In the month prior to my arrival in Paris, the city had been hit by unseasonably warm weather. There were thousands of posts on Instagram of people wandering the streets of Paris under trees laden with pink Spring blossom, wearing pretty summery clothes and I was excited to join in. By the time I arrived in Paris however, overcast days were the norm and my summery attire was limited to my ubiquitous sun glasses.
One particular location that featured heavily in IG was the Jardin du Luxembourg. It seemed to be both an oasis of cool on a warm day but also an elegant and enticing garden to wander. The garden therefore made its way onto my list of places to visit. Having one afternoon free I decided, despite the somewhat gloomy weather, that I would walk to the gardens and explore and I am so glad I did. I entered the gardens and almost immediately came across the Medici Fountain.
My feet made a soft crunching sound as I walked on the gravel path leading to the edge of the Medici Fountain and it seemed to be the only noise to be heard as it was so still and quiet. The water lay as a dark pool, shaded by overhanging luminous green trees, throwing up reflections of the branches and the dull sky. Ivy decorated poles in generous swathes along the border leading from the path to the fountain itself. I imagine the urns in summer are full of blooms, but today, they were empty and the pure architecture of them led the eye from one end of the fountain to another.
Standing to one side, I gazed upon the fountain and in the stillness discovered that a small family of ducks were playing on the steps of the fountain. I wonder how many generations of ducks have lived here....
The Fountain was built around 1630 by Marie de Medici, widow of King Henry IV of France and she was regent to King Louis XIII however where the fountain is today was not its original location. I am not sure where it was in the gardens, but it was moved to its present site in around 1864. Perhaps the ducks arrived then?
Leaving the ducks to their rest, I walked further into the gardens. Past beautifully manicured garden beds I was not expecting to find rows of white marble statues, life size and standing on tall plinths, named Serie des Reines et Femmes Illustres. How wonderful I thought to find a feature of 20 statues honoring French illustrious women and Queens. These women had indeed left their mark on French history though not all of them were french born! The sculptures were commissioned by Louis-Philippe, King of France in 1830 - 1848 and are now a feature near the small lake that sits within the Jardin du Luxembourg. The Jardin du Luxembourg now covers 23 hectares of land in central Paris though it was originally much larger as they were reduced by 10 hectares when the land was sold off by Louis XVIII and then further reduced when Paris was redeveloped by Baron Haussman, making way for the Rue Medici and Rue Auguste Comte. The gardens however have not been radically redesigned since the mid 19th Century.
My first illustrious French woman I encountered in this series of statues was a Saint. Saint Genevieve is the patron saint of Paris and I found her quite by chance. Having walked through the gardens around the Medici Fountain I discovered a chair, leaning at a strange angle but which I soon discovered was perfect for relaxing in and surveying the scene before me; the Palace built by Marie de Medici and which today is the French Senate and the beautiful gardens which surround it.
Through the dark clouds above, the sun would occasionally make an appearance brightening the gardens before me, with light reflecting off the creamy gravel paths. The white marble statuary make an enticing scene and which only encouraged me to lounge around further. I was in no hurry to be anywhere else. Here, sitting on a Parisian garden chair with its back legs shorter encouraging one to settle into the surroundings, I discovered that in this place, I had found my 'happy spot' in Paris. And to my side, the benevolent smile of Saint Genevieve was turned towards me.
Genevieve was born in 423AD in Nanterre into the peasant class and lived to 512AD. She came to notice when leading a prayer marathon in her village, praying for the survival of Paris against Attila the Hun. From this she became known as the patron Saint of Paris. Her welcoming of me means she will now have a special place in my heart and memories of Paris.
There are 20 statues of notable Parisian women. As I wandered slowly past each of them, some seemed to strike a chord with me more than others. A couple I already knew of due to my history studies, others were an enigma. I decided then that when I returned back to Australia I would take the time to find out a little about each of the one's I had photographed and how they became to be regarded as Femmes Illustres.
