MONUMENT

Sénat - Palais du Luxembourg

15 rue de Vaugirard - 75006 Paris Musée d'Orsay - Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Built in 1625 by Salomon de Brosse for Queen Marie of Médicis, the Palais du Luxembourg was a residence for the Royal Family before it was turned into a prison during the French Revolution. In 1800, Napoléon Bonaparte employed Chalgrin to transform the palace and the first senators took office in 1804. Initially, there were 80 senators collectively called the “Sénat Conservateur” and their purpose was to approve the Emperor’s decisions. After the fall of Napoléon in 1814, the Senate was replaced by the “Chambre des Pairs”. A few years later, space for the 271 people involved in the “Chambre des Pairs” was becoming an issue. Therefore in 1836, King Louis Phillippe employed architect Alphonse de Gisors to enlarge the palace to its current structure. During the Second World War, the palace was occupied, before being liberated in 1944. In 1958, Charles de Gaulle created the 5th Republic and the Senate that we know today. 321 senators gather in the Palais du Luxembourg in “commissions” to analyse written laws, with 6 permanent “commissions” who collect information from ministers, trade unions and a large number of both French and foreign experts.
The President of the Senate is the second most important figure in the country after the President of the Republic. The library contains some 450,000 books.

Did you know?
The Senate has seen some great figures come and go. Robert Badinter: two terms as a highly committed member of the International Olympic Committee's Ethics Commission. He received his Olympic mail in the Senate! Senators Antoine-Dieudonné Belle and Baron Alphonse Chodron de Courcel are other figures to have left their mark on the Senate and Olympic history.

Opening times and prices

More info on free tickets:

Free tour for the European Heritage Days during the 3rd week of September.

More info about group visits:

Groups (maximum 30 people) must obtain approval from a senator.

More info on opening times:

Palais du Luxembourg tours are organised on Mondays and Fridays, provided that the Senate is not in session, for a maximum of 40 people. Open for the European Heritage Days during the 3rd weekend of September.