Tuileries Garden - The Tuileries Garden in The 18th Century

The Tuileries Garden in The 18th Century

After the death of Louis XIV, the five-year-old Louis XV became owner of the Tuileries Garden. The garden, abandoned for nearly forty years, was put back in order. In 1719, two large equestrian statuary groups, La Renommée and Mercure, by the sculptor Antoine Coysevox, were brought from the King's residence at Marly and placed at the west entrance of the garden. Other statues by Nicolas and Guillaume Coustou, Corneille an Clève, Sebastien Slodz, Thomas Regnaudin and Coysevox were placed along the Grand Allée. A movable bridge, a pont-tournant, was placed at the west end over the moat, to make access to the garden easier. The creation of the Place Louis XV (now Place de la Concorde) created a grand vestibule to the garden.

Certain holidays, such as August 25, Feast Day of Saint Louis, were celebrated with concerts and fireworks in the park. A famous early balloon ascent was made from the garden on December 1, 1783 by Alexander Cesar Charles and Nicolas Louis Robert. Small food stands were placed in the park, and chairs could be rented for a small price. Public toilets were added in 1780.