The project

Every year, millions of visitors stroll the Tuileries Garden. Its benches have witnessed many stories and encounters. In order to improve visitor experience and provide more seating, the Louvre has embarked on a project aiming to restore and recreate the historical benches that have been present in the Tuileries Garden since the 19th century. More benches means more comfort and more shared moments!

Installing & restoring

Fifty of the 165 cast-iron benches in question will be modelled on the existing design and 115 will undergo restoration. The Louvre will be calling on a French foundry and its traditional craftsmanship to carry out this project in 2025.

One-sided bench

The first model, of a simpler and more common design, features cast-iron framing and volute armrests. The seat is composed of three wooden slats and the slightly inclined backrest of one wooden slat. With a comfortable seat, these benches are mostly found in ‘green rooms’ and groves, which are ideally suited to contemplation.

Double-sided bench

The second model features cast-iron framing without armrests, coiling plant decoration and lion-paw feet. The bench is composed of three wooden slats: one for each seat and another for the backrest. These benches are concentrated around the Garden’s terraces, offering superb views.

Say it with a bench

The Tuileries Garden benches await you. You can sponsor a bench in your own or your family’s name, or dedicate it as a gift or as a tribute to someone. Write your own story! A plaque will be attached to the backrest of the bench you sponsor for a period of ten years. You can also opt to collectively participate in the restoration of ‘donor benches’ by making a voluntary donation.

Spend a decade at the Tuileries!

Sitting in the Tuileries through the centuries

1680
Wooden benches
Created for Catherine de' Medici in 1564, the Tuileries Garden has been open to the public since the end of Louis XIII’s reign. When André Le Nôtre began redesigning it for Louis XIV in 1664, he seems to have intended to include wooden benches, but none can be seen on his plans. Fashion plates published in the 1680s show elegant ladies sitting on wooden benches, enjoying the fresh air in the shade. The sun was to be avoided: beauty standards dictated that the whiteness of one’s skin had to be preserved!
1720
Stone benches
Stone benches were installed during the French Regency era, after the death of Louis XIV. The Regent Philippe d’Orléans decided to bring Louis XV – only five years old at the time – to the Tuileries palace in Paris, along with his entire court. Statues and benches were removed from the vacated Versailles and Marly estates. The elegant shape and decoration of these benches are characteristic of the end of Louis XIV’s reign. No historical benches can be found in the Tuileries Garden – the most recent ones are simplified replicas; a few originals can be seen in the Louvre’s Cour Marly.
1760
Wooden chairs
Plain chairs made of wood and straw were introduced in the mid-18th century. In 1760, Tuileries palace governor Louis-Dominique Bontemps began renting these out for a fee. Gabriel de Saint-Aubin made this the subject of one of his engravings chronicling the period. The strictly female occupation of ‘chaisière’ (chair attendant) was born. Chair rental was phased out as late as 1970. Nowadays, all seating is free in public gardens across Paris, including the Tuileries Garden.
1860
Wrought-iron chairs
Designs evolved from the initial plain wood and straw models to the elegant wrought-iron chairs of the 19th century. The latter appear in Manet’s famous painting Music in the Tuileries Gardens (1862). As the image record illustrates, several types of chairs were in use at the same time: they would become subjects of photographers such as André Kertész, Brassaï, Marcel Bovis and Gisèle Freund; Doisneau’s ‘Lovers’ sit in slat-back chairs.
1880
Cast-iron benches
In the 1880s, cast-iron benches were first installed in groves and on terraces. They were made by a foundry in Val-d’Osne (Haute-Marne) that operated between 1836 and 1986. Two bench types were selected: the first one-sided and rectilinear, the second double-sided with lion-paw feet. The advantages of such models are their backrests and their replaceable, repaintable wooden slats. Emblematic of the Tuileries Garden, the benches are part of the city’s image and are now precious heritage items requiring protection.
2005
Green chairs
In the 20th Century, folding chairs were made available, but they were soon stolen. The green chairs currently in use were designed in 1923. Manufactured by Edmond & Fils in Tence (Haute-Loire), they have proved very popular in gardens across Paris. Colour choices vary: the Tuileries opted for ‘fern green’ (RAL 6025), which was also used for the orange tree crates. The Louvre has administered the Garden since 2005, providing nearly 3,000 of the chairs, armchairs and sun loungers that form part of its identity.
Previous slide
Next slide

Every bench tells a story –
make this one yours

The Tuileries Garden benches await you. You can sponsor a bench in your own or your family’s name, or dedicate it as a gift or as a tribute to someone. Write your own story! A plaque will be attached to the backrest of the bench you sponsor for a period of ten years. You can also opt to collectively participate in the restoration of ‘donor benches’ by making a voluntary donation.

Spend a decade at the Tuileries!