The Palais du Luxembourg is one of Paris’s most elegant landmarks, steeped in layers of history and transformation. Commissioned in the early 17th century by Marie de’ Medici, the widow of Henry IV and mother of Louis XIII, it was intended to bring a touch of her native Florence to Paris. Designed by architect Salomon de Brosse, the palace combined grandeur with Italianate inspiration, standing as a regal symbol of her power and taste.

After the Revolution, the palace entered a new chapter, reshaped by Jean-François Chalgrin into a home for France’s legislature. Later in the 19th century, Alphonse de Gisors expanded and remodeled it, giving the building much of the form we see today. Through monarchies, republics, and revolutions, the Palais du Luxembourg has remained at the heart of French political life. Since 1958, it has been the seat of the Senate, a place where history and governance continue to meet under its stately roof.