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)