March 2006 - A Queen, Her Palace and Her Garden

Ten million visitors a year come to the Tuileries Garden to enjoy its beauty. It is one of two magnificent royal gardens in central Paris founded by France's Medici queens - Catherine (Tuileries Garden) and Marie (Luxembourg Garden). In the February issue of Paris Insights, we wrote of how Catherine de Medici's move to the Tuileries provided the impetus for the development of the nearby Place Vendôme. This month, we explore her inspiration for the construction of a splendid abode, the Tuileries Palace, and the adjacent Tuileries Garden.