les monuments parisiens
DESCRIPTION
Brief Intro to main monuments and attractions in ParisTRANSCRIPT
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)