Assembly National visitor guide

Visit Assembly National, Paris

The Assembly National is an important government building, home to the National Assembly (one of the two voting centres for the French government). It is situated on the south side of the Seine, next to the Pont de la Concorde, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.

Discover the Assembly National in Paris

France This Way review: The Assembly National is impressive to see from the outside, and very interesting to visit the interior, which was originally an 18th century mansion, the Palais Bourbon.

Exterior of the Assembly National

History of the Palais Bourbon: Assembly National

The building was constructed in the 1720's, as was the Hotel de Lassay, which is now home to the president of the Assembly National. The Palace was built for the Princess of Bourbon, who lived here until 1764, in what was then considered to be the grandest home in Paris with the exception of the royal palaces.

On the death of the Princess, the palace passed to the royal family, and it was members of this family who lived here until the Revolution. After the Revolution the building passed to the state to be used by the 500 deputies who constitute the Assembly National.

This history is useful to know, because it explains why, when we visit the Bourbon Palace today, we see so many rooms decorated in such grand style.

The facade that looks across the river was redone in 1800 in the neo-classical style with a series of columns and a fronton featuring carved figures: this design was inspired by the facade of the Church of the Madeleine, that can be seen from this side of the building, at the far end of the long avenue that crosses the Place de la Concorde. This facade was recently restored to a very high standard, and looks as if it was built yesterday!

The principal statues in front of the facade to the sides of the columns represent Athena and Themis, the Greek gods of Wisdom and Justice, and the four other statues were important ministers at the time the facade was constructed.

Interior of the Palais Bourbon

The Palais Bourbon and the Hotel de Lassay are now both connected to each other and a visit includes rooms in both buildings. From 1809 there was a wooden walkway between the two buildings, which was replaced in 1845 by two imposing rooms, the Gallery des Fêtes and the Gallery des Tapisseries.

During the first part of your visit, after crossing an external courtyard area, you are taken on a tour of several impressive salons and galleries, and many with impressive artworks and statues. The visit then starts with the two galleries between the palaces.

You next pass through the Salle de Busts, with busts of important figures from French political history, as well as a recent contemporary painting by artist Pierre Alechinsky.

The next salon, the Salle des Pas Perdus, has an important ceremonial role, and each time the President of the Assembly National passes through there is a drum roll by the Republican Guards, the only forces of law and order allowed in the Palais Bourbon, to represent the guards role in protecting the values of the Republic. In this room you can admire the painted ceiling and the two bronze statues.

One famous room you will see next is the Salle des Quatre-Colonnes, which has four stone columns dominating the room, and imposing statues in niches on the walls, and is known as the room where journalists can interview deputies on their way to and from the hemicycle. From here you pass through the Salle Delacroix to reach the Hemicycle, the large chamber where the deputies meet.

The hemicycle we see today was completed in 1832, including the large bas relief behind the speaker's chair. This room is one of the highlights of a visit, with its large domed roof, artworks around the edges of the dome, the imposing relief behind the speakers chair, and other artworks.

It is also interesting to see the seats, with some of the seats at the front designated to ministers, and voting buttons in front of each seat.

After the Hemicycle, one of the rooms you see is the Salon Casimir-Perier. This room is the principal route by which deputies arrive in the Hemicycle. There is a very impressive bronze relief on the wall, by a 19th century sculptor called Dalou and representing the first sitting of the new parliament in 1789.

Hemicycle in the Assembly National

Our favourite room of the visit was the library, although I understand this is not part of every tour - it depends on whether it is being used by deputies at the time of your visit. The library has been completely restored in recent years, and this is the first time that the public have been granted access.

The walls of the library are completely covered by wooden bookcases holding thousands of ancient books, and the ceiling is curved and covered in paintings by Delacroix. The library has a collection of about 700 000 books, typically concerning the arts, sciences, law and commerce, and also many items of great value, such as a 9th century bible, and the minutes taken at the trial of Joan of Arc in 1431.

It is certainly one of the most impressive libraries we have ever seen, and on its own would make a visit worthwhile, even if you are only given a couple of minutes to appreciate it.

The room in front of the library is called the Salle des Mariannes because it holds a collection of busts and other representations of Marianne, an important symbol of Liberty and the Republic. There is also an interesting contemporary artwork representing Liberty, Egalité and Fraternité, by an artist called JonOne and based on the famous painting by Delacroix called Liberty leading the People.

Visit the Assembly National: practicalities

Note that to visit the inside of the Assembly National there is no charge but you need to book in advance, a process that can take two weeks because all visitors need to be vetted/checked before they visit: you will need to provide proof of identity for this process. See book a visit to the Assembly National to start the application process.

The entrance is on Rue de l'Université, next to the Place du Palais Bourbon, not at the front of the building.

The guide explains not only the history of the building but also its role in modern politics, and the functions of the different rooms, the places where the press interview the politicians etc. which makes the visit very interesting and informative.

As far as I am aware the visits are only available in French, but there are numerous information boards inside, and in any case you will enjoy the visit to see the Palais Bourbon even if you cannot follow the explanations. A visit lasts approximately 90 minutes.

The closest Metro stations to the Assembly National are the Assemblée Nationale station on metro line 12 and the Invalides station on metro lines 8 and 13.

Attractions nearby

If you cross the river here, you reach the Place de la Concorde with its obelisk and beautiful fountains, and the Musée de l'Orangerie with the paintings of waterlilies by Monet.

From here you can continue in a straight line along the Rue Royale to reach the impressive Eglise de la Madeleine: there is a clear view from the front of this church that extends all the way to the Assembly National.

You can find more travel ideas in the Paris region guide.

To make travel arrangements to visit Assembly National see HERE