Élysée Palace

The Élysée Palace stands at the center of French political life, but its origins are rooted in a personal scandal from the early eighteenth century. When the Count of Évreux commissioned this mansion, he funded it with a massive dowry from his twelve-year-old bride. Immediately after the house was completed and the inaugural ball concluded, he sent his wife away to the countryside so he could install his mistress in the new residence. This pattern of private dramas unfolding behind the palace walls has persisted throughout its history, mirroring the complex and often turbulent evolution of French power.