Situated at one end of the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Palais du Luxembourg is now home to the French Senate. It is a beautiful building whose story spans centuries of French political history.

Marie de Médicis, bought this site in 1611, which was occupied by François de Luxembourg's townhouse.  Marie lived here for some time until shuffled out of court. It was passed onto her son, Gaston d’Orléans. Not one for subtlety, Gaston had the palace renamed the Palais d’Orléans, but most people ignored him and stuck with the old name. It passed through his family until in 1715 it was inherited by Marie Louise Elisabeth D’Orléans, the Duchess of Berry.

The widowed duchess had also inherited Gaston’s want of subtlety, and she had a reputation for lavish parties and hedonistic tastes. Her promiscuity lead to several hidden pregnancies, the last of which left her much weakened, and she died in 1719.

A more sober stage of history followed. In 1750 the palace became host of the first public art gallery in France. It was a prison during the Revolution and became the Senate of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Empire. During the German occupation in World War II, it was used by the Luftwaffe-West. It is now home to the French Senate, the upper house of the parliament.

Its political role makes it a difficult place to visit, but visits can be arranged by appointment (groups only). The interiors of Marie de Médicis’ day are mostly long gone, but the current Neo-Gothic style is still sumptuous, in particular the ceiling in the library by Delacroix.

On the west side of the Palace stands the Petit Luxembourg, built at a similar time, which is now the official residence of the president of the Senate.