Vaugirard – the longest street in
Paris. It stretches for 4360 meters and exactly follows the path of the old road built here by the Romans. Even if you have not been to the French capital, you are familiar with this street. More precisely, not she herself, but her cinematic image. The fact is that the famous musketeers, the heroes of the adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas, lived near this street. In addition, a duel between D’Artagnan and the three musketeers was supposed to take place near the monastery on Vaugirard Street, which turned into a skirmish with the cardinal’s guards.
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Just at the time when, according to Dumas’ novel, the musketeers performed their exploits, the Luxembourg Palace was being built on Vaugirard Street. Its construction lasted 16 years and was completed by 1631. The construction of the palace was ordered by Maria de Medici, the widow of Henry IV. So she wanted to preserve the memory of her native Florence and the Pitti Palace, where Maria spent her childhood. Today, the French Senate meets in the Luxembourg Palace, and its beautiful flowering garden has become a favorite walking place for Parisians and city guests.
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The Luxembourg Garden has always been popular with ordinary Parisians, but many famous people also rested here. It is known that Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Denis Diderot regularly came here to escape from the busy city life. Numerous references to the Luxembourg Gardens are found in the works of Honore de Balzac, Victor Hugo and many other prominent French writers.
Initially, the Luxembourg Gardens were a small area with flower beds, trees, fountains and artificial reservoirs, to fill which an aqueduct was built in 1624 – a special bridge structure with a canal. Marble statues, including the monument to Marie de Medici, appeared only in the 19th century.
Over the years, the appearance of the Luxembourg Gardens was improved and supplemented with new elements, and its territory expanded. So, in 1617, part of the land that belonged to the Carthusian monastery was annexed to the garden. By order of Marie de’ Medici’s grandson, Louis XIV, a horseshoe-shaped ramp was built around the central fountain with a stunning perspective on the Avenue de l’Observatoire, which passes through the prime meridian of Paris and leads to the observatory.
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During the time of Napoleon III, the garden acquired its modern shape: numerous green lawns, lush and colorful flower beds, giant trees planted in huge tubs so that in winter they could be moved to a warm room.
Today the garden is a harmonious combination of two park styles: near the palace there are terraces and flowerbeds of strict geometric shapes, and the eastern part is more reminiscent of a “jungle” with intricate paths and paths.
Few people know, but in the Luxembourg Gardens there is one of the four Statues of Liberty by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. True, its height reaches only 2 meters. In addition to her, in different parts of the garden there are almost 80 sculptures, the most famous of which are a series of statues of French queens and their court ladies.
It’s a pleasant fact that almost all the lawns of the garden are not fenced, so many couples and families come here for a picnic. For those who don’t want to sit on the ground, there are metal benches along the gravel paths. In the center of the garden there is a small round pond where anyone can launch a boat, which is available for rent.
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In the western part of the park there is everything for active recreation: tennis courts, playgrounds, sand areas for the popular game of pétanque in France. In the southwestern part of the park there is a small garden in which pear trees are grown. Right from here, the fruit goes to the table of senators, and in the event of a rich harvest, it is distributed to the poor and homeless.
One of the most visited places in the Luxembourg Gardens is the marble fountain of Marie de Medici. It is surrounded by plane trees, under which lovers often make dates and then take a romantic walk around Paris from here.
The Luxembourg Gardens are an ideal place for family outings. There are carousels here, and ponies harnessed to a carriage ply along the paths. On Wednesdays and weekends you can watch performances by the small puppet theater “Guignol”, whose main “artist” is very similar to our Petrushka.
Open-air concerts and art exhibitions are often held on the territory of the Luxembourg Gardens, and in the last week of September every year the Expo-Autumn festival is held here. Visiting it, you can see stunning compositions of flowers and fruits – real works of art.
The garden is beautiful at any time of the year. It’s easy to find – just go to the Odeon metro station. You can relax in the Luxembourg Gardens completely free of charge: in the summer it is open from 8:30 to 20:00, and in the winter months it closes at 17:00. All that remains is to get to Paris! But even this will not be difficult for a real adventurer. Direct flights regularly fly from Russian cities to the capital of France. Ticket prices start from 5 thousand rubles.
You remember that it’s best to buy travel in a “package”
Author: Roskin Mikhail
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