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The Palais Bourbon () is the meeting place of the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
, the lower legislative chamber of the
French Parliament The French Parliament (french: Parlement français) is the bicameral legislature of the French Republic, consisting of the Senate () and the National Assembly (). Each assembly conducts legislative sessions at separate locations in Paris: t ...
. It is located in the 7th arrondissement of
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, on the ''
Rive Gauche The Rive Gauche (, ''Left Bank'') is the southern bank of the river Seine in Paris. Here the river flows roughly westward, cutting the city in two parts. When facing downstream, the southern bank is to the left, and the northern bank (or ''Rive D ...
'' of the
Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/ Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributar ...
, across from the Place de la Concorde. The original palace was built beginning in 1722 for
Louise Françoise de Bourbon Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...
, Duchess of Bourbon, the legitimised daughter of
Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ve ...
and the Marquise de Montespan. Four successive architects – Lorenzo Giardini, Pierre Cailleteau, Jean Aubert and
Jacques Gabriel Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...
– completed the palace in 1728. It was then nationalised during the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are consider ...
. From 1795 to 1799, during the
Directory Directory may refer to: * Directory (computing), or folder, a file system structure in which to store computer files * Directory (OpenVMS command) * Directory service, a software application for organizing information about a computer network's u ...
, it was the meeting place of the
Council of Five Hundred The Council of Five Hundred (''Conseil des Cinq-Cents''), or simply the Five Hundred, was the lower house of the legislature of France under the Constitution of the Year III. It existed during the period commonly known (from the name of the ...
, which chose the government leaders. Beginning in 1806, during
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
's French Empire, Bernard Poyet's Neoclassical facade was added to mirror that of the
Church of the Madeleine , other name = , native_name = , native_name_lang = French , image = Madeleine Paris.jpg , landscape = , imagesize = , caption = , imagelink ...
, facing it across the Seine beyond the Place de la Concorde. The palace complex today has a floor area of , with over 9,500 rooms, in which 3,000 people work. The complex includes the Hôtel de Lassay, on the west side of the Palais Bourbon; it is the official residence of the President of the National Assembly.


History


An aristocratic country house in Paris (1726–1789)

File:Palais de Bourbon - Plan au rez-de-chaussée - Architecture françoise Tome1 Livre2 Ch23 Pl3.jpg, Plan of the ground floor of the Palais Bourbon (1752) File:Drawing of the Palais Bourbon, Paris.jpg, Drawing of the Palais Bourbon in 1730 File:Louise Francoise de Bourbon as widow - Musée Condé.jpg, Louise Françoise de Bourbon, the creator of the Palais Bourbon, shown as a widow (1737) File:Palais Bourbon on Turgot map of Paris 1739.jpg, The Palais Bourbon (upper left) and the Hôtel de Lassay (lower right), as depicted on the Turgot map of Paris (1739) The palace was built for
Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Duchess of Bourbon Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...
(1673–1743), the legitimised daughter of
Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ve ...
and
Madame de Montespan Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ( ...
. Begun in 1722 and finished in 1728, it was located in what was then a largely rural quarter at the edge of Paris, which was about to become a very fashionable residential neighborhood, the Faubourg Saint-Germain. Until that time, the area, called the Pré-au-Clercs, was a wooded area popular for fighting duels. After the death of Louis XIV in 1715, following the example of the Regent, the aristocracy began to move their residences from Versailles back to Paris. Building-space land was scarce in the traditional residential area of the nobility, the densely-populated Marais, so the aristocracy of the Regency looked for land with space for gardens at the edges of the city, either near the Champs-Élysées on the right bank or on the left bank. The Duchess of Bourbon had been known for frivolity at the Court in Versailles, but by the 1720s, she had had seven children and was widowed. The reputed lover of the Duchess, Armand de Madaillan de Lesparre, Count of Lassy (''Comte de Lassay''), proposed the site of the palace to her; he had purchased land next door along the Seine, and the two buildings were constructed at the same time. The parcel of land for the new palace was large, extending from the Seine to the rue de l'Université. The original plan called for a country residence surrounded by gardens, modeled after the
Grand Trianon The Grand Trianon () is a French Baroque style château situated in the northwestern part of the Domain of Versailles in Versailles, France. It was built at the request of King Louis XIV of France as a retreat for himself and his '' maîtresse- ...
palace at Versailles, designed by
Jules Hardouin Mansart Jules Hardouin-Mansart (; 16 April 1646 – 11 May 1708) was a French Baroque architect and builder whose major work included the Place des Victoires (1684–1690); Place Vendôme (1690); the domed chapel of Les Invalides (1690), and the Grand T ...
, the chief architect of Louis XIV. The Italian architect Lorenzo Giardini made the first plan, but he died in 1722, having made little but the first sketches. The project was taken over by Pierre Cailleteau, also known as Lassurance, who had been an assistant to Hardouin-Mansart. Cailleteau had worked on the palace of Versailles and
Les Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides ( en, "house of invalids"), commonly called Les Invalides (), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as ...
, and he knew the royal style very well, but he died in 1724. He was replaced by Jean Aubert, also a former assistant of Hardouin-Mansart. Aubert had built one of the grandest projects of the time, the stables of the royal residence at Chantilly. In the meanwhile, the construction of the neighbouring Hôtel de Lassay had begun, following a plan by another noted architect,
Jacques Gabriel Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...
, the designer of the buildings around the Place de la Concorde. Both buildings were finished in 1728. Both the Palais Bourbon and the Hôtel de Lassay were in the Italian style, with roofs hidden by balustrades and invisible from street level. The Palais Bourbon was in a U-shape. The main building was parallel to the Seine, with two wings enclosing a courtyard. The entrance to the courtyard and building was on the Rue de la Université. The entrance to the courtyard had an ornate archway, flanked by two pavilions. The Hôtel de Lassay was rectangular, and more modest in size. The two buildings had identical facades facing the Seine. The facades featured alternating columns and windows, and decoration on the themes of the seasons, the elements, and, fitting for the daughter of the Sun King, about Apollo. The space between the buildings, and between the buildings and the Seine, was filled with gardens. In addition to the large reception rooms, the interior of the house had many small salons which could be arranged for a variety of purposes. It also had a novelty for buildings of the period; corridors, so one could pass through the building without walking through the rooms. None of the original apartments of the Duchess survive; they were demolished in the subsequent remodelings. The Duchesse de Bourbon died in 1743, and De Lassay died in 1750. The Palace was purchased by
Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached ...
, who seems to have wished to include it in the plan of the new place Royale (now the Place de la Concorde) which he was building on the other side of the river. But in 1756 he sold it to grandson of the Duchess,
Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé Louis Joseph de Bourbon (9 August 1736 – 13 May 1818) was Prince of Condé from 1740 to his death. A member of the House of Bourbon, he held the prestigious rank of '' Prince du Sang''. Youth Born on 9 August 1736 at Chantilly, Louis Jo ...
, who had been a military hero in the just-concluded
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754– ...
. The Prince decided to largely rebuild it, turning it from a country house into a monumental palace, in the new classical revival style. With this end in mind, in 1768 he purchased the neighboring Hôtel de Lassay, and planned to make the two buildings into one. A new plan was drawn by Marie-Joseph Peyre, whose style was based on archeological studies of ancient Rome and Greece. Peyre's other neoclassical works included the Odéon Theater. Several different architects were engaged in the project, including for
Jacques-Germain Soufflot Jacques-Germain Soufflot (, 22 July 1713 – 29 August 1780) was a French architect in the international circle that introduced neoclassicism. His most famous work is the Panthéon in Paris, built from 1755 onwards, originally as a church ded ...
, Bellisard and Charpentier. For the neoclassical palace of the Prince, the entrance on rue Université was replaced by a larger and more impressive gate, framed by a gallery of columns. The two wings of the building were extended, and a pavilion was created with apartments for one of his sons. An abundance of military decoration, including stucco sculptures of shields and weapons, was added to the vestibule, and are still visible today. The palace was only finished at the end of the 1780s, when the French Revolution swept away the old regime. The Prince went into exile, and the two residences were confiscated by the state in 1792.


