Elysee Palace in Paris

As you can easily guess from the name, the Elysee Palace is located near the famous Champs Elysees, to which the building owes its name.

If we give the exact address of this building, it will be as follows: the eighth arrondissement of the city of Paris, rue Saint-Honoré, 55.

History of Ifsei Palace

The history of this amazing building is very interesting, the building did not immediately belong to the representatives of the supreme power. Before it became the residence of the president, the building had more than one owner, many of whom made changes to it. The palace was originally built for Count Evreux and his wife as an elite mansion in the capital. Construction began in 1718, and the style of construction is attributed to the French Regency. The Elysee Palace was completed in 1722, the construction was led by the architect Armand-Claude Mollet, he was considered one of the best in the whole country.

The next owner after the Count of Evreux was Lady de Pompadour, who was a favorite of King Louis 15 of France. Pompadour made the first changes in the palace, she made its area much larger, the second floor and the front room were remodeled. In her will, the woman indicated that this building after her death goes to the king’s relatives. The Elysee Palace went to King Louis 16, after whom it was taken over by the banker Beaujon. The next owner of the building after Beaujon was the Duchess of Bourbon.

The extreme owner of the Elysee Palace was Marshal Joachim Murat, who decided to restore the original appearance of the building, redoing the previous changes. However, additional details are also introduced, for example, after Murat in the palace there is a picture gallery, which is now a place of gathering of the Council of Ministers. Already in 1808, the building becomes the property of the country, the Marshal handed it over voluntarily, Murat’s love for France was boundless. After this event, the palace building will no longer be in private ownership.

It was used as a government building under Emperor Napoleon 1, but at that time it had not yet received the status of an official seat of government. The Elysee Palace was given to Napoleon 3 in the middle of the 19th century. It was he who changed the palace to the state in which it can be seen today. Extensive changes were carried out between 1853 and 1867, at which time the building acquired distinct features of French classicism.

The Elysee Palace is not just the residence of the president, but also a building with a long and interesting history, so you can learn a lot of interesting things about it. For example, it is known that Louis 16 held sessions of spiritualism and black magic with his cronies in the palace.

It is in the palace building that the most secret and most protected room is located, which is of great importance – the Jupiter Hall, from which the president can activate the country’s nuclear facilities and where the current and future presidents exchange nuclear codes.

The gate to the garden of the Elysee Palace

There have been deaths in the famous palace, for example, in 1899 President Felix Faure died there, he died during a meeting with his mistress. But the second death was the only suicide committed in this building, died counselor François Mitterrand January 8, 1996.

At the Elysee Palace, in the Silver Salon, the abdication was signed by Emperor Napoleon, on June 22, 1815, which was the second.

So how do you get to the Elysee Palace?

This can be done in a number of ways:

1. The first way to get to the presidential residence is by metro. You need to memorize seven metro stations, from which it will be easiest to reach the palace and get off at one of them. For lines 1,8 and 12 this station is Concorde. Charles de Gaulle – Étoile station for lines 1,2,6 , Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau station for lines 1, 13 and Franklin D. Roosevelt for lines 1 and 9.
2. The second way, to get there by electric train, if you use this means of transportation, you will need to get off at Charles de Gaulle – Étoile station.
3. You can also get to the palace directly from the airports by shuttle buses or by cab by giving the driver the address: rue Saint-Honoré, 55.

Of course, choosing the Elysee Palace as a place to visit, first of all, you should be concerned about finding excursions, so a person can get a more complete idea of the place and get much more emotions. For example, you can choose a sightseeing tour of Paris or other excursions in Paris in Russian.

A visit to the Elysee Palace will be interesting to everyone without exception, especially to those who love history, because this place is directly connected with historical events, to those who are interested in culture, because the building is an architectural and cultural monument, the interior decoration of the palace is truly amazing. Some rooms of the palace have remained untouched. Those who dare to visit the Elysee Palace should pay attention to the palace’s ceremonial lobby, as well as the palace’s salons.