Luxembourg Palace
In 1750, the palace became a museum—the forerunner of the Louvre—, and was open two days a week until 1779. In 1778, the palace was given to the comte de Provence by his brother Louis XVI. During the French Revolution, it was briefly a prison, then the seat of the French Directory and later the first residence of Napoleon Bonaparte, as First Consul of the French Republic. It has continued its senatorial role, with brief interruptions, ever since.
In the nineteenth century, the palace was extensively remodeled, with a new garden façade by Alphonse de Gisors (1836–1841), and a cycle of paintings (1845–1847) by Eugène Delacroix that was added to the library.