Children play with boats at Luxembourg Garden. The garden's stately palace is the French Senate, which was once the home of Marie de Médici, widow of of Henri IV. In 1615, the queen began the construction of the palace and garden to remind her of her native Florence. Four years after its completion in 1627, she was exiled by her son Louis XIII. Now the basin in front of the palace is given over to the famous toy boats for children.