The hôtel de la Marine, on the place de la Concorde, opened its doors to the public in June 2021 after more than five years' spent under restoration. It is a fascinating 'new' (250 years old) palace to visit in a central location. The building is the last royal construction in Paris, dating back to 1758. In front of the palace balcony, French history has been played out, from the Liberation of Paris in 1944 back to the tragic firework display of May 1770 celebrating the marriage of Marie Antoinette and the future Louis XVI. The fireworks store caught fire and hundreds of people died. The arcades of the building were full of people fleeing. Many drowned in the Seine. The event was later seen as a bad omen for their marriage. It certainly was. 23 years later, in January 1793, Louis XVI was guillotined on the square and 8 months later his widow Marie Antoinette followed him. The impressive palace was built for Louis XV by architect Anges-Jacques Gab...