Tourist attractions in Paris : Jardins de l'Observatoire

The Jardins de l’Observatoire connects the Jardin du Luxembourg which is one of the most popular parks in Paris, with the Observatory of Paris. The north area of the avenue has two gardens: The Jardin Robert Cavalier de la Salle and the Jardin Marco Polo. Together, the two gardens create a long park unofficially known as Jardins de l'Observatoire (Observatory Gardens).

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The gardens lie on a part of land which was formerly occupied by Castle Vauvert constructed by King Rober le Pieux during the 11th century. The castle was offered to the Chartre monks in the 13th century but it was destructed during the French Revolution back in 1790. A portion of the land was claimed for the Luxembourg Garden and a part of it was also developed into the Avenue de l'Observatoire. During 1867, the park was established from the works of architect Jean Chalgrin. The gardens have huge lawns with four rows of chestnut trees the same of the usual classic French gardens. They provide a lot of shade for the alleys at Jardin de l'Observatoire. In there you’ll find plenty of flower beds. Also, the two gardens contain a lot of notable pieces of sculpture. The southern half of the Jardin de l'Observatoire is occupied by the Marco Polo garden which is about 1 hectare or 3 acres big.

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Another garden, the Rober Cavelier de la Salle is slightly bigger than the Marco Polo Garden and honors the French explorer in the 17th century who explored the Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes as well as the Mississippi River. It was de la Salle who claimed the Mississippi river as a territory of the French. By the axis of the park, plenty of statues and columns were planted. The said statues were made by artists from the 19th century including Gustave Grauk, Charles Gumery, Jean-Joseph Perraud to showcase the figures as honor to the journeys experienced by the explorers.

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Both gardens feature playgrounds for children as well as some ping-pong tables. Moreover, there are shaded benches in the area where it is a peaceful place to rest. By the south end of the Jardins de l'Observatoire is a beautiful fountain which is the main attraction of the place. The fountain is popular for different names like Fontaine des Quatre Parties du Monde (Fountain of the Four Parts of the World), the Fontaine de l'Observatoire or the Fontaine Carpeaux, after the main sculptor. The bronze creation was designed in 1873 and also supervised by Gabriel Davioud. The masterpiece represents Africa, Asia, America and Europe. The figure of a Chinese woman represents Asia, the white woman for Europe, a black woman for Africa and a female American Indian for America. These four figures were made by Jean Baptiste Carpeaux lays foundation for a globe designed with zodiac signs. By the center, there are prancing sea horses made by Emmanuel Frémiet. To complete the entire creation, fish and turtle statues were added to the scene.

Text Source: parisattractions