This sumptuous residence has housed French presidents for over a century.
Built in 1718, it was greatly altered in 1753 to suit the extravagant tastes of Madame de Pompadour. A radical volte-face came with the Revolution, when the Elysée turned into a public enternment park, but under Napoleon it reverted to being a private residence, first for his sister, then for his wife Joséphine. Various other notables, including Wellington, Napoleon III and Quenn Victoria, passed through its courtyard, garden, and grand staircase before 1873, when it assumed its role as the president’s official residence.