The Revolution, Consulate and Empire (1789–1814)

File:Ancienne Galerie du ci-devant Palais Bourbon du côté de la riviere 2.jpg, Façade of the Palais Bourbon facing the Seine (beginning of the 19th century) File:Hémicycle 5 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The desk of the President of the Assembly, designed by
Jacques-Louis David Jacques-Louis David (; 30 August 1748 – 29 December 1825) was a French painter in the Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s, his cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in taste away fr ...
, and the tribune of the chamber, with bas-relief of History and Fame by François-Frédéric Lemot (1797–98) File:Palais Bourbon facade of Napoleon.JPG, First project of the new facade along the Seine, by Poyet (1806) File:Statue of Colbert, Palais Bourbon, Paris 28 July 2015.jpg, Statue of
Jean-Baptiste Colbert Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...
, added with statues other famous royal ministers in 1810
The first French national assembly gathered without royal authorization on 20 June 1789 in the tennis court of the Palace of Versailles. the first step of the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are consider ...
, and in May 1793 moved to the empty theater of the Tuileries Palace in Paris. The aristocracy fled into exile, and the Palais Bourbon and Hôtel de Lassay, like the Luxembourg Palace,
Élysée Palace The Élysée Palace (french: Palais de l'Élysée; ) is the official residence of the President of the French Republic. Completed in 1722, it was built for nobleman and army officer Louis Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, who had been appointed Gove ...
and Hôtel Matignon were nationalized, and used for government functions. The stables of the Palais became the headquarters of the administration of military transport, while the Palais Bourbon became in 1794 the Central School of Public Works, which later became, under Napoleon, the
École Polytechnique École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Sav ...
, the famous military engineering school. In 1793 and 1794 the Revolution reached its peak of fury, under the Convention led by
Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman who became one of the best-known, influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. As a member of the Est ...
and Saint-Just. The two leaders of the Terror were arrested and executed on 28 July 1794, and a new government, the
Directory Directory may refer to: * Directory (computing), or folder, a file system structure in which to store computer files * Directory (OpenVMS command) * Directory service, a software application for organizing information about a computer network's u ...
took power. On 23 September 1795 a new Constitution was adopted, which called for a parliament with two chambers, the
Council of Five Hundred The Council of Five Hundred (''Conseil des Cinq-Cents''), or simply the Five Hundred, was the lower house of the legislature of France under the Constitution of the Year III. It existed during the period commonly known (from the name of the ...
, the future National Assembly, and the Council of the Ancients. The Council of Five Hundred was given the Palais Bourbon as its future meeting place. The new government commissioned the architects Jacques-Pierre Gisors and Emmanuel-Cherubin Leconte to turn the apartments of the Palace along the Seine into a suitable meeting chamber. The chamber they designed was in the shape of a hemicycle, similar to a Roman theater. it was covered with a cupola modeled after that of the amphitheater of the Academy of Surgery, located not far away in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, which had been built between 1769 and 1774. The first session of the Council took place on 21 January 1798. It was quickly discovered that the acoustics of the new chamber were poor. A few other changes were made to the Palace; a vestibule and rotunda was added on the courtyard, and a wooden gallery was constructed to connect the Palace with the Hotel de Lassay. Two features of the original chamber can still be found in the new New Chamber; the desk and armchair of the President of the Assembly, made of wood and gilded bronze, designed in a classical Roman by
Jacques-Louis David Jacques-Louis David (; 30 August 1748 – 29 December 1825) was a French painter in the Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s, his cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in taste away fr ...
and the bas-relief behind the tribune, made of carved white marble framed in dark polychrome marble. It features two female figures representing allegorical figures of History and Fame. Fame is announcing the laws with a long trumpet, while History is inscribing them on a tablet. In the center is a bust of
Marianne Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty. Marianne is displayed in ...
, the symbol of the Republic, wearing a medallion of the Roman god Janus, whose two faces illustrate the motto that the experience of the past predicts the future. The construction of the Chamber drastically modified the building, as the roof had to be raised well above the old facade. It was also out of alignment with the long axis composed of the Church of the Madeleine, the place de la Concorde, and the pont de la Concorde; the view of the Palais Bourbon from the Place de la Concorde was blocked by the decoration of the bridge. The Council of Five Hundred began meeting on 21 January 1798, a date chosen because it was the anniversary of the execution of the "last tyrant", Louis XVI. The members arrived dressed in Roman togas and caps, in the neoclassical fashion. They found that the new Chamber had little ventilation, was feebly heated in winter, and the acoustics were made it hard to hear the speakers. The acoustics in the end made little difference, because on 8 November 1799,
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
organized a coup d'état and seized power from the Council of Five Hundred, then meeting at the Chateau of Saint-Cloud. Napoleon formed a new legislature, the ''Corps Legislatif'', whose only duty was to listen to an annual speech by Napoleon, the new First Consul, and to adopt the laws proposed by the Council of State, and debated by another new body, the ''Tribunat''. While Napoleon gave the new legislature little power, he did give their building a new grandeur. In 1806 the Bureau of the ''Corps Legislatif'' proposed the construction of a new facade facing the Seine, which would be aligned with and would match that of the Temple of Glory (now the
Church of the Madeleine , other name = , native_name = , native_name_lang = French , image = Madeleine Paris.jpg , landscape = , imagesize = , caption = , imagelink ...
) which Napoleon was building at the end of Rue Royale, to the north of the Place de la Concorde. The new neoclassical facade, designed by architect
Bernard Poyet Bernard Poyet (3 May 1742, Dijon - 6 December 1824, Paris was a French architect; best known for his work on the Palais Bourbon. Biography He was a student of Charles De Wailly who, in 1766, charged him with supervising the construction of a ...
, had twelve corinthian columns in an entirely different style from Italianate 18th century palace behind it, but it was high enough to be visible from the Place de la Concorde and was correctly aligned to be visible from the Madeleine. The original ''fronton'' of the facade featured bas-reliefs by sculptor Antoine-Denis Chaudet, showed scenes from the opening of the Corps Legislative in 1806; it showed Napoleon on horseback, offering to the members of the Legislature the flags which had been captured from the Austrians at the
Battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz ...
, and the inscription, "To Napoleon I the Great – the Corps Legislatif". In 1810, statues of the goddess
Themis In Greek mythology and religion, Themis (; grc, Θέμις, Themis, justice, law, custom) is one of the twelve Titan children of Gaia and Uranus, and the second wife of Zeus. She is the goddess and personification of justice, divine order, f ...
, holding a scale in her left hand, and
Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
, the symbol of wisdom, were placed in front of the facade on the Seine, along with statues of famous French royal ministers, Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully,
Jean-Baptiste Colbert Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...
, and Henri François d'Aguesseau, Poyet made two important modifications to the interior; he added two salons, the ''Salle des Gardes'' and the ''Salon de l'Empereur'', which was intended for the use of Napoleon during his rare visits to the building. Both these rooms retain much of their original decor, tromp-l'oeil paintings by
Alexandre-Évariste Fragonard Alexandre-Évariste Coccinelle Fragonard (26 October 1780 – 10 November 1850) was a French painter and sculptor in the troubadour style. He received his first training from his father and drew from him his piquant subjects and great facility, ...
, the son of the famous court painter of Louis XIV.


