What Appeals to You?

This is something that Dr. Smith asked us many times while in the Jardin du Luxembourg. This is a beautiful question that truly indicates the variety that this park has to offer. I am going to dive into some brief history about the park, and then jump into how I felt about it, and, well, what appealed to me.

The Luxembourg Garden is currently owned by the French Senate. It is located in the 6th arrondissement and is open to the public. Previously this space was used as a palace for Marie de’ Medici. After she became a widow to her husband in, King Henry IV, the Luxembourg Palace was constructed. Marie now needed a new place to reside and in the year 1612, the building process began. She desired a stunning Italian Baroque-style home to connect her to her own Italian roots as well as tranquil, classic French gardens to tie herself to her new homeland as well as her late husband. There is even an original fountain from her garden located in the park. It is easy to access and get up close to in order to see what Marie de’ Medici would have been admiring while walking around her palace gardens.

The high taxes from local French citizens are what keep the park the way it is. In the States, a park like this would never be possible because citizens are much more focused on their individual rights. They would say things like “I have the right to sit where I want to sit,” “I can walk through this grass if I want to,” and “I can break and enter into this government building if I want to simply because they grant us easy access to its outer perimeter!” However, here in France, the higher taxes means the community cares a bit more about each other since they are technically paying more for nicer spaces. The tax-paying citizens help to provide the government with funds to consistently maintain public parks. *shocking I know* This allows for a cleaner and well-sustained park environment.

This park is located directly in front of the French Senate building (what used to be Marie’s Palace). The close proximity of such a public space to a sector of the French government allows for a better relationship between the government and its citizens. This concept of trusting your own residents enough to enjoy a public space in front of a senate building makes France feel more like the republic that it is (it is on its 5th one mind you). The building is not scary, inaccessible, and looming over you as you rush past, but it is pretty, well-maintained, and inviting. However, the baroque aspect of the building, the gate around the perimeter, and stationed security officers help to create that strong, important, and grand feeling needed for a government building in order to display its intenseness and use. There is also a gate surrounding the park and not just the government building. This helps it to be less intimidating and reminds the people that they deserve protection too and safety is not just for those higher up in society (Once again. Wild. America take notes).

Now on to the portion on this post regarding my ~feelings~. As someone who prefers the green leaves of trees and the fresh scent of flowers to the exhaust from the cars and crowds of people, I felt so at peace in this park. The array of statues and fountains lining the walk into the garden immediately separated the space from the narrow streets of the city. The Four Parts of the World fountain being at the beginning of the path towards the garden creates an inviting and welcoming atmosphere. Anyone from anywhere can come into this park and find something that they enjoy.

For me, I most enjoyed the beauty of the iconic French garden and the history of the place itself. To see the fountain that Marie chose herself felt very special and allowed me to connect more with the space. The evenly trimmed shrubs and rhythmic trickles from the fountains produce an atmosphere that practically forces you to take a deep breath. I am drawn to places with space and fresh air, and after having walked around the center of pairs for the past week, this was exactly what I needed. It truly makes so much sense why they would create a public space like this.

An additional appealing factor of this park for me was the fruit gardens. I enjoy learning about how other places tend to their native species of flora and how they use them in everyday life. The signs regarding the types of dye that could be made from certain trees and the specific growth pattern of the fruit trees to produce the most amount of fruit were really interesting! I also just loved how walkable and accessible all this was. We went through every section of the park and it was a great opportunity to relax back into nature for a bit and stretch your legs on the gravel paths.

Overall, I see a great amount of value in this park due to its beauty, history, accessibility, and variety. The number of transitional spaces allows for the park to be intergenerational and widely used. Whether you want to play sports in the tennis/Pétanque courts (no thank you, not for me, I do not play sports well) or you want to simply walk around and enjoy a picnic near a charming fountain (yes, me, I will be going back to do this) then this park is the place for you. I am beginning to sound like an ad now so I will stop raving about it, but truly the Jardin de Luxembourg has something that will appeal to everyone.