Few things in life are as delicious as spending time in the gardens of Paris. The Jardin du Palais Royal, open every day, is a true retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

In its surroundings, galleries with restaurants (including the Grand Véfour), cafes, antique shops, art galleries and designer stores.

Who today strolls through the serene garden, can't even imagine that it was once a place of great turmoil...

A little of history...

The palace was built for Cardinal Richelieu, who chose the site for its proximity to the Louvre and commissioned the architect Lemercier (who was also the builder of the Sorbonne) for the project. The works took place between 1628 and 1642. Then, at the time, it received the name of “Cardinal Palace”. When Cardinal de Richelieu died in 1642, he bequeathed the property to the crown.

In 1643 Anne of Austria moved there with her two children, Louis XIV and Philippe d'Orleans.

In 1781, the duc d'Orléans (Philippe), later known as Philippe-Egalitié, commissioned the architect Victor Louis to enlarge the palace and renovate the garden, building apartments above the arcades on three sides of the garden.

With that, Philippe-Egalitié opened the Palais Royal Garden to the public, but... banned the police. The place, then, became perfect for meetings of writers, philosophers, intellectuals and artists of all kinds, in addition to providing a great freedom, to the point of becoming the most popular meeting point in the city.

The work it was completed in 1784, but to pay for the reconstruction, the duc d'Orléans was forced to build shops under the arcades to pay for the grandiose building with his rents. The success exceeded expectations: cafes, restaurants, shops and also houses of prostitution (the police were banned, remember?) made the place a political and revolutionary center.

The Jardin du Palais Royal was a very lively place back in 1789. People went there to get the latest political news and rumours. It was a place of drinking, gambling, speeches, discussions and pleasure.

Two days before the Bastille episode, a young lawyer, whose name was Camille Desmoulins, gave a heated speech, which moved the masses! Finally, he shouted, “To arms!” and two days later the Bastille was taken.

With the end of the French Revolution, the site became a French heritage.

Many changes have been made since then, and today it is a perfect place to rest, play with the kids or have a picnic.

At the entrance to the Palais,

a patio with Daniel Buren's fun columns and ball fountains - Pol Bury's sculptures, where children run and play, live up to their fame.