Bourbon Restoration and monarchy of Louis-Philippe -the Chamber of Deputies

File:Ary Scheffer - Louis-Philippe prêtant serment devants les chambres, le 9 août 1830 - P1537 - Musée Carnavalet.jpg, Louis-Philippe takes his oath before the two Chambers (1830), painting by Ary Scheffer File:Eugène Delacroix - Decoration of the west wall - WGA06182.jpg, The Salon of the King, decorated by
Eugène Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( , ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: Britis ...
(1833–38) File:Illustrirte Zeitung (1843) 08 116 1 Der Sitzungssaal der Deputirtenkammer in Paris.PNG, The Chamber of Deputies in 1843 File:Bibliothèque de l'Assemblée Nationale 1.jpg, The library, with paintings by
Eugène Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( , ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: Britis ...
(1838–1846)
After the fall of Napoleon in 1814, the Bourbon monarchy was restored under Louis XVIII, but preserved some of the democratic institutions begun during the Revolution. The new government, like the Directory, featured a legislature with two houses, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The Palais Bourbon was formally returned to its aristocratic owner, the Prince of Condé, who had returned from exile. However, the building had been so modified it was impossible to use as a residence; the Prince rented a large part of the Palace to the new Chamber of Deputies. The first modification made by the new government, in July, 1815, just a month after Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo, was to erase the inscription to Napoleon, the five bas-reliefs and the numerous Ns and eagles that had been carved on the facades. The bas-relief featuring Napoleon on tn the Seine facade was replaced by a plaster bas relief by Alexandre-Évariste Fragonard of Louis XVIII signing the Charter of 1814, the founding document of the new government. The Chamber of Deputies continued to rent the space until 1827, when it finally bought the building from the heir of the Prince of Condé in 1827, for 5,250,000 francs. The meeting hall was in deplorable condition, so the Chamber decided on a major renovation. The architect Jules de Joly (1788–1865) who had been official architect of the Chamber since 1821, was selected for the task. The architect proposed four possible new shapes for the hall; an ellipse, rectangle, octagon and hemicycle, but the Chamber decided to keep the original hemicycle. De Joly also was asked to redesign the three salons which faced on the courtyard of honor. The plan was submitted in January 1828, approved in April 1829, the first stone placed on 4 November 1829. Over three hundred workers were engaged on the project, one of the largest undertaken in Paris during the Restoration. Work continued, despite the Revolution of 1830 that brought down the Bourbon Monarchy, and replaced it with a new Constitutional Monarchy.
Louis Philippe Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary War ...
, the new King, came to take the oath to the Chamber in its temporary meeting place. A second project, that of constructing a library, was commenced April 1831. The new interior was completed in September 1832, and formally inaugurated by the new monarch on 19 November 1832. The meeting hall of the Deputies kept the same hemicycle form, but the floor was lowered, giving greater height to the ceiling, and increasing the height of the tribune and the desk of the President. A colonnade and balconies, in the form of an arch of triumph, was constructed behind the tribune, giving the appearance of a theatrical stage. The central panel above and behind the tribune was occupied by a large painting of Louis-Philippe taking his oath before the Assembly. Niches were constructed on either side of the tribune, with statues of "Liberty" and "Public Order" by Pradet. The four columns of the arch were decorated with statues representing Force, Justice, Prudence and Eloquence. The plan by Joly also turned the building around. Under Napoleon, the main entrance, where the Emperor entered for his annual address, was on the Seine, under the grand colonnade. Under the new plan, the main entrance was placed on the courtyard of honor, where a delegation of deputies met the new monarch, Louis-Philippe, when he came to the building each year to open the session. To give this entrance greater prominence, Joly constructed a neoclassical portico with four Corinthian columns, modeled after the ancient Roman temple of Jupiter Stator. Joly's project greatly increased the interior space of the building, adding three new salons (now the Salons Delacroix, Casimir-Pierier, Abel-de-Pujol. Under the new plan, it was possible to go from one wing of the building to the other without having to cross the courtyard or pass through the meeting chamber. In 1837 a new project was begun to finish the exterior decoration, particularly on the facade facing the Seine. The original three bas-reliefs on the facade beneath the colonnade had been removed with the fall of the Empire, and were not replaced; but two new works replaced other Napoleonic bas reliefs; ''Prometheus animating the arts'' by Rude and ''Public Education'' by James Pradier. The bas-relief on the Fronton, which had originally depicted Napoleon bringing the flags of Austerlitz to the Assembly, was replaced by a new work by Corton entitled ''France supported by Force and Justice''. For the new entry portico on the court of honor, Joly commissioned two new statues by Gayard; titled ''France'' and ''Liberty''. These two statues were not installed until 1860, under Napoleon III, and were given new names; "Force" and ''France deposits her ballot in the voting urn.'' The interior minister of Louis-Philippe, and future President of France,
Adolphe Thiers Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers ( , ; 15 April 17973 September 1877) was a French statesman and historian. He was the second elected President of France and first President of the French Third Republic. Thiers was a key figure in the July Rev ...
, oversaw the interior decoration of the Assembly. He selected a promising young painter
Eugène Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( , ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: Britis ...
, just 25 years old, to paint murals for the Salon of the King (''Salon du Roi''), though the King, Louis-Philippe, in fact detested Delacroix's style. Between 1833 and 1838 Delacroix created a series of allegorical figures representing Justice, Truth, Prudence, War, Industry, and Agriculture. The murals are preserved in what is now called the Salon Delacroix. Another Salon, known as the Salon de la Paix or Salon des pas perdus, was decorated with allegories by
Horace Vernet Émile Jean-Horace Vernet (30 June 178917 January 1863), more commonly known as simply Horace Vernet, was a French painter of battles, portraits, and Orientalist subjects. Biography Vernet was born to Carle Vernet, another famous painter, who ...
, illustrating two themes important to Louis Philippe; peace in Europe and the expansion of commerce and industry. They showed French ships carrying goods from the new French colonies in Africa, ships in the port of Marseille, the textile mills of Lyon, and a locomotive of the new railways. A third salon was painted by Abel de Pujol, who painted scenes from the history of governments in France, from
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
to Louis-Philippe. The project of reconstruction included a new library, on the east side of the Palace. The style was highly classical, and resembled that of the ancient Roman baths; pillars supported five cupolas, over a gallery closed by two semi-circular bays. The lighting came from a recent innovation, skylights; it was later copied in the new National Library of France. The painter Eugène Delacroix was commissioned to paint the interior, a project which lasted from 1838 until 1846. Supported by a team of assistants, Delacroix painted the five cupolas and the two hemicycles of the library with a series of allegorical paintings on the themes of philosophy, natural history, legislation, eloquence, literature, poetry and theology; a panorama of all the aspects of civilization. Despite the new construction, the Chamber of Deputies was still desperately short of space for meeting rooms and offices. The President of the Parliament lived far from the Palace – first on rue de Lille, then on
Place Vendôme The Place Vendôme (), earlier known as Place Louis-le-Grand, and also as Place Internationale, is a square in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France, located to the north of the Tuileries Gardens and east of the Église de la Madeleine. It is ...
; and the Duke of Bourbon still occupied the west wing of the Palais. The Chamber purchased the west wing of the Palace in 1830, and the Hôtel de Lassay in 1843. Joly once again was the architect chosen to redo the building; his plan called adding another story and restoring, as much as possible, the original italianate style, both inside and outside. The result was a building which was more intimate and elegant than its neoclassical neighbor. The work was begun in 1845, and was nearly finished when the
1848 French Revolution The French Revolution of 1848 (french: Révolution française de 1848), also known as the February Revolution (), was a brief period of civil unrest in France, in February 1848, that led to the collapse of the July Monarchy and the foundation ...
broke out. After days of turmoil and fighting, the King abdicated and departed France, and the Chamber of Deputies was dissolved, opening the way for the
French Second Republic The French Second Republic (french: Deuxième République Française or ), officially the French Republic (), was the republican government of France that existed between 1848 and 1852. It was established in February 1848, with the February Rev ...
.


