The Elysée Palace is the residence and workplace of the French president, but is considered an art museum, with more than 200 paintings and 70 precious statues.
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| The Elysée Palace was built in 1718 and was owned by a count. King Louis XV later bought it as a residence for the Marquise de Pompadour, the king's favorite mistress. |
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| Since 1873, the Elysée Palace has been the official residence and workplace of the French president. Currently, a team of more than 800 people protects and serves the president every day. |
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| Outgoing President François Hollande in the "Salon Doré" or Golden Room, the official office of French presidents. By tradition, the distance between the folding chairs around the "First France table" in the Golden Room is always exactly 60 cm. |
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| The French people call the Elysée Palace a "fortress" with 365 rooms. But with a collection of more than 200 paintings and nearly 70 precious statues, the French President's palace is more like an art museum than a fortress. |
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| Every Wednesday morning, the Cabinet holds its regular session in the "Salon Murat", the Murat Room, named after Joachim-Napoleon Murat, Napoleon Bonaparte's brother-in-law and one of the emperor's most prominent field marshals. In this room, the president sits in the middle, facing the prime minister, surrounded by his ministers. Meetings of the National Defense Council are also held here. |
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| Other famous rooms of the Elysée Palace include the "Salon d'Argent", the Silver Room, where Napoleon formally abdicated after his defeat at Waterloo. |
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| "Salon des Portraits", the Portrait Room, is the room where portraits of all the world's great leaders are hung. |
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| And the "Salle des Fetes", the Hall of Festivals, is where the inaugurations of French presidents take place. |
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| The Elysée Palace remained closed throughout World War II. It is worth noting that high-ranking Nazi officials, despite occupying Paris, did not live and work in the Elysée Palace for fear of anger and resistance from Parisians. |
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| The Elysée Palace is only open to the public on two European Heritage Days each year, the third Saturday and Sunday of September. This is an opportunity to visit the architectural works and historical monuments in Paris for free. Residents and tourists who want to see the beauty of the Elysée Palace are advised to line up from 6am. |
According to VNE
