The Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days ) return to Paris and the rest of France on the weekend of Saturday, September 16 and Sunday, September 17, 2023. On this occasion, many cultural venues open their doors to the general public free of charge. For two days, the most curious and passionate heritage enthusiasts will be able to enter unusual or sometimes normally inaccessible places.
Heritage Days 2023 in Paris: exceptional openings and tours not to be missed
The Journées du Patrimoine 2023 in Paris is also an opportunity to discover places that are usually closed to the public. Here's a list of places that will be opening their doors to you this weekend, September 16 and 17, 2023. [Read more]
On the occasion of the Journées du Patrimoine 2023 in Paris, the major institutions will be opening their doors to us, exceptionally, this weekend of September 16 and 17, 2023. From the Banque de France to the Cour des Comptes, they'll have no secrets for you. [Read more]
And if there's one place of power to visit during the Journées du Patrimoine 2023, it's the Senate. Come and follow in the footsteps of our senators for the 2023 edition of the Journées du Patrimoine in Paris! On September 16 and 17, the Senate will be opening its doors to the public for a free tour of its buildings, ideally located in the heart of the Luxembourg Gardens.
During these new Heritage Days, you'll discover the Palais du Luxembourg and the Petit Luxembourg, respectively the seat of the Senate and the Presidency of the Senate. In the former, you can enter the hemicycle, the Library painted by Delacroix in 1845 and its Annexe, as well as the Salle des Conférences, formerly the Galerie du Trône, the Great Staircase and the Queen's Chamber.
In the second building, you can visit the workplace of the President of the Senate, the 18th-century Boffrand salons, and the Queen's Chapel, built by Marie de Médicis in 1625!
And you'd be wrong to miss out, as the history of this great French institution is indeed surprising. The Palais du Luxembourg was built to the design of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence for Marie de Médicis, widow of Henri IV. She wanted to recreate the architecture of her childhood home. Since then, it has been a royal residence, a revolutionary prison, the seat of power after the Revolution, before becoming the meeting place of the French Senate in 1879.
Finally, during these Heritage Days, the public can also admire the greenhouses of the Jardin du Luxembourg, with workshops presenting the site's fruit and orchid collections. These greenhouses, administered and managed by the Senate since 1879, are an incredible showcase for plant heritage dating back to the mid-19th century.
In the Senate
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Jardin du Luxembourg
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Every year, over 25,000 visitors come to discover the role and workings of the Senate! So you'll need to be patient to enter this key venue in French political life, and to take advantage of these free admission tours.
Dates and Opening Time
From September 16th, 2023 to September 17th, 2023
Location
Senate Garden
Place Paul Claudel
75006 Paris 6
Prices
Free
Official website
www.senat.fr
More information
Free admission
Heritage Days 2023 in Paris: exceptional openings and tours not to be missed
Journées du Patrimoine 2023: visit major institutions in Paris and the Ile-de-France region