The Second Republic and Second Empire (1848–1870)

Following the Revolution in February 1848, France and its legislature entered a turbulent period. The enormous painting of Louis Philippe taking his oath to the nation, over the tribune in the Chamber of Deputies was taken down, and replaced by a Gobelin tapestry of the painting of Raphael, ''The School of Athens'', made between 1683 and 1688. The Chamber of Deputies elected in 1846 was abruptly disbanded by the February Revolution. A new election by direct universal suffrage chose a Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly met for the first time in the temporary chamber which had been constructed in the garden of the Palais Bourbon, and the on 4 May the
French Second Republic The French Second Republic (french: Deuxième République Française or ), officially the French Republic (), was the republican government of France that existed between 1848 and 1852. It was established in February 1848, with the February Rev ...
was proclaimed at the Palais Bourbon. On May 15 a mob with red flags invaded the chamber, demanding a much more radical government. Another unsuccessful attempt to seize the government was launched by in June 1848. A new National Assembly was elected, and a new President, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, the nephew of the Emperor, who had lived most of his life in exile. On December 2, 1851, when the Assembly to refused to change the Constitution to allow him to run for a second term, Louis Napoleon organized a coup d'état, took power, and had himself proclaimed Emperor Napoleon III, bringing an end to the Second Republic. Opposition deputies were arrested and exiled. The Assembly continued to meet in the Palais Bourbon, but had little influence over the Emperor or the government. They were not allowed to speak from the Tribune, but only from the floor of the Chamber. After 1860, the Emperor liberalized the regime, giving the deputies greater influence, freedom of speech and the press was reestablished, and debates resumed in the Palais Bourbon. In 1870, the Assembly voted with patriotic enthusiasm for a war with Prussia, despite the opposition of a few deputies, including
Adolphe Thiers Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers ( , ; 15 April 17973 September 1877) was a French statesman and historian. He was the second elected President of France and first President of the French Third Republic. Thiers was a key figure in the July Rev ...
, but in a matter of weeks the French army was defeated, the Emperor was captured, and on 2–3 September the
French Third Republic The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940 ...
was founded.


The Third Republic (1871–1940)

After the defeat at Sedan, A provisional government of Parliament leaders was formed, and tried to continue the war, but Paris was soon surrounded by the Germans. The leader of the provisional government,
Léon Gambetta Léon Gambetta (; 2 April 1838 – 31 December 1882) was a French lawyer and republican politician who proclaimed the French Third Republic in 1870 and played a prominent role in its early government. Early life and education Born in Cahors, Ga ...
, had to escape from Paris by balloon. The Palais Bourbon was abandoned; the Assembly moved first to Bordeaux, then to Versailles. The Paris Commune seized power in the city in March 1871, but in May was suppressed by the French Army. The Palais Bourbon escaped destruction, unlike the
Tuileries Palace The Tuileries Palace (french: Palais des Tuileries, ) was a royal and imperial palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine, directly in front of the Louvre. It was the usual Parisian residence of most French monarchs, fro ...
, Hotel de Ville, the Palace of Justice, State Council and other government buildings, which were set afire in the last days of the Commune. While the French Senate returned to Paris soon after the suppression of the Commune, the Assembly remained in Versailles until 27 November 1879. The new Assembly of the Third Republic was considerably larger than that of early governments, with 531 deputies, compared with 260 under the Second Empire. The new President of the Chamber, Léon Gambetta, called for a study and plan to enlarge the meeting space. A long series of enlargement plans were considered between 1879 and 1913, but none were ever approved. During the Third Republic, the Palais Bourbon was the home of the primary institution of the French government. The Assembly selected the President of France, and controlled finances and foreign policy. Its membership divided between constitutional monarchists and conservatives, who sat to the right of the Chamber as seen from the podium, and the moderate and radical republicans and later socialists, who sat to the left. The chamber saw many eloquent and spirited debates between the leaders of the parties, and sometimes turmoil. In 1898, during the
Dreyfus affair The Dreyfus affair (french: affaire Dreyfus, ) was a political scandal that divided the French Third Republic from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. "L'Affaire", as it is known in French, has come to symbolise modern injustice in the Francop ...
, the socialist leader
Jean Jaurès Auguste Marie Joseph Jean Léon Jaurès (3 September 185931 July 1914), commonly referred to as Jean Jaurès (; oc, Joan Jaurés ), was a French Socialist leader. Initially a Moderate Republican, he later became one of the first social demo ...
was struck by a monarchist deputy while giving a speech in the Chamber, and a bomb placed by an anarchist exploded in the gallery in 1890. The Assembly declared war in 1914 and celebrated victory in 1918, but was badly divided in the 1930s and was unable to manage the economic crisis and the approach of World War II.


World War II, and the Fourth and Fifth Republics

In June 1940, as the German army approached the capital, the government and Assembly abandoned Paris and moved first to Tours, then to Bordeaux, and then, under the Pétain Government, to Vichy. The Germans used the Palais Bourbon as the military court for the
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
, and it also housed the offices of the French bureau which sent French workers to factories in Germany. German propaganda banners decorated the Seine facade of the Palace. During the liberation of Paris in August 1944, parts of the Palace were badly damaged. A fire in the library started by the fighting destroyed twenty thousand books.
Philippe de Gaulle Philippe Henri Xavier Antoine de Gaulle (born 28 December 1921) is a French retired admiral and senator. He is the eldest child and only son of General Charles de Gaulle, the first president of the French Fifth Republic, and his wife Yvonne. He i ...
, the son of
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
was sent from Montparnasse Station on 25 August 1944 with orders for the Germans troops entrenched within National Assembly at the Palais Bourbon to surrender. Despite the risk of being killed, alone and unarmed, he negotiated their surrender. The Fourth Republic was founded by the adoption of a new Constitution in 1946, and brought new technology to the Palais Bourbon, including the first microphones for speakers, but featured a large number of political parties and unstable coalitions which frequently collapsed. The Algerian Crisis of 1956 brought an end to the Fourth Republic, the approval of a new Constitution, and the adoption of the Fifth Republic, still in existence today.


