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Palais du Louvre in Paris, France

It is now known as The Louvre, is one of the most visited art museum in the world, a historic monument and a national symbol. It is also home to Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

The decorative arts department houses the Diadem of the Duchess of Angouleme which contains gold, gilt silver, 40 emeralds and 1031 diamonds. This crown matches an emerald necklace made by Paul-Nicolas Meniere in 1814.

Controversy debate surrounds the artworks and other cultural property seized by the occupying forces of the Second World War as the Louvre continues to hold 678 pieces of artwork. The Louvre administration has argued in favor of retaining these items despite requests by the source nations for their return.

Palais Bourbon

The Palais Bourbon is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French Government.

Within the library surviving from the noble family of owners who left France during the revolution, are the minutes of Joan of Arc’s trial amongst other literature.

The Grand Palais

The Grand Palais is a large glass exhibition hall. It was closed for 12 years for extensive restoration work after one of the glass panels fell in 1993. It reopened its doors to the public on 24 September 2005. Hiding in its basement is a major police station to help protect its exhibits.

Palace of Versailles

It is a symbol of absolute monarchy which King Louis XIV espoused.

One of the seven rooms in Le Vau’s plan – the Salon d’Apollon. It was suppose to be the king’s bedchamber, but later was used as a throne room and later as a music or concert room.

The other three rooms the salon de Jupiter, the salon de Saturn, and the salon de Vénus had to make way to construct the Hall of Mirrors.

The Queen’s bedchamber.

There is a barely discernible hidden door in the corner near the jewel cabinet by Schwerdfeger (1787) through which Marie Antoinette escaped the night of 5/6 October 1789 when the Paris mob stormed Versailles.

Chateau de Chantilly

The Chateau de Chantilly is open to public. It is now owned by the Institut de France.

The chateau and the Great Stables (The stables could house 240 horses and up to five hundred hounds) were featured in the James Bond movie “A View to a Kill”.

Palace of Fontainebleau

The Palace of Fontainebleau is one of the largest French royal chateau.

With modifications of the château’s structure, including the cobblestone entrance wide enough for his carriage, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte helped make the château the place that visitors see today.

Chateau de Sceaux

This Chateau was almost sold to real estate developers, fortunately through the effort of the mayor, Jean-Baptiste Bergeret de Frouville, it was saved. Today the château contains the Musée de l’Île-de-France. This museum contains one of the largest collections of the painters of the School of Paris, among which are four paintings of Maurice Boitel.

Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte

Vaux-le-Vicomte is one of Europe’s finest constructions of its kind. After being neglected for 30 years, it was put up for sale. In 1875, Alfred Sommier bought it at a public auction. When Sommier died in 1908, the château and the gardens had recovered their original appearance. His son, Edme Sommier, and his daughter-in-law completed the task. Today, his descendants continue to work on the preservation of Vaux-le-Vicomte. The château remains a private property – owned by the comte de Vogue.

The gardens

The site, unlike Versailles, was naturally well-watered, with two small rivers that met in the park; the canalized bed of one forms the Grand Canal.

Chateau de Vincennes

The Chateau is a massive French royal castle in the town of Vincennes.

In the Chateau, the relics of the Crown of Thorns were temporarily housed while the Sainte-Chapelle was being readied to receive them. A fragment that remained behind received its own chapel at Vincennes.