▁the ▁Tour ▁des ▁Lat r ines ▁in ▁the ▁Pal ais ▁V ieux . ▁ ▁The ▁Pal ais ▁was ▁subsequently ▁taken ▁over ▁by ▁the ▁Napole onic ▁French ▁state ▁for ▁use ▁as ▁a ▁military ▁bar ra cks ▁and ▁prison . ▁Although ▁it ▁was ▁further ▁dam aged ▁by ▁the ▁military ▁occupation , ▁especially ▁under ▁the ▁anti - cler ical ▁Third ▁Republic ▁when ▁the ▁remaining ▁interior ▁wood work ▁was ▁cleared ▁away ▁for ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁structure ▁as ▁a ▁st ables ▁– ▁the ▁fres cos ▁were ▁covered ▁over ▁and ▁largely ▁destroyed ▁– ▁this ▁ens ured ▁the ▁shell ▁of ▁the ▁building ' s ▁physical ▁surv ival . ▁It ▁was ▁vac ated ▁in ▁only ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁when ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁national ▁museum . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁under ▁virt ually ▁constant ▁rest oration ▁ever ▁since . ▁ ▁Charles ▁Dick ens ▁describes ▁a ▁tour ▁around ▁this ▁building ▁in ▁his ▁book : P ictures ▁from ▁Italy . ▁His ▁guide ▁he ▁describes ▁as ▁a ▁she - dev il ▁with ▁flash ing ▁black ▁eyes ▁who ▁gl ories ▁in ▁the ▁g ory ▁past ▁when ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁tort ure ▁chamber . ▁ ▁Pres ent ▁ ▁The ▁Pal ais ▁is ▁today ▁a ▁historical ▁and ▁architect ural ▁land mark ▁and ▁primarily ▁a ▁tour ist ▁att raction , ▁attract ing ▁around ▁ 6 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁visitors ▁per ▁an num , ▁putting ▁it ▁regularly ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁ten ▁most ▁visited ▁attra ctions ▁in ▁France . ▁It ▁also ▁houses ▁a ▁large ▁convention ▁centre ▁and ▁the ▁arch ives ▁of ▁the ▁département