As a result, you can now see many of his great sculptures, including The Thinker and The Burghers of Calais , in a beautiful setting. Not far from here on rue de Babylone, an interesting architectural oddity is La Pagode cinema, a genuine Japanese pagoda constructed in 1895. The Palais Bourbon has been home to the lower house of the French parliament since 1827, and was the seat of the German military administration during the Occupation. The Greek-style facade facing the Seine was stuck onto the building in 1806 to echo that of the Madeleine across the river. Inside, the library is decorated with Delacroix's History of Civilisation .
Visitors can attend debates.
Reliefs to the left of the entrance recount the story of the nun's life. Admission courtyard free. The church of St-Louis, known as the Church of the Soldiers, is decorated with captured flags and its crypt filled with the remains of military men. Cannon barrels are littered everywhere but, even if you're not interested in military history, it's worth a wander through the gardens and the principal courtyard to get a idea of the power of royal patronage. Look out for the names of towns the station once served on the Seine-side facade.