Tuileries Palace
Follow the Champs-Élysées east from the Arc de Triomphe and your eye lands on Paris's great historical axis — a line originally designed to terminate at a palace that no longer exists. The Tuileries Palace was begun in 1564 on the orders of Catherine de' Medici, on land occupied since 1372 by a tile manufactory (tuilerie). It went on to serve as the Paris residence of Henri IV, Louis XIV, Napoleon I, Napoleon III, and others, and as the seat of the First Republic and the Consulate. In 1857 it was joined to the Louvre, its facade stretching more than 260 metres. On 23 May 1871 the Paris Commune set it ablaze; the ruins were demolished in 1883. Walk across the open square and gardens today and you are walking above the rooms of a vanished palace.
France · 18 The overlooked corners inside
The overlooked corners inside
Tuileries Palace Theatre
When stagehands today call out côté cour (court side) and côté jardin (garden side) to mean stage left and right, those terms were born in this hall — one side faced the Louvre's courtyard, the other the Tuileries Garden. Built in 1660 against the Pavillon de Marsan, it was formally called the Salle des Machines after a system devised by Italian architect Gaspare Vigarani: hidden trapdoors and machinery could change the sets of an opera or ballet in full view of the audience in an instant. With seating for nearly four thousand, it was one of the largest performance spaces of its era.
Sources: fr.wikipedia.org
Tuileries Palace Chapel
The north wing of the palace held a section known as the Pavillon de la Chapelle, where the small chapel was situated — its upper floor connected by a corridor to the choir gallery, mirroring the formal reception suite on the south side. It was not only a place of worship. In the fires of May 1871, Commune fighters deliberately coated the chapel's altar and organ with tar to help the flames devour the palace more quickly. The ground beneath your feet here was once that deliberately ignited chapel.
Tuileries Palace Stone Column
This limestone column is one of the most tangible surviving fragments of the Tuileries Palace. After Commune fighters burned the palace in 1871, architectural elements designed by Philibert de l'Orme were scattered — some auctioned off, some shipped abroad. This column eventually came to rest in Berlin, where it was registered as a cultural monument in 1884. You cannot see it from the original site, but its very existence is a story of dispersal.
Grand Staircase
The grand staircase was built in 1832 by architect Pierre Fontaine, inside the Pavillon de l'Horloge (Clock Pavilion). Its completion gave the palace its final form, and it became the central spine connecting the entrance hall to the formal reception rooms above. The full renovation cost more than five million francs — a deliberate investment by Louis-Philippe's July Monarchy in projecting royal prestige.
Sources: fr.wikipedia.org
Pavillon de l'Horloge
The Pavillon de l'Horloge (Clock Pavilion) was the central tower of the Tuileries Palace. Catherine de' Medici commissioned architect Philibert de l'Orme to build the original structure from scratch in 1564; subsequent generations remodelled it, and under Louis XIV it was thoroughly rebuilt in the classical style and crowned with a massive dome. It formed the visual midpoint of the palace's symmetrical facade and the starting point for all ceremonial movement — visitors entered the vestibule here before climbing to the formal reception rooms.
Sources: fr.wikipedia.org
Galerie de Diane
The Galerie de Diane was designed by architect Louis Le Vau and built in 1667 as the last… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: fr.wikipedia.org
Salon Louis XIV
The Salon Louis XIV took its name from the Sun King and occupied a position in the south w… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: fr.wikipedia.org
Throne Room
The Throne Room was the ceremonial heart of the Tuileries Palace's reception suite, placed… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: fr.wikipedia.org
Salon Apollo
The Salon Apollo, named for the god of the sun, came immediately after the Salle des Maréc… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: fr.wikipedia.org
Salon du Consulat
The Salon du Consulat came between the Salle des Maréchaux and the Salon Apollo in the sou… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: wikidata.org · tuileries.org · andthenface2face.wordpress.com
Salle des Maréchaux
The Salle des Maréchaux (Marshals' Hall) occupied the full height of the Pavillon de l'Hor… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: wikidata.org · tuileries.org · andthenface2face.wordpress.com
Galerie de la Paix
The Galerie de la Paix (Gallery of Peace) was built in 1832 by architect Pierre Fontaine… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Salle des Gardes
The Salle des Gardes (Guards' Hall), also called the salon d'attente (waiting room), came… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: wikidata.org · tuileries.org
Grand Vestibule
The Grand Vestibule was the entrance hall at the base of the Pavillon de l'Horloge. Court… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: fr.wikipedia.org
Galerie des Travées
The Galerie des Travées was built in 1832 by architect Pierre Fontaine as a first-floor co… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Salle de la Colonne
The Salle de la Colonne (Column Room) was built in 1832 by architect Pierre Fontaine and n… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Small Vestibule
The small vestibule, also called the péristyle (peristyle), was the main entrance hall for… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: wikidata.org · tuileries.org
Tuileries Garden
The Tuileries Garden covers 22.4 hectares, bounded by the Louvre to the east, the Place de… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
FAQ
What overlooked corners are worth seeing inside Tuileries Palace?
Tuileries Palace Theatre, Tuileries Palace Chapel, Tuileries Palace Stone Column and more — 18 spots in all, each with sources and a guide in your language to read or listen to on the spot.
Is the Tuileries Palace guide free?
The first 5 spots are free to read; the other 13 unlock with a one-time purchase (not a subscription).