Les Monuments Parisiens et autres attractions touristiques

Versailles

Sorbonne

Catacombes

Place Vendome

La Madeleine

Stade de France

L’Arc de Triomphe

• Place de l’Etoile• Place Charles De

Gaulle• Construction

– Napoléon (1806)– Stopped– Finished (1836)

• Tomb of unknown soldier (Eternal Flame)

L’Assemblée Nationale

• Meeting place of “House of Representatives”

• “Palais Bourbon”• 1727 for Louis XIV’s

illegitimate daughter• Add-on by Napoléon

(similar to La Madeleine)• Bought by State in 1827

Bercy

• Sport Arena/ Concert Hall

• Built in 1984• Up to 18,000 seats

Les Catacombes

• Underground ossuary– Tunnels (former mines

and quarries)– Skeletons from Paris’

cemeteries– Sanitary Reasons

• Late 18th century

Le Champs de Mars

• “Field” between Eiffel Tower and “les Invalides”

• Former practice field for the Military school

Les Champs Elysées

• Broader Avenue in Paris– Connects “Arc de

Triomphe” with “place de la Concorde”

– Restaurants and chic boutiques

– President’s Palace

• 14th of July celebrations

La Conciergerie

• Former Royal Palace (10th14th century)

• Contains the “Sainte Chapelle” (Sacred Chapel)

• Former prison (French Revolution)– Guillotine etc.

• Currently part of the Justice Department

La Sainte Chapelle

• Inside la Conciergerie• Gothic Style• Built

– 13th century– by Louis IX (Saint

Louis)– to protect Christ’s

Relics (Crown of Thorns etc.)

• Brought back from crusades

L’Arche de la Défense

• 1989/1990• “Arche de la Fraternité”

– Humanitarian celebration vs. Military celebration (Arc de Triomphe)

• Requested by François Mitterand (“The Sphinx”)

• Aligned with – Arc de Triomphe– Concorde– Tuileries Garden– Louvre

La Tour Eiffel

• Tallest structure in Paris- Icon of France

• 1889 (World Fair- French Revolution centennial)– Meant to be destroyed after

20 years– Communication (Radio, TV

etc..)• Useful during WWI

• More than 2 billions visitors since construction

L’ Hotel de Ville

• City Hall– Same location since

1357.• Place de Grève (Famous

during Revolution)

– Built in 1533 (King Francis I)

– Add on in 1835 (2 wings)

• Renaissance Style

Les Invalides

• Former Veterans Hospital – Built by Louis XIV– Complete with Chapel

and Royal Chapel

• Burial site of famous military/ war heroes (Napoléon etc.)

La Madeleine

• Church– built over Jewish

synagogue (12th century)– Dedicated to Marie-

Madeleine (Maria Magdalene)

• Several constructions– Temple to glory of Army

(Napoléon)– Church dedicated to

Marie Madeleine (Restoration)

Le Parc de la Villette

• Parc/ Modern museum– Zénith (salle de

concert)– La Géode (cinéma

omnimax)– Hands on scientific

museum

Les Halles

• Shopping district– Since 1183– Various markets– Wholesale market

destroyed in 1971 new décor

– Fountains

– Pits

– Mosaics

Le Louvre• Most visited Museum

– Mona Lisa (Da Vinci)– Venus (Milo)– Etc.

• Former Royal Palace (1190-1682)

• Pyramid (1989) (Pei)– Mitterand (“The sphinx)

Le Louvre (2)

La Tour Montparnasse

• Only skyscraper in Paris

• Built from 1969-1972

Le Moulin Rouge

• Traditional cabaret– Built in 1889– Located in the “red

District” (Pigalle)

• Spiritual home of the French “Can Can”

• Pioneered “semi-nude” dancing

Notre Dame

• “First” Gothic Cathedral– Dedicated to the Virgin

Mary– Located on the “Ile de la

Cité”– Construction 1163-1345

• Vandalism– French Revolution– WWII

L’Opéra Bastille

• Modern Opera House– Design Contest

(Mitterand)– Open in 1983– 2,700 seats

• Located Place de la Bastille (Former royal prison-1789)

La Colonne de Juillet

• Located on place de la Bastille

• Commemorates the July 1830 “riots” – Louis-Philippe (1830-

1848)-Monarchie de Juillet

L’Opéra (Garnier)

• Open in 1875 (Napoléon III)

• 2,200 seats

• Named after Charles Garnier (Architect)

• Neo-Baroque style

Orsay

• 2nd most visited museum (1977)– Art from 1848- 1914– Impressionism

• Van Gogh• Renoir• Monet

• Former railway station

Le Panthéon

• Burial place of “French Hall of Famers.”

• Victor Hugo• Voltaire• Marie Curie• Jean Jaurès

• Located in Latin Quarter (Students area)

• Originally, a church dedicated to Sainte Geneviève (1744, Louis XV)

Place de la Concorde

• Largest “square” in Paris (18th century)

• “Axe Historique”• Guillotine

– Louis XIV & Marie-Antoinette

• Ramses II Obelisk (Luxor Temple)- 1830’s

Place Vendôme

• Chic hotels District – Former residence of

rich and famous

• Jewelers District• Cartier• Van Cleef• Boivin

• 1er arrondissement

Le Centre Pompidou (Beaubourg)

• 1977– Modern Art Museum– Library– Audio visual Center

– Street Performers – Fountains– Outdoors sculptures

Le Pont Neuf

• “New Bridge”

• Oldest standing Bridge in Paris (16th century)

• Links left Bank to Ile de la Cité

Le Sacré Coeur

• Catholic Basilica– Dedicated to the Sacred

Heart of Jesus Christ– Built after French

Revolution, and Franco- Prussian War (around 1875)

• Located in Montmartre (artist district)

• Street performers• Stairs/ city view

Montmartre

• Artists District– Place du Tertre

• Picasso• Van Gogh• Toulouse-Lautrec• Monet• Dali

• Behind Pigalle• Moulin Rouge

Le Trocadéro

• Palais de Chaillot– Named for the battle of

Trocadero (Spain) 1823

– Organized for the 1878 World Fair series of smaller

palaces

• Across the river from Eiffel Tower best view

Le Père Lachaise

• Largest cemetery in Paris (118 acres)

• Many famous people• Oscar Wilde• Jim Morrison• Colette• Etc.

Roland Garros

• Tennis sport complex– Clay– Named for Roland

Garros (WWI pilot)– 1 of 4 events for

Grand Slam• 2-3 weeks in June

La Sorbonne

• University of Paris– Latin Quarter– Origin 13th century

• International Olympic committee 1894

Versailles

• Royal Residence (1682-1789)

• Louis XIV• Louis XV• Louis XVI

• Vandalism– French Revolution

• Must see• Hall of Mirrors• Gardens (Le Nôtre)• Etc

Versailles (2)

Galeries Lafayette

• French department store– Since late 1880’s– Cover several blocks

Stade de France

• 1998 for World Cup– Located in Saint

Dennis (suburb)– 80,000 seats

• Céline Dion (90,000 per night)