Conciergerie

About Conciergerie

The Conciergerie sits on the Ile de la Cite, part of the larger medieval complex that once served as the main royal palace of the French kings before they moved on to the Louvre and beyond. What you see today is one of the oldest surviving pieces of that palace, with Gothic halls that date to the early 14th century. The Salle des Gens d'Armes, a vast vaulted hall built to feed and house the royal staff, is one of the largest surviving medieval civic rooms in Europe and gives a real sense of the scale of the original building.

For most visitors, though, the Conciergerie is best known for what came later. During the French Revolution it became a prison and the holding place for people awaiting trial by the Revolutionary Tribunal, including Marie Antoinette, who was kept here before her execution in 1793. A reconstructed version of her cell, along with a memorial chapel, forms part of the visit and tends to be the section people come for. Panels and the augmented-reality tablet available on site help fill in who was held here and what daily life in the prison was like.

The building is right on the Right Bank side of the Ile de la Cite, a short walk from Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle, which shares the same medieval palace footprint. Many people pair the Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle in one visit since they sit almost next door, and combined tickets covering both are common. Entry is paid, and a separate ticket is required. Most visits run under an hour, so it fits easily into a day spent around the island and central Paris.