National Assembly (France)

You are approaching the Palais Bourbon, a building that began its life in seventeen twenty-two as a private countryside retreat for the Duchess of Bourbon. The Duchess was a daughter of King Louis the Fourteenth, and she chose this riverside location when it was still a largely unrefined area known for its wooded plots and frequent duels. She commissioned a grand residence that would cement her status among the elite who were then moving away from the confines of Versailles to build their own sprawling mansions in the growing suburbs of Paris.