The Palais Bourbon today


The Court of Honor

File:Cour d'honneur statue 2 Palais Bourbon.jpg, Statue of ''Universal Suffrage'' by Gayrard (1860) File:P1020492 ParisVII Palais-Bourbon rwk.JPG, The gateway to the Court of Honor from Rue de l'Université File:Cour d'honneur 3 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The Court of Honor File:Cour d'honneur 4 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The portico of the ceremonial entrance of the Palais File:Cour d'honneur statue 1 Palais Bourbon.jpg, Statue of ''The Law'' by Gayrard (1860) The Court of Honor, to the south of the Palais, has been the main entrance since the original palace was constructed. It was considerably modified in the 1830s, with the addition of the ceremonial portico over the doorway, but still retains its original outlines. The sculptures on either side of the entrance represent Universal Suffrage and the Law. They were added during the Second Empire in 1860. The granite ball on a pedestal in the center of the courtyard, called the Sphere of Human Rights, is by the American sculptor
Walter De Maria Walter Joseph De MariaRoberta Smith (July 26, 2013)Walter De Maria, Artist on Grand Scale, Dies at 77 ''New York Times''. (October 1, 1935July 25, 2013) was an American artist, sculptor, illustrator and composer, who lived and worked in New Yor ...
. It was added in 1989 to commemorate the bicentennial of the French Revolution.


The Meeting Chamber

File:Vote solennel loi mariage 23042013 30.jpg, Votes are registered electronically, and shown on a board next to the tribune. This is the vote approving gay marriage (2013) File:Hémicycle 2 Palais Bourbon.jpg, Galleries for the public File:Hemicycle assemblee nationale.JPG, The Tribune and desk of the President File:Vote solennel loi mariage 23042013 16.jpg, The Assembly in session, voting for the law on marriage (2013) The ''salle des Séances'', or meeting chamber of the Palais Bourbon, has the same basic appearance and arrangement as it did in 1832. By the French Constitution, the Assembly is in session for nine months, from the beginning of October until the end of June, though the deputies can be summoned at any time for a special session by the President of the Republic. The 577 deputies, elected for five-year terms, are seated in the hemicycle, with the deputies of the socialists and other parties of the left seated to the left of the speaker, and those of the more conservative parties to the right. The President of the Assembly is seated in the ''Perchoir'', or perch, a desk high up against the wall of the chamber, at the height of the highest back row, symbolizing that the President is a deputy like the others. The armchair was designed by
Jacques-Louis David Jacques-Louis David (; 30 August 1748 – 29 December 1825) was a French painter in the Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s, his cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in taste away fr ...
for the Council of Five Hundred, the first legislature to meet in the building. Deputies vote electronically, by pushing a button, and the count is displayed at the front of the Chamber. The sessions of the Chamber are open to the public (though access must be requested through the office of a deputy). The sessions are also transmitted live on the Internet site of the Assembly.


The Salons

File:Salon casimir 1 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The Salle Casimir Périer, with a bronze bas-relief of the 1798 Assembly by
Jules Dalou Aimé-Jules Dalou (31 December 183815 April 1902) was a 19th-century French sculptor, admired for his perceptiveness, execution, and unpretentious realism. Early life Born in Paris to a working-class family of Huguenot background, he was raised ...
File:Salle de pas perdus plafond Palais Bourbon.jpg, The ceiling of the Salle des pas perdus, showing Vernet's ''Genius of Steam'', ''Peace distributes her benefits'', and ''Steam chasing the gods of the Sea'' File:Eugène Delacroix - Decoration of the west wall - WGA06182.jpg, The west wall of the Salon Delacroix File:Eugène Delacroix - Justice (detail) - WGA06183.jpg, Illustration of ''Justice'' from the Salon Delacroix File:Salon pujol 1 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The salon Abel de Pujol, with neoclassic grisaille paintings of famous French rulers on the ceiling File:Salle des quatre colonnes .jpg, The Salon des quatre colonnes
The salons of the Palais Bourbon were created during the reign of Louis-Philippe, and were decorated by prominent artists, most notably
Eugène Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( , ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: Britis ...
. *The Salle Casimir-Périer is a wide corridor with a vaulted ceiling which connects the Assembly Chamber with the salons and with the Courtyard of Honor. The architecture is inspired by that of an ancient Roman basilica. Its primary decoration is a massive bronze bas-relief depicting the first meetings of the Assembly during the French Revolution, by sculptor
Jules Dalou Aimé-Jules Dalou (31 December 183815 April 1902) was a 19th-century French sculptor, admired for his perceptiveness, execution, and unpretentious realism. Early life Born in Paris to a working-class family of Huguenot background, he was raised ...
