Louvre Gardens

Placed adjacent to the Louvre, the Tuileries Garden holds much historical significance, dating back to the 16th century. It was commissioned by Queen Catherine de’ Medici in 1564 and served as a perfect accompaniment to the Palace.

For more than a hundred years (till 1667), it was purely a royal destination, but after the French Revolution, it stood out as a public park open to any visitor and has remained so ever since.

The architect, Bernard de Carnesse, was from Florence and set out to create an Italian Renaissance garden, enclosed with five hundred by three hundred metres and divided into rectangular sections.

However, history notes that this garden still needs to be completed. It was interrupted by a brutal civil war where the Tuileries Garden was pillaged and not set to rights until the return of the new King Henry IV and his Landscaper Claude Mollet.

Countless other renovations and changes to the garden took place under the reign of various kings and rulers. Still, regarding what it contains, this Louvre Park has maintained a natural beauty that remains with it today.

Of the endless elements that make this garden what it is, various unforgettable features must be highlighted:

• The first section is the Jardin du Carrousel, which has a long and rich history but culminates in the fact that it was majorly used as a parade ground, with the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel as the main attraction. The terrace between the Carrousel and the rest of the Tuileries Garden was made into a road after the Palace burned down. Another feature is the moat, which, since 1994, is decorated with statues.
  
  
• The second section is the Grand Carré (Large Square), located in the east part of the Tuileries Garden, which is relatively open. The plans for this section, still followed in detail, were made by André Le Nôtre in the 1600s. It also hosts many statues and sculptures put in place mostly since the 19th century, such as ‘Nymphe’ by Louis Auguste Lévêque and ‘Tigre terrassant un crocodile’ by Auguste Cain, alongside countless others.
  
  
• Then we have the Grande Allée and Grand Couvert, of which the Couvert is a central section of the garden covered with trees divided by the Allée, i.e., the wide path. You can also find various cafes at this location.
  
  
• The Esplanade des Feuillants is the fourth feature, which refers to a wide pathway parallel to the terrace alongside the Rue de Rivoli on the north end of the Tuileries Garden. Again, by André Le Nôtre, this was created in the 17th century.
  
  
• Finally, we have the Octagonal Basin and entrance to the place de la Concorde, where the architecture and the grill of the gateway were created by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1757. It boasts a rich history during the French Restoration. It is also home to statues installed around the octagonal basin: Julius Caesar, Hannibal, Agrippina-Plotine, allegorical works depicting the four seasons, and more.