and enjoying its fountains and sculpture exhibitions that are frequently organized. A lunch break under the shade of linden is a great way to relax and watch the bourgeoisie of Paris. The Court of Honor, with the columns designed by Buren, has its own tradition: tossing a coin to the columns to make a wish, if it falls on top of one of them, the wish will become true.
Nearby also, it is worth to pay a visit the Royal Palace Theatre, The Place Colette, La Comedie-Francaise and the Place des Victoires.
Address: Place du Palais Royal, 75001. The galleries of the gardens are in the Place Colette, 2.
Metro: Lines 1 and 7, Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre
For more information, visit http://www.paris.es/palacio-real
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