Marie Stuart 1542 - 1587
Perhaps more well known as Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary inherited the Scottish throne from her father James V of Scotland upon his death when she was only six days old. To help secure an alliance with a Catholic nation to assist in protecting Scottish sovereignty from the Anglican led England, Mary married Francis II while he was the Dauphin of France and she spent many years living in France. While she is often portrayed with a Scottish accent in popular culture renditions, she would in all fact have spoken with a french accent. Francis became King Francis but died shortly after, which meant Mary was in fact Queen of France for just under a year. Upon her return to Scotland to take up the throne there, she was met by a hostile nobility who were staunchly anti-Catholic. Her eventual ousting from the throne led her to seek refuge in England and her Cousin the redoubtable Elizabeth I. Mary was executed after she was found guilty of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth. After 18 years in captivity, she was beheaded.
Marie de Medicis 1573 - 1642
Marie was the second wife of Henry IV. Born into the powerful Italian House of Medici she knew how to wield power. When Henry IV was assassinated in 1610, she took up the role of Regent for her son Louis XIII until he came of age to rule. Famous for her political machinations, she is of course the founder of the Jardins du Luxembourg.
Laure de Noves 1307 - 1348
Laure was born in Avignon (a connection I loved discovering) and her statue seems to have such a sweet smile. Laure was wife to Count Hugues de Sade. Yes, an ancestor to the famous Maquis de Sade. In wandering the streets of St Germain I admired a series of curiosities on sale in a small shop which was located in a narrow lane way. The lane held a multitude of galleries and bookshops, housed in buildings with obvious medieval origins. You can still see the lean on the buildings as they were built out over the street. There in the store window was a letter written by the Maquis de Sade for sale. A meagre 8800 Euros!
It is speculated that Laure is the muse to the poet Plutarch who wrote about her after seeing her at Easter Mass in Avignon in 1327. Love at first sight?
Marguerite d'Angouleme 1492 - 1549
Queen of Navarre. Marguerite is known for her artistic literary efforts and is dubbed 'the Mother of the French Renaissance'. A prolific writer, Marguerite wrote many poems, plays and collections of short stories. She was married to Henry II of Navarre and her brother Francis became Francis I, King of France. Together they created a french court that teemed with liveliness, creativity and culture.
Anne de Beaujeu 1460 - 1522
Anne was the eldest daughter of Louis XI and acted as Regent for her brother Charles VIII during his minority (1483 - 1491). Anne was considered the most powerful woman in Europe during the late fifteenth century and was referred to as Madame la Grande! A formidable woman by all accounts, she is described as being shrewed, energetic and extremely intelligent. Apparently, she threw her support behind Henry Tudor against his rival Richard III of England when Henry sought aid to overthrow King Richard. Anne supplied him with French troops as aid, which culminated in the Battle of Bosworth where Henry emerged victorious. Anne made the final treaty ending the Hundred Years War.
Marguerite de Provence 1219 - 1295
Marguerite was married to King Louis IX and was considered to be quite a beauty. Born in Forcalquier, Provence, Marguerite was married at age 13 on the 27th May 1234. Apparently she didn't have the best relationship with her mother in law, Queen Blanche who was considered overbearing and controlling. Marguerite accompanied Louis on the seventh Crusade however when the King was captured, Marguerite was responsible for negotiating his ransom and raising the silver for its payment. By default she became the first and only woman to lead a Crusade. She died on 20th December, 1295.
What an amazing collection of women! Such unique stories but what they seemed to me to have in common, is intelligence, character, fortitude and a good dash of charisma! How easy it is to walk past these statues oblivious to the real women they embody and their achievements. My little summaries are just the starting point for me to continue my research and to discover more of their stories. Next time when I visit the Jardins du Luxumbourg (and there will be a next time!) I shall be able to pause at each of these statues and truly appreciate the individuality and the reasons they are indeed Femmes Illustres!