THE WORLD'S BIGGEST MUSEUM
Hello, we're in the first arrondissement of Paris,
in the exact spot where you could once find the Tuileries Palace.
It's May 1871 and the Communards are planning to set fire
to this symbol of government.
Louis XIV lived in the Tuileries Palace.
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette spent their final years there.
Napoleon I and Napoleon III...
The Communards are killing off a symbol.
Today, we're going to tell you about the history of this ruined palace,
but mostly, about what remains now:
the Tuileries Garden, requested by Catherine de Medici
and later, redesigned by Le Nôtre.
The royal view which starts here in the first arrondissement
and ends much further, near the Arche de la Défense.
Tuileries Garden, here we go!
It's a splendid garden.
It's a splendid place for people to meet
and it's a lovely historic place that's very well kept.
It has an image that evokes lovers.
When I came here, I was much younger
and to me, it meant freedom, lovers and pleasure.
I'm happy out here in the nature.
I'm amazed by all this beautiful scenery.
It's a calm and restful place where you can meditate
and read about the history of the garden and the Louvre.
That's what it is.
Parks are often too packed with trees
and here, it feels spacious.
She likes parks without trees! Concrete parks!
No, there's no concrete here. It's green, but you can see the sky.
And what about the garden? - The garden...
The garden took a while to develop but it's well preserved.
It's one of the local historic heritage sites.
I'm here with Pierre Bonnaure.
Hi, Pierre. - Hi, Eric.
You're the head gardener at Tuileries.
How did the story of this splendid place begin?
We're in the 16th century, outside the walls of Paris
and Catherine de Medici is having a house designed in the countryside,
the Tuileries Palace, by Philibert de l'Orme.
It's strange that Catherine de Medici did not have this place built
in the first arrondissement.
We're in the countryside. - Paris ends at the Louvre,
at the medieval fortress of the Louvre which was still the Louvre Palace then.
But we're in the middle of nature.
You can see the Seine and fields beyond the Left Bank.
Here's the Louvre, the pyramid is there and the Champs-Élysées is behind me.
Where was the famous Tuileries Palace? I just can't envisage it.
Between the Pavillon de Marsan and the Pavillon de Flore.
Imagine a big crossbar connecting one to the other,
that totally closes off the Louvre from the Tuileries.
In the 17th century, under Louis XIV, the garden reaches its full size
and is entirely redesigned by André Le Nôtre.
At the same time, Le Nôtre also marks out the future Champs-Élysées.
So, Paris's great view.
We're aligned with the Champs-Elysée.
We're at the origins of the Champs-Élysées,
the Tuileries Garden road, created by Philibert de l'Orme
for Catherine de Medici in the 16th century,
which was extended beyond the new walls built at the end of the century,
to give us the current Champs-Élysées,
designed by Le Nôtre in the 1660s.
The Tuileries Palace that has now gone,
was the headquarters of the Directory, the consulate, the empire.
Including the Second Empire,
which will be the peak of court life in the Tuileries in the 17th century.
Under Napoleon III, it's where all the Second Empire parties take place.
It's also a time when the sovereigns claim a part of the Tuileries Garden
and it changes again,
because from the Revolution onwards, the garden has a twofold role:
as both a public garden and a royal garden.
And then comes the Commune. - Yes, in May 1871.
The palace burns down and lies in ruins for 10 years.
The Third Republic decides to tear it down
between 1882 and 1883.
So, how about the Tuileries today?
It's a contemporary garden. The last stage in its history
is the Grand Louvre operation when François Mitterand was in power,
the famous overhaul for the Bicentenary.
They decide to renovate the garden in the late 1980's, early 1990's.
This gives us the garden that we have today.
It's like a medieval parchment that has been erased and rewritten.
So, we have a whole series of layers from every century,
from the 16th to the 20th century,
which makes it both a historical and a contemporary garden,
but, above all, a public garden for Parisians to use.
Thanks, Pierre. Now it's a lot clearer to me.