. It was originally designed for a monument to the Revolution that was never constructed, and then, at the request of Assembly President Leon Gambetta, cast in bronze for the Palais Bourbon. It is 6.5 meters long and 2.3 meters high, and weighs four tons. The hall also includes six statues of illustrious members of the Assembly by different themes: statues of Mirabeau and Maximilien Sébastien Foy representing resistance to absolute governments; statues of
Jean Sylvain Bailly Jean Sylvain Bailly (; 15 September 1736 – 12 November 1793) was a French astronomer, mathematician, freemason, and political leader of the early part of the French Revolution. He presided over the Tennis Court Oath, served as the mayor of Pa ...
and Casimir Périer representing resistance to popular sedition; and statues celebrating the authors of the French Civil Code, Jean-Étienne-Marie Portalis and
François Denis Tronchet François Denis Tronchet (23 March 1726 – 10 March 1806) was a French jurist, best remembered for having defended Louis XVI of France at his trial (with Malesherbes and Deseze) and for having contributed to the writing of the French civil cod ...
. The decoration also includes bas-reliefs under the ceiling at either end representing Law as the protector, and law avenging injustice. The lunettes illuminating the hall also have sculptural decoration, representing Meditation, Justice, Peace, Work, Industry, Commerce, Force, War, Maritime commerce and Agriculture. This hall is the place where members of the Government gather before going into the Chamber on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when they answer questions from the Deputies. *The Salon Delacroix was decorated by Delacroix beginning when the artist was just twenty-five years old. It was originally called the Salon de Roi, and was meant as a place where Louis-Philippe could meet with the Deputies when he came to the Chamber. The work was completed in 1836. The dominant elements of the decoration are four allegorical figures which according to Delacroix symbolized "the living forces of the State; Justice, Agriculture, Industry and War". Two grisaille allegorical paintings of the Ocean and the Mediterranean decorate the west wall. The niche between these paintings originally held the throne used by Louis-Philippe during his visits to the Palais Bourbon. This salon is now used as a gathering place for Deputies of the Left, whose seats are just inside, and often informal parliamentary negotiation takes place here. *The Salle des Pas-Perdus originally contained a bedroom and baths in the residence of the Duchess. It was transformed into a formal hall during the reign of Louis-Philippe, and decorated with paintings by
Horace Vernet Émile Jean-Horace Vernet (30 June 178917 January 1863), more commonly known as simply Horace Vernet, was a French painter of battles, portraits, and Orientalist subjects. Biography Vernet was born to Carle Vernet, another famous painter, who ...
and Charles Séchan, finished in 1839. The centerpiece of the decoration by Vernet is the painting ''Peace distributes her benefits'', flanked by ''The Genius of steam'', representing a steam railroad locomotive, newly introduced to France; and ''the Genius of Steam chasing the gods of the Sea'', featuring a steamship. Following a tradition begun under Louis Phillipe, the President of the Assembly walks through this room on his way from the Hotel de Lassay to the afternoon session in the Hemicycle. When he arrives in the room, drums sound and he walks through two ranks of Republican Guards with swords, saluting his passage. *The Salon Abel de Pujol was created and decorated in 1838–40 under Louis Philippe. It takes its name from the neoclassic artist Abel de Pujol who painted the grisailles on the ceiling, which illustrate the role of French monarchs in the establishment of law;
Clovis I Clovis ( la, Chlodovechus; reconstructed Frankish: ; – 27 November 511) was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a single k ...
, the author of the first French laws;
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
; Louis IX (Saint Louis); and Louis-Philippe himself, by the charter of 1830, which established his government. Today the Salon is used especially as a gathering place for deputies of the right during sessions of the Assembly, where they negotiate last-minute changes and tactics. *The Salon des quatre colonnes is decorated with several works of sculpture which originally stood in the chamber of the Council of 500 in 1798, and were removed during the reconstruction of 1832; statues of ancient legislators;
Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC), often referred to simply as Brutus, was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Serv ...
, Lycurgus,
Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah ( Hebrew: , Modern: , Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yah"), was a monarch of ancient Israel and the son and succe ...
and Cato. On either side of the doorway to the Assembly Chamber are busts of two famous deputies symbolizing the right and the left; the Christian Democrat Albert de Mun and the socialist
Jean Jaurès Auguste Marie Joseph Jean Léon Jaurès (3 September 185931 July 1914), commonly referred to as Jean Jaurès (; oc, Joan Jaurés ), was a French Socialist leader. Initially a Moderate Republican, he later became one of the first social demo ...
. A marble monument shows the names of Deputies killed in the First World War, and a statue of the Republic commemorates the Deputies and Assembly officers who died in the Second World War. The room is used today during Assembly session for stand-up television interviews with Deputies.


