The Palais Royal (Royal Palace) was built in 1629 by Cardinal Richelieu, an influential French minister from 1624 to 1642.
At the time the palace was known as the Palais Cardinal; it became a royal palace after the
cardinal bequeathed the building to King Louis XIII.
The Sun King, Louis XIV spent his youth here before moving to the nearby Louvre and later to Versailles.
Cour d'Honneur
The Sun King, Louis XIV spent his youth here before moving to the nearby Louvre and later to Versailles.
History
Between 1871 and 1874, Louis-Philippe d'Orléans,
cousin of King Louis XVI expanded the palace by adding arcades and
shops. For some time the palace also housed gambling dens and cafes.
The Palais Royal was mobbed during the revolution of 1848 and was almost destroyed by fire in 1871.
Fortunately the basic structure survived. After its restoration in 1876 the building was handed over to the government.
It currently houses the Council of State and other government offices.
It currently houses the Council of State and other government offices.
Cour d'Honneur
The palace is not open to the public, but you can visit the courtyard and the garden. The courtyard, known as Cour d'Honneur, is
dominated
by a large sculpture by Daniel Buren, installed in 1986. It consists of
280 black and white striped truncated columns.
Jardin du Palais Royal
Jardin du Palais Royal
Adjacent to the courtyard is the Jardin du Palais Royal, the palace's garden. The garden is formally laid out around a central fountain. It is a quiet refuge in the heart of the city.
The current garden is somewhat smaller than
originally designed in 1630 for Cardinal Richelieu due to the
construction of 60 arcaded buildings on three sides of the park by
Louis-Philippe d'Orléans in 1874. The buildings around the garden now
house restaurants, deli shops and galleries.
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