We have many specialties in France: wine, cheese
and revolutions, which often took place at the Tuileries.
So, the powers in place here developed a kind of paranoia
when it came to the people of Paris.
Louis Philippe, King of the French,
invented the "reserved" garden within the Tuileries.
He reserved himself a private area near the Palace
so that he wasn't bothered.
Later on, Napoleon III had this moat dug.
With the moat and the gates, the reserved garden was secure.
Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugénie, still remembered
what the Parisians had done to Marie Antoinette.
She was arrested here.
She lived in constant fear that they would arrest her too.
Underneath this terrace, a secret path was built
which allowed Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie
to flee the palace and meet up lower down
on the Seine where they could borrow a boat
and, if needs be, flee from the hostile capital on this vessel.
How clever!
I'm going to join two of the 20 Tuileries gardeners,
Camille and Michel.
Hello, Michel. Hello, Camille.
This is fascinating. What is it? A gauge?
Exactly. - I love it!
It's the exact shape of the round tree.
Can you buy these gauges in shops?
No, we made it ourselves in 10 minutes, it doesn't take long.
What kind of tree is it? - Prunus lusitanica.
Sorry?
Sorry, it's a Portugal laurel tree.
GARDENER
How many are there? - 20 or so.
How often do you prune them? - Once a year.
Just once a year? - Yes.
They keep their shape.
Is the Tuileries Garden difficult to maintain?
Because it's huge. You can jog here. - It's 27 hectares.
How many? - 27 hectares.
Wait, 27 hectares of garden? - Yes.
Oh yes, it's enormous.
How many gardeners are you? - 17 with...
You told me almost 20. - That's right.
People have told me that it's an open garden.
It's not claustrophobic and you can always see the sky.
It's very open.
This morning we were having a laugh with some Canadians.
What were they saying?
They were quite surprised by our pruning technique.
They said: "Ah, you French aren't stupid."
GARDENER
In their accent, it was funny.
Do I go right in? - No, follow the curve.
I'm butchering this laurel tree. - No, it's fine.
Don't worry, they're tough.
I'll definitely do that one.
It's like when my barber cuts the little hairs at the end.
Just snip anything that spills over.
Thanks a lot, Michel. I'll give it back to you.
If you ever need a hand, give me a call and I'll be there.
Tomorrow morning?
It's quite strenuous. - Yes.
When you do the whole tree. - It's good fun.
I'm here with Geneviève Bresc. - Hello.
You're a curator at the Louvre in charge of statues.
Statues in the Louvre and the Tuileries.
Ah yes, the Tuileries is the museum's garden.
It's our garden. There were two palaces: Tuileries and Louvre.
Now the Tuileries Palace has gone but the garden is still here.
When you arrive via the Place de la Concorde,
there's that wonderful equestrian statue, what is it?
It's celebrating Louis XIV.
Louis XIV, who was an absolute monarch, master of his kingdom,
wanted to create a group of statues called La Renommée du Roi.
The trumpet behind celebrates Louis XIV.
We're just arriving at a new statue.
That's an original that was made in Rome under Louis XIV.
It's the she-wolf who has just discovered the twins Romulus and Remus,
who symbolize the founding of Rome.
In some ways, the King assumes all the moral strength
of a Roman emperor, so the Tiber is there
and a pharaoh and the Nile.
What is the Tuileries Garden's place in the history of France?
Is it an anecdotal place or has history had an impact on it?
It's the place that most symbolizes the history of France,
because Catherine de Medici wants to create an Italian garden
and ends up in the middle of the Wars of Religion, so it's dramatic.
Henry IV plants mulberry trees to show that France must produce silk.
So, it's the idea of the French economy giving birth to nature.
It's Louis XIV's park, created by Le Nôtre, which is open to the public.
As Colbert wishes, it's one of the first parks
open to the public, unlike Versailles.
Revolution celebrations are held here,
school children and grey-haired oldies will march here
representing the elation of the Revolution.
