Palais Royal Gardens

You've just crossed the little Perron passageway, which takes you into the beautiful gardens of the Palais Royal. This 30-meter-long gallery, dating back to 1784, leads to a staircase that ascends to the Palace. For 30 years, the renowned French author Colette lived in the apartment above it, spending her final years here in the lovely Palais Royal Gardens! She was the first woman to be given a state funeral. And that's saying something! Colette was an outspoken atheist, an out-and-proud bisexual, a committed journalist and an imaginative writer, who left behind a body of fascinating work that has been adapted for film, television and theater time and again. If you'd like to learn more about her life, you can watch the three biographical films about her, the latest of which was released in 2018. But back to the garden. It was laid out in 1633, at the behest of Cardinal Richelieu, to add to the beauty of the royal palace. The 20,000m² square is bordered by 4 arcaded galleries and was once decorated with numerous statues – only two remain today. You'll also see the famous “small bronze cannon,” designed in 1785 by an engineer and clockmaker. From May to October, at twelve o'clock sharp, sunlight passing through a magnifying glass ignited the fuse that made the cannon fire. Fun fact: the cannon's blast helped Parisians set their clocks! It was unfortunately stolen in 1998, and is now replaced by a replica. Every Wednesday at noon, a pyrotechnician fires the mini cannon, continuing this historic tradition.