| Jardin des Tuileries and Place du Carrousel |
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This garden and the raised terraces along each side were
designed in 1664 by Le Nôtre as practice for Versailles. The park has always
been open to the public, though the terrace beside the river used to be reserved
for the royal children. It’s a good example of a French 17th-century garden,
what with statues and fountains and Keep off the Grass, though it was
considerably remodelled in 1989. Still, the park offers some fabulous views
through the heart of Paris, being part of the Grande Perspective. It has two
ponds, one octagonal and one round; you can hire model boats to sail on either
of them, and the fountain in the middle will wash your boat back to the edge if
the wind dies. Nearer the Louvre is a fine group of bronze statues of chunky
ladies by Maillol.
In the garden are two buildings now used as Art Galleries. One is the Jeu de Paume, once an indoor court for Real Tennis – a bit like double-ended squash – and the other is the Orangerie, a sort of greenhouse where orange trees were kept in the winter. In the summer they stood around the gardens, in case anyone got thirsty.Photos 1972-2008 |
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Babysitter and Friend
Across the Seine to the Musée d'Orsay
Statues by MAILLOL
Overlooking Place de la Concorde
Sculpture
Originally, the Jardin des Tuileries was sparated from the Place du Carrousel by the Palais des Tuileries, which was burned down in 1870
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel
Jeanne d'Arc (Place des Pyramides)