It's the seizure of the Tuileries, the fall of the monarchy.
It's Napoleon I's garden
and it's the main garden of the 19th century.
There are celebrations, the Banquet of Mayors,
large public monuments, demonstrations.
It's the liberation of Paris. Our statues took bullets.
Every era of French history has left its mark on this place.
Thank you, Geneviève. I finally understand
the political and historical force of this significant garden.
It's also a garden to be enjoyed.
There are carousels and children, not just history.
There are even ducks here.
Thank you, Geneviève. - My pleasure.
Long live Henry IV Long live this valiant king
This fourfold devil With three talents
Drinking and fighting And womanizing...
Welcome to the very official Tuileries vegetable garden.
It's very easy to find when you enter from the Place de la Concorde side.
The garden is just a little further, on the right.
The place is full of charm, and, around ten years ago,
was conceived by contemporary artist Anne Rochette,
who created the hedge and certain contemporary works.
But, this contemporary vegetable garden brings to mind
a little known episode in the Tuileries Garden.
Imagine that, over 60 years ago, during World War II,
all the flowers that could usually be found here were removed
and they were replaced by fruit and vegetables.
During this period of hardship, the people of Paris came here
to stock up on vegetables from the Tuileries Garden.
Few Parisians know this story.
Let's keep going.
I'm here with Emmanuel Breon, manager of the Musée de l'Orangerie.
We are, in fact, in the Tuileries Palace orangery.
The palace was destroyed under the Commune, but not the orangery.
No, the orangery, built by Visconti, survived
and it became an exhibition site
until Clemenceau, just after World War I,
decides to dedicate this place to some of his friend Monet's work.
It's a story of a strong friendship between two exemplary men.
At the end of the War, they meet at Giverny.
Monet tells him that he wants to give France a gift for peace,
for the 8 million that died in World War I.
So, he wants to give his two Water Lilies paintings to France.
Unfortunately, he'll never see them in their grand setting.
as he dies 6 months before the inauguration of the Water Lilies.
Clemenceau is in tears when he unveils his friend Monet's Water Lilies.
The work arrives late on the scene, as the impressionist is no longer hip,
but people will soon discover it.
After World War II, the Americans bring it back in fashion.
It's the ultimate piece, pushing boundaries and timeless.
The Water Lilies paintings have a real cult following.
Notably, the Asians and especially, the Japanese,
cannot conceive the idea of taking a trip to Paris without coming here.
Absolutely. Asians make this maiden voyage.
The Japanese cannot imagine their lives without visiting Paris
and especially, without visiting the Orangerie to see Monet.
It's a Zen work of art.
In 1909, Monet was thinking of creating this place
where a troubled mind can rest, a peaceful refuge.
There's an entrance hall where you can take a step back from the world
before you enter and see the Water Lilies.
Is this oriental-style Monet? - Totally.
In Giverny, on his yellow-painted kitchen walls,
Monet had many Japanese etchings.
So, indeed, the piece speaks to the Japanese.
Its weeping willows are a tribute to 1914 infantrymen.
Here we are perhaps in the most reverential room.
The first is the Gardens.
This is a totally abstract work of complete spirituality.
Now I suggest that we go down to the floor below here in the Orangerie
to take a look at the Walter-Guillaume collection.
Come and take a look.
André Malraux spoke with Domenica Walter-Guillaume
as she'd been married to this great collector and dealer, Paul Guillaume,
and, as a beneficiary of quite a considerable collection
of over 140 works of art,
she sells it to the French Government,
insisting that the collection mustn't get lost.
MRS WALTER, THE 60 BILLION DOLLAR WOMAN
She accepted the proposition that was made to her,
to hang the collection above Claude Monet's Water Lilies.
Paul Guillaume will become fascinated by African masks and statuettes
and, just before World War I, he'll soon go on to open a gallery
where he'll display and raise the profile of African art.
