French Assemblée Nationale?

Question

Who built the French Assemblée Nationale? When was it built? What is it?

Answer 1

The French National Assembly meets in the Palais Bourbon which was originally built for Louis XIV's legitimized daughter the duchesse de Bourbon, to a design by an Italian architect Giardini, approved by Jules Hardouin-Mansart.

Giardini oversaw the actual construction from 1722 until his death in 1724, after which Jacques Gabriel took over, assisted by L'Assurance and other designers, until its completion in 1728.  In 1756 Louis XV bought it for the Crown, then sold it to the grandson of the Duchess, Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé, for whom Jacques-Germain Soufflot directed an enlargement in 1765.

From 1803 to 1807, Napoleon commissioned Poyet to build the façade, to complement that of the Madeleine which it faces, in the distance at the end of the rue Royale. The portico of the façade is enhanced by an allegorical pediment sculpted by Cortot in 1842. Other allegorised bas-reliefs on the wings are the work of Rude and Pradier.

Although is is called a palace, it was not actually the residence of a reigning monarch and is therefore what the French call a maison de plaisance.

Answer 2

The Assemblée Nationale is actually the equivalent to the American Senate and House of Representatives or the English Chamber of Commons, in other words, the French Parliament. By extension people often use the same name for the building where it meets.

The actual name of the building  where it is housed (as described above) is Palais Bourbon. It is the seat of the French Assembly or parliament.

For more info on the actual building ,please look at the following:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_Bour...

To know what function  the National Assembly fulfills:

http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/englis...

On this site you will also find a comprehensive potted history.

Good luck with your research!