Right here at Allée des Tilliers, we stand at the threshold of Parisian elegance. It is one of the most famous gardens in Paris. The Tuileries Garden is a green escape from the city’s clamorous urban surroundings. It is an iconic landmark.
Queen Catherine de Medici, a wealthy royal from Florence, commissioned the garden’s construction in 1564. It was after the accidental death of King Henry II. Catherine moved near the Louvre to a new residence. It was called the Tuileries Palace. She modeled the gardens after those in her native Florence.
The area where Allée des Tilliers was built used to house tile factories since the 13th century. Medici transformed it. That is where it gets the name Tuileries. The Tuileries Garden was once part of the Tuileries Palace.
The Tuileries Palace was a royal residence. It was the Parisian dwelling of French monarchs from Henry IV to Napoleon III. The Paris Commune burned it down in 1871. Twelve men used petroleum and liquid tar to set the place on fire. The palace burned for 48 hours. It was eventually demolished in 1882.
André Le Nôtre, the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France, remodeled the gardens in 1664. He transformed it into what it is today.
The Tuileries Garden features two museums. Musée de l’Orangerie is an art gallery. It features Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume offers modern photography and media. The garden features sculptures from artists like Giacometti and Rodin.
After the assassination of Henry IV, Louis XIII of France became the owner of the Tuileries Garden at nine years old. The young boy turned the garden into a personal playground. He used it for hunting. He kept captured animals.
Charles Perrault, the author of Sleeping Beauty, requested that the Tuileries Garden be opened to the public in 1667. It became the first royal garden to do so.
At the end of the 19th century, the Tuileries Garden was full of entertainment. There were acrobats, puppet theaters and lemonade stands. Also small boats on the lakes, donkey rides and toy stands.
There are three restaurants at the Tuileries, in case you get hungry during your leisurely stroll.
The Tuileries Garden forms part of the Axe Historique. It is a six-mile vista from the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe and La Defense. The view extends along the Grande Allée du Jardin des Tuileries to the Obelisk. It goes to the Arc de Triomphe Paris.
The Tuileries Garden Paris is also home to one of the best art museums in Paris, the Orangerie. It is also home to the Jeu de Paume. That is a former tennis court. It is now a photography museum.
The statues in the Tuileries Gardens in Paris are very diverse in age and style. Two monumental statues are The Tiber and The Nile. They are believed to be the oldest statues in the Tuileries. They date from the late 17th century.
The Jardin des Tuileries also commands some of the best Eiffel Tower views. The Bassin Octagonal is a great place to admire the view. The West terrace overlooking the Place de la Concorde also has great views.
Take a moment to admire the beauty around you. Let’s continue our journey through Paris.