Thanks to this African art, the gallery will go on to attract
even more art lovers and collectors,
and he'll be put in touch with Picasso and Matisse,
who'll go on to be among the great innovators of African art
and integrate his work into their collection.
Sometimes dealers and artists swap things:
A painting in exchange for a mask.
This will gradually allow Paul Guillaume
to suggest that his clients also find modern art,
sculptures by Modigliani and Picasso
and lots of paintings and African art.
Paul Guillaume and Domenica will soon have reasonable incomes
and be living in the most elegant areas of Paris.
NATIONAL MUSEUM SPEAKER
They'll go on to have several apartments that will often feature
in reports, journals and magazines of the time.
Thanks to these photos, we've been able to recreate
how Paul Guillaume displayed his collection.
He won't hesitate to hang a Cézanne next to a Picasso or a Modigliani,
showing links that transcend time
between artists from different eras.
Ladies and gents, let me introduce you to Marc Gaillard.
Marc is a journalist, writer and Paris historian.
We're going to discuss the great moments of the Tuileries Garden.
We'll start with a question: Why is it called "Tuileries Garden"?
Because for a long time, tiles and bricks were made here.
It was wasteland for a long time.
We're outside Paris.
We're within Charles V's walls. There's nobody here but tile makers.
A few dozen meters from here, just after the French Revolution,
a café called Café Very was opened.
It was the hip place to be seen after the Revolution.
That's the right term. It's the hip place.
Café Very is patronized by intellectuals, poets, writers
and swells known as "Incredibles" and "Fabulous Divas."
HISTORIAN
Were they punks or dandies? Who are they?
They're a small minority of elegant, rich and extravagant people,
who dress incredibly, wearing shoes from the Middle Ages,
hats from another era, suits inspired by Louis XV's army, etc.
Genuine fancy dress for the men.
The women play around with flowing styles,
wearing transparent silk, if you please.
We don't know the cost, but they have extraordinary hats.
I heard that the Incredibles refused to pronounce the letter "r"
as it stood for "Revolution." So, they were the "Incedibles."
It was the first letter of "Revolution" and it hurt to say it.
It's hard to pronounce.
Who came to this famous Café Very in the Tuileries?
Intellectuals of the time, artists, writers.
Stendhal? - Yes, and theater folk.
You'd have to visit the whole of the romantic world
to find someone who didn't come here.
The Second Empire will turn the Tuileries Palace and Garden
into a place of authority and celebration.
Yes, it's the first time that the authorities have resided here.
Since Louis XIV, the Tuileries has been forgotten.
When Louis Napoléon becomes Napoléon III,
he leaves the Elysée and he'll go on to invade the Palace,
which will go on to become an incredible scene of celebration
and then comes the May 1871 disaster,
when the Commune will set fire to Paris.
The Commune will burn down 225 buildings.
225 buildings? - Yes.
Almost all the public buildings. All the town halls, ministries,
including the Tuileries Palace.
The 1900 Paris Exposition is a success
and the Tuileries will take part in it,
notably with the incredible Banquet of the Mayors.
It took place at the end of the Exposition in September.
The Government decides to do something that people will remember
in inviting all of the French mayors to Paris and the Tuileries.
All 50,000 of them don't make it.
Even so, something like 23,000 of them attend.
They're offered a gigantic buffet in marquees.
The Burgundy mayors protested because Bordeaux was being served.
There were so many bottles that you wondered what they weren't serving.
Thank you for setting the scene of the great milestones of history.
Just a few milestones. - Thanks.
Now you know that the Tuileries is part of French history.
The complainers and moaners among you could still lament
that this Palace has been gone for around 140 years,
but, for some years, a society has been trying to make the authorities aware
of the reconstruction of the Tuileries Palace.
This proves how much the Tuileries is part of our history
and how ingrained it is in the French imagination.
Have a good week.
You can find us on our website, www.france3.fr.
Goodbye.
Subtitles: Babel Subtitling - babelSUB.be