Marais

12 days in Spain & 4 days in Paris- 9/12/14- 9/9/28/14

Paris Day 3- Le jardin du Luxembourg- 9/26/2014

Le Jardin du Luxembourg is a 30 acre park in the 6th arrondissement of Paris situated near the Latin Quarter. Founded in 1611 by Queen Marie De Medici, the second wife of King Henry IV of France, decided she could no longer live at the Louvre after her husband was assassinated. Born in Florence, she moved to the Hotel du Luxembourg and had its surroundings renovated to resemble the home of her childhood. To help her in this she hired notable architects, landscapists and hydraulic engineers. Eventually, the grounds grew from about eight hectares to over thirty.

In 1794, during the French Revolution, the palace served as a prison. It also served as the headquarters of the Luftwaffe (German aerial warfare) during the Second World War. The Luxembourg palace currently houses the French Senate.

The Senate is housed inside the Luxembourg Palace. View of the south facade.

In front of the Luxembourg palace is a large octagonal pond, known as the "Grand Bassin". In the summer you can rent remote control small wooden boat and enjoy the afternoon sailing. The tiny boats are very colorful and fun to watch.

Close look at the fountain inside the big bassin.

Nice view of the Palace from the garden.

The gardens cover about 25 hectares of land.

We are now going around the palace.

Luxembourg Palace garden façade

This sculpture depicts a nude woman gracefully holding her arms above her head and holding a small apple in her right hand. The work is entitled "La Femme Aux Pommes" or The Woman with Apples. The artist is Jean Terzieff.

Jean Terzieff created this sculpture for the 1937 International Exposition. The exposition was officially known as the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (International Exposition dedicated to Art and Technology in Modern Life) and was held from May 25 to November 25, 1937 in Paris, France.

Marigold flower beds.

Medici fountain (Fontaine Medici) a romantic Baroque fountain designed in the early 17th century by Tomasso Francini. Located at the end of a small pound at the northeast side of the park.

This is the famous Fontaine Médicis, a romantic Baroque fountain designed in the early 17th century by Tomasso Francini. It is located at the end of a small pond at the northeast side of the park. A central sculpture group shows the Greek mythological figure of Polyphemus who watches the lovers Acis and Galatea. It is flanked by allegorical figures depicting the rivers Seine and Rhône. In 1811, at the command of Napoleon Bonaparte, the fountain was restored by Jean Chalgrin, the architect of the Arc de Triomphe. In 1864-66, the fountain was moved to its present location, centered on the east front of the Palais du Luxembourg. The long basin of water was built and flanked by trees, and the sculptures of the giant Polyphemus surprising the lovers Acis and Galatea, by French classical sculptor Auguste Ottin, were added to the grotto's rockwork. - See more at: http://traveltoeat.com/luxembourg-gardens-paris/#sthash.tudU2l8n.dpuf

his is the famous Fontaine Médicis, a romantic Baroque fountain designed in the early 17th century by Tomasso Francini. It is located at the end of a small pond at the northeast side of the park. A central sculpture group shows the Greek mythological figure of Polyphemus who watches the lovers Acis and Galatea. It is flanked by allegorical figures depicting the rivers Seine and Rhône. In 1811, at the command of Napoleon Bonaparte, the fountain was restored by Jean Chalgrin, the architect of the Arc de Triomphe. In 1864-66, the fountain was moved to its present location, centered on the east front of the Palais du Luxembourg. The long basin of water was built and flanked by trees, and the sculptures of the giant Polyphemus surprising the lovers Acis and Galatea, by French classical sculptor Auguste Ottin, were added to the grotto's rockwork. - See more at: http://traveltoeat.com/luxembourg-gardens-paris/#sthash.tudU2l8n.dpuf

The central scene shows the Greek mythological figure of Polyphemus surprising the lovers Acis and Galatea by Auguste Ottin.

There were a lot of students drawing the fountain.

More students seating around the fountain.

View from the palace to the garden

In 1612, Marie de Medici started to build the garden by planting 2,000 elm trees and hired some notable gardeners.

Auguste Scheurer-Kestner monument by Jules Dalou. Auguste Scheurer-Kestner was a senator and was a firm supporter of the Dreyfus affair.

Auguste Scheurer-Kestner became well-known for his public demands for a revision of the trial. He died accidentally on 10 September 1899, the very day when Dreyfus was pardoned.