Parc de Saint-Cloud, Historical park in Saint-Cloud, France
Parc de Saint-Cloud is a large landscape park with formal French gardens, fountains, sculptures, and terraced levels that spread across the Seine valley. The elevated sections offer open views across the river valley and toward the distant Paris skyline.
The original gardens were redesigned in the 17th century by André Le Nôtre and developed into a royal retreat with elaborate water features. The château was destroyed in 1870 during a conflict, but the gardens survived and were later restored for public access.
The park's name comes from Saint Clodoald, grandson of Clovis, who founded a monastery here in the 6th century. In 1577 Catherine de' Medici bought the estate for its spring, hoping to channel water to the Tuileries. The gardens later hosted royal receptions, and the Château de Saint-Cloud was where Napoleon's Council of Five Hundred met on 10 November 1799.
The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset through several entrance gates in a well-connected area. Comfortable shoes are advisable since the pathways cross different elevation levels and terrain throughout the grounds.
The park holds the Pavillon de Breteuil, seat of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures since 1889, where the metre standard is kept. The château that stood here hosted the Council of Five Hundred and Council of Ancients on 10 November 1799, the day after Napoleon's coup. Painter Wassily Kandinsky made a series of views of the park in the early 20th century.
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