Visitors were ushered through roped off rooms filled with grandeur and antiques, as you’d expect.
This assortment of rooms, salons, antechambers even courtrooms, is now the home of the French Ministry of Culture and Communications, Council of States and the Constitutional Council.
It was quite overwhelming and hard to keep track of where we were. Photographs were allowed which allowed us to capture the beauty of the cornice carvings or the circled capital “N” on the gold door locks of the Napoleon III room. Chandeliers dangled like bunches of royal, golden grapes from the ceiling of every room.
The French talent for good taste was apparent, the eclectic mix of styles and patterns. I fell for the golden curves of a deep pink and royal red upholstered Louis XV chair, placed on an enormous carpet of similar colours - it shouldn't work but it does.The light from the glazed doors (French of course) fell on red curtains which were tied back by gold fringed braid. It blended into the threads of the peach coloured floral brocade.
Standing there, admiring the office of the President of the Constitutional Council it's impossible not to wonder what it must be like to go to work every day in such majestic and historic surroundings. A visit to a place like this as an impressionable child could set career paths in motion and create the politicians of the future.
The Comedie Francaise is the only state theatre to have its own troupe ofactors in France. It was formed in 1680 by decree of the Sun King, Louis XIV.