History of The Grande Allée
In 1564, the queen decided to build a new palace with an adjacent garden. Reserved for the pleasures of the royal court, the so-called “Tuileries” palace and garden hosted many festivities, like those held in 1573 in honor of Polish ambassadors.
During that period, the Tuileries Garden consisted of several flowerbeds separated by a grid of paths arranged at right angles, like most Renaissance gardens.
A wide path running through the center of the garden – which would later become the Grande Allée – led westward to a semi-circular area surrounded by walls that provided appropriate acoustics for performances.