Washington D.C. has the White House. London has 10 Downing Street. But neither of these head of state lodgings has anything on the Élysée Palace.
The traditional home of all French presidents, the Élysée Palace is located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, right by the Champs-Élysées. Named for the final resting place of heroes and great men in Greek mythology, the palace is a stunning sprawl of pre-revolutionary glamor and extravagance. It might not be Versailles, but if you were dropped in unknowingly you’d have a hard time guessing the difference.
This exclusive tour inside the Élysée with France 24 may be the only chance you ever get to peek inside at the gold-gilded walls and lavish furnishings chosen by the mistress of King Louis XV, the Marquise de Pompadour, who was gifted the palace in the mid-19th century. King Louis XV bought it for her from Louis Henri de La Tour d’Auvergne, Count of Évreux, the previous owner and funder of its construction. It might not be Mar-a-Lago, but this president’s typical abode is not a sight you should miss.
