Places in Paris and Paris Monuments.

Garnier Opera

Built in 1860 by the young architect Charles Garnier with his vision of a new opera, he designed the "Opera Garnier" in the style of the Second Empire. HistoryBuilt in 1860 by the young architect Charles Garnier with his vision of a new opera, he designed the "Opera Garnier" in the style of the Second Empire. It was completed in 1875 in the early days of the Third Republic. It is the largest opera theatre in the world staging enough for 450 players.It is of interest to note that the massive opera house was constructed above a subterranean river that still teeds an underground artificial lake to this day. The Phantom of the Opera, created by Gaston Leroux, is said…

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Palais Royal Paris

Famous for its gardens where revolutionary plots all started, today they are a haven of peace next to the Louvre museum.  The main courtyardThe main courtyard, with access via a vaulted passage, displays a noble main facade and two wings, bordered by colonnaded galleries.The space of this beautiful courtyard is now decorated with a set of 260 unequal sections of columns, striped black and white.This exhibit created a lot of controversy. The Orleans gallery, which dates from the Restoration, separates the courtyard from the gardens. Paul Bury created the fountains. The simple, calm gardens provide an unexpected heaven of peace just a few minutes from the great boulevards and the Place de l'Opera.The ingenious lighting of the gardens can be…

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Stade de France stadium

This masterpiece of technology was built for the 1998 Football (soccer) World Cup with 80 000 covered seats.  Previous image Next image The role of the Stade de France is to host France's major sporting events in three main sporting disciplines : football (soccer), rugby, athletics.The organisation in France of an event on a worldwide scale - the last Football World Cup of the century that was held in 1998 - made the construction of these major facilities possible.Designed by the architects Macary -Zublena - Regembal - Costantini and built in 3 years, it will be operated over a period of 27 years by the Consortium Bouygues - GTM - Entrepose - SGE, this is no typical stadium.This stadium enables…

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The Conciergerie

This important vestige of the Capetian Palace is a remarkable testimony of the civil architecture of the 14th century : the Guard room and the kitchens.  The lower part of the Palace was mainly turned into a jail during the 15th century ; you may visit the dungeons (in particular Queen Marie-Antoinette's) and also discover memories of the French Revolution. The medieval aspect of the Conciergerie with the only remaining visible ancient capetian palace have been recently restored and opened to the public since January 11th 2000. The Conciergerie, historic building The Conciergerie is a historic building located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, on the banks of the Seine River. Originally built as a fortress in the 10th century,…

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The Pantheon

This impressive late 18th century neo-classical temple host the remains of french great men.  Previous image Next image Pantheon designThe most spectacular aspect is the size of the Pantheon. On the ground floor, in the form of a cross, it has a length of 110 m (352 ft) and a breadth of 85 m (272 ft.). The dome with its height of 85m (272 ft) inspired the physicist Leon Foucault to carry out his first experiments with the pendulum in the middle of the 19th century. He wanted to demonstrate the rotation of the earth on its axis.History of PantheonWhile Louis XV was taking care of his health, he promised that if he recovered, he would build a church to…

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Père-Lachaise Cemetery

A huge historical graveyards, like a "Town of the Deads within the city". At begining the "Père Lachaise" was a poor district, with many outlaws, winding streets, shady avenues. It's located on the old hill of "Champ l'Evêque", where a rich merchant built his house in 1430.In the 17th century the Jesuits converted it into a hospice for members of their order. It became a meeting place under influence of "Père de La Chaise" Louis XIV's confessor. In 1803, under Napoléon, the Prefect of Paris bought it to built a cemetery. It was an incredibly successful piece of land speculation. Nicolas Frochot, the urban planner who bought the land, persuaded the civil authorities to rebury Molière, La Fontaine, Abélard and…

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Les Invalides

The major dome of Paris hosting Napoleon's ashes is part of a majestic hospital ordered by the Sun-king.  Précédent Suivant In 1670, founded a hospital for his invalid soldiers, the King Louis XIV adopted plans by Liberal Bruant and the work started in 1671 and was finished in 1676. This hospital could house up to 4000 patients.DesignThe principal facade, which stretches on both sides of the immense semicircular-arched doorway, whose pilasters lie on statues of Mars and Minerva, Warring Valour and Armed Wisdom, by Guillaume Coustou. On the pediment there is a statue of Louis XIV on horseback, by the same Coustou a story with three large bay windows surmounts the main entrance. All of these openings are in the…

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Palace of Versailles

The Sun-king palace in Versailles is half an hour by train from Paris. Précédent Suivant The CastleThe Chateau proposes two itineraries: either a guided tour or not. Apart from the state apartments of the king and queen and the Galerie des Glaces (the Hall of Mirrors, where the Treaty of Versailles was signed to end World War 1), which you can visit on your own, most of the palace can only be viewed in guided groups, and whose times are much more restricted. Long queues are common.Unfortunately, only a small part of the palace can be visited : the State Apartments of the King and Queen, and the Hall of Mirrors. The worst time to visit the Chateau is on…

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Notre Dame de Paris

The major french religious building, masterpiece of gothic architecture.  Under the auspices of Bishop de Sully, the construction began in 1160 and was completed around 1345. During the construction many events occured such as in 1297, the King Louis IX was canonized as Saint Louis, and in 1304, Philip the Fair celebrated his military victory by riding his horse up and down the aisles in the Notre Dame. By the 17th century, it was very fashionable to loathe the Notre Dame.In the eighteenth century, a lot of the medieval glass was removed simply to make the building lighter, and medieval fittings and furniture were often replaced by those in later styles.However, it was not until the French Revolution in 1793,…

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Champs Elysees

The triumphal way which leads to the Arc de Triomphe.  Précédent Suivant Avenue des Champs ElyseesThe glamour of the Champs-Élysées, particularly its upper end, may not be quite what it was, dominated as it is by airline offices, car showrooms, and bright lighted shopping arcades. But there's still the Lido cabaret, Fouquet's high-class bar and restaurant, and plenty of cinemas and outrageously priced cafés to bring the punters in. At Christmas time, this is where the fairy lights go, and on December 31st everyone happily jams in, in their cars, to hoot in the New Year.The new landscaping project has removed the avenue's side lanes where cars used to prowl in search of parking spaces, and now pedestrians have an…

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