The Library

File:Bibliothèque de l'Assemblée Nationale 7.jpg, Delacroix's image of Orpheus bringing the benefits of art and civilization to mankind File:Bibliothèque de l'Assemblée Nationale plafond.jpg, The central cupola, surrounded by allegorical figures File:Eugène Ferdinand Victor Delacroix 003.jpg, Delacroix's image of
Attila Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in March 453. He was also the leader of a tribal empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Bulgars, among others, in Central and ...
attacking western civilization File:Palais Bourbon, Malerei in der Kuppel der Poesie, Szene- Hesiod und die Muse (Eugène Delacroix).jpg,
Hesiod Hesiod (; grc-gre, Ἡσίοδος ''Hēsíodos'') was an ancient Greek poet generally thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded by western authors as 'the first written poet i ...
and the Muse, representing poetry and science File:Bibliothèque de l'Assemblée nationale.jpg, The central aisle of the Library
The Library was built beginning in 1830 against the side of the original Palais. The design is architect Jules de Joly, in the style of the ancient Roman baths. with pillars supporting five cupolas, which provide light. It is closed at either end by curved bays. The decoration, by Eugène Delacroix and a team of assistants, was done between 1838 and 1847. The paintings on the ceiling around each of the cupolas represents a different branch of human knowledge; poetry; theology, legislation, philosophy and the sciences. The stories that illustrate the themes were taken from antiquity, rather than from French history. They represent the great thinkers (
Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the t ...
, Demosthenes,
Herodotus Herodotus ( ; grc, , }; BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire (now Bodrum, Turkey) and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria (Italy). He is known for ...
, and
Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ...
, as well as scenes representing the dangers to democracy and civilization; the death of
Saint John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
, the death of Seneca the Younger, and the murder of
Archimedes Archimedes of Syracuse (;; ) was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor from the ancient city of Syracuse in Sicily. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists ...
by a Roman soldier. The large paintings on the bays at either end of the room represent ''
Orpheus Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with Jaso ...
bringing the benefits of the arts and civilization'' and ''
Attila Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in March 453. He was also the leader of a tribal empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Bulgars, among others, in Central and ...
and his barbarian hordes at the feet of Italy and the Arts.''Chaudonneret, Marie-Claude, article in ''Assembleé Nationale'' special edition of ''Beaux Arts'' (1999) The original collection of the library was assembled from books confiscated from the libraries of the clergy and aristocracy who left Paris during the Revolution. It also includes many rare items donated to the Assembly, including the minutes of the trial of
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the corona ...
, the manuscripts of
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revol ...
, donated by his widow in 1794, and the Codex Borbonicus, an Aztec codex written by Aztec priests shortly before or after the
Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico or the Spanish-Aztec War (1519–21), was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. There are multiple 16th-century narratives of the eve ...
. The library is reserved for he use of the members of the Assembly and their staffs, and is not open to the public.


The Salle des Conferences and Deputies Buffet

The Salle des Conferences is a large room with tables and lamps on the east side of the Hemicycle, where the Deputies can read, talk and check their messages. It was originally the dining room of the Prince de Condé, then was transformed in 1830 into its present use. The ceiling is richly decorated with paintings by Heim on the history of the monarchy and parliaments, and on by the fireplace are large historical paintings on parliamentary subjects; ''Philip le Bel Brings assembles the Estates General in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame'' by Auguste Vinchon, and ''The Patriotic Devotion of the Bourgeois of Calais'' by Ary Scheffer. Next to the Salles des Conferences is the Deputies Buffet, which was created in 1994 in the Belle Époque style and renovated in the same style in 1997. It is reserved exclusively for the use of Deputies and former Deputies.


Hôtel de Lassay

File:Cabinet de depart bureau Palais Bourbon.jpg, The desk of the President in the Cabinet du Départ File:Hotel de lassay facade.JPG, The court facade of the Hôtel de Lassay File:Salon de la musique Palais Bourbon.jpg, The Grand Salon, or Music Room, which opens onto the garden File:Salon des jeux 3 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The Salon des Jeux File:Salon des saisons 5 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The Salon des Saisons File:Jardin de la présidence 2 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The garden of the Hôtel de Lassay File:Galerie des tapisseries 1 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The Gallery of Tapestries File:Salle des fetes 2 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The Salle des fetes The adjacent Hôtel de Lassay, connected by a gallery to the Palais Bourbon, serves as the official residence of the National Assembly's president. The building underwent a major reconstruction in 1846–48 (see history), adding an additional story, but the 18th century style of the exterior and interior layout of the building was preserved. The Cabinet du Départ takes its name from its function; the President of the Assembly departs from this room when a bell announces that the 3:00 p.m. session of the Assembly is about to begin. The room is lavishly decorated with a carpet from the period of Louis XIV, originally in Grand Gallery of the
Louvre Palace The Louvre Palace (french: link=no, Palais du Louvre, ), often referred to simply as the Louvre, is an iconic French palace located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, occupying a vast expanse of land between the Tuileries Gardens and the ...
; and a tapestry which reproduces that tapestry of the School of Athens by Raphael which hangs over President's seat in the Assembly Chamber. The room was the original study of the house before the Revolution. The desk was brought from the Chateau of Versailles in 1794 during the Revolution for the use of the Committee of Public Safety. The Salon des Jeux is a conference room on the ground floor of the residence, where the President of the Assembly meets with other Assembly leaders to set the agenda for the sessions. It takes its name from an illustration over the door of a game of lawn bowling, by the 18th century artist Heim. The Salle des fetes and Galerie des tapisseries are located in the building that connects the Hotel de Lassay with the Palais Bourbon. The Salle des fetes was built between 1846 and 1849, replacing an early wooden passage built in 1809. It is used today for expositions, ceremonies for visiting dignitaries, and the annual New Years greeting by the President of the Assembly. The Gallery of Tapestries was created in 1860, during the Second Empire, to display a collection of paintings. The paintings were removed in 1865, and replaced in 1900 by a set of nine Beauvais tapestries.


Contemporary Art

File:Paris 75007 Palais Bourbon Cour d'honneur Sphere of Human Rights by De Maria.jpg, The Sphere of Human Rights, by Walter De Maria (1989) File:Rotonde d'Aleschinsky 1 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The Rotunda of Alechinsky (1992) File:Salon des Mariannes 1 Palais Bourbon.jpg, The Salon des Mariannes The Palais Bourbon contains several installations of contemporary art. One is a work of modern sculpture, a large granite sphere on a marble pedestal, by the American sculptor
Walter De Maria Walter Joseph De MariaRoberta Smith (July 26, 2013)Walter De Maria, Artist on Grand Scale, Dies at 77 ''New York Times''. (October 1, 1935July 25, 2013) was an American artist, sculptor, illustrator and composer, who lived and worked in New Yor ...
, which was installed in the Courtyard of Honor in 1989, to mark the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution. His design was selected after an international competition; the granite sphere contains a small heart made of gold. A work by the Belgian artist Pierre Alechinsky created in 1992, occupies a small rotunda along the passageway between the Hotel de Lassay and the Palais Bourbon. It is titled "The Fragile Garden" and illustrates the words of the poet
Jean Tardieu Jean Tardieu (born in Saint-Germain-de-Joux, Ain, 1 November 1903, died in Créteil, Val-de-Marne, 27 January 1995) was a French artist, musician, poet and dramatic author. Life and career He earned a degree in literature and worked for a publ ...
: "Men search for the light in a fragile garden where the colors tremble." The Salon of Marianne, created in 2004, displays busts of Marianne, the symbol of the Republic from different periods and in different styles. It displays, since 2015, a work by the American graffiti artist JonOne, called ''Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité'', based on Delacroix's famous ''Liberty Leading the People;'' it symbolizes Youth, the Future and Hope. There are other notable contemporary works on display in the Palais Bourbon by Hervé Di Rosa, Djamel Tatah, Vincent Barré and Fabienne Verdier.


See also

* Luxembourg Palace, the seat of the
French Senate The Senate (french: Sénat, ) is the upper house of the French Parliament, with the lower house being the National Assembly, the two houses constituting the legislature of France. The French Senate is made up of 348 senators (''sénateurs'' a ...
*
National Assembly (France) The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...
*
List of works by James Pradier This is a list of works by the Swiss-born French sculptor James Pradier (1790–1852). He was best known for his work in the neoclassical style. Works in cathedrals and churches Public statues and monuments in Paris Busts and statues of L ...
Sculpture


Notes and citations


Bibliography

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External links


Palais Bourbon – a palace for democracy, Secretariat-General of the National Assembly – Communication and multimedia information departmentHistory of the Palais BourbonConnaissance de l'Assemblée: histoire et génie des lieux
(in French) {{Authority control Bourbon Legislative buildings in Europe Seats of national legislatures National Assembly (France) Buildings and structures in the 7th arrondissement of Paris Neoclassical architecture in Paris