14 April 2023
My pre-trip plans for the first day in Paris didn't work as hoped, as we were all much more tired than anticipated from the flights and tickets for the Paris Balloon and Catacombs were both sold out. Nonetheless, we were happy to have made it safely.
Aéroport de Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle
Now operating under the new "Paris Aéroport" commercial brand which unifies all of the Paris-area aeroports operated by Groupe ADP, Paris-CDG has been Paris' principal airport since its opening in 1974. It is the largest airport in the world by number of airlines hosted and by direct destinations flown to, and is also the busiest airport in Europe for combined passenger and cargo traffic.
A notable feature of the airport is Concorde #215 "Fox Fox" (F-BTFF), the last Concorde supersonic airliner delivered to Air France. This aircraft was retired from service in 2002 and is on exterior display in the meridian between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 of the airport.
17 rue de l'Yvette
The 16th arondissement of Paris is a decidedly upscale neighborhood which was a wealthy suburb even before it was officially absorbed into Paris during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III. Reportedly, one of the major reasons for the spiral layout of the modern-day Paris arondissements was that the originally proposed numbering of the new arondissements would have made this area the 13th, and its residents pulled strings to make sure they didn't get the unlucky number. The biggest visual difference between this and any of the American cities I've lived in and traveled through is how tight and compact the place is, with narrow streets and tall, compact buildings of mostly 5-8 stories.
17 rue de l'Yvette itself is a classic Parisian multi-unit residential building. The exact history of the building is unclear as there are no historic plaques on the exterior, but this type of residence dominated upscale new construction in Paris from the late 17th century for most of the next two centuries. Every visible detail of the building confirms that it is of considerable age, including the sort of sparse, somewhat awkwardly placed outlets and all-exposed piping which indicates that not only electricity but also indoor plumbing was a retrofit at some point in the past.
Pont de Grenelle ⁄ Ile aux Cygnes
The Pont de Grenelle crosses the Seine River from the 16th arondissement on the Right Bank to the 15th on the Left Bank. It was constructed in 1966, replacing a prior bridge which dated to 1873. This bridge also provides access to the Ile aux Cygnes is a small (890 metres long by 11 metres wide) artificial island contructed in the Seine River in 1827 to protect the central pier of the Pont de Grenelle from erosion. A quarter-size replica of the Statue of Liberty is located at the south end of the Ile near the Pont de Grenelle, and an equestrian statue of Jeanne d'Arc is loccated at the north end.
Cette statue a été offerte a la ville de Paris
par la communauté Parisienne
des Etas-Unis d'Amérique
Elle a été restauree par la ville de Paris
avec le concours de la fondation Florence Gould.
A l'occasion du centenaire
de la Statue de la Liberé.
23 Juin 1986
Dedication plaque of the Statue de la Liberté de Paris
Chapelle Sainte-Thérèse
The Chapelle Sainte-Thérèse is a Catholic chapel built in 1923 for the Orphelins d'Auteuil religious order.
15 April 2023
Our second day is primarily spent south of the Seine in the famous Latin Quartier of Paris, the university area spanning parts of the Panthéon (5th) and St. Germain des Pres (6th) arondissements, plus the Île de la Cité (4th).
Latin Quartier
Arènes de Lutèce
One of the few major Roman era remains preserved in Paris, the Arènes de Lutèce is a 1st century ampitheatre wwhich could accomodate up to 15,000 spectators. It was built over and the location lost after 1210, then rediscovered when the Rue Monge was built in 1860-1869. Victor Hugo played a leading role in fighting to preserve the remains of the arena at that point, and it was partially restored as a public square in 1896 after the demolition of the Couvent des Filles de Jésus-Christ uncovered approximately a third of the arena. After the Rue Monge tramway was replaced by Line 10 of the Paris Métro in 1916, more of the arena was excavated and restored.
Seen in person, the arena is startlingly big and it is difficult to imagine how it could be completely covered up and built over. The entry tunnels have become open-topped corridors because the sections that should extend over them are long gone and much of the seating area is cut off by the back walls of the adjacent houses on the Rue de Monge. Much of the remaining seating area consists of grassy slopes rather than stone terraces, but enough remains to clearly show the size and layout of the arena. The stage is forty metres wide, while the center arena is an almost circular ellipse measuring 52 metres in the long axis and 46 metres in the short axis. The raised walls around the center appear short because they're so small relative to the seating terraces, but they're actually a considerable 2.5 metres high.
L'Enceinte de Phillipe Auguste
This is a major surviving fragment of the fortified city wall which was built from 1190 to 1213 by order of King Philipe II Auguste. This was the fourth city wall of Paris and the first whose location is fully recorded. The wall measured two to three metres thick and six to eight metres tall, anchored by four bastion towers (twenty-five metres high and ten metres in diameter) on the banks of the Seine. In addition, smaller towers (fifteen metres high and six metres in diameter)) were integrated into the wall roughly every sixty metres.
Lycée Henri IV
The Lycee Henri IV is a secondary school housed in the remaining buildings of the Abbaye Sainte-Geneviève.
Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
Although dedicated to Saint Etienne (Stephen), this church houses the shrine of Sainte-Geneviève. It was built adjacent to the 6th century Abbaye Sainte-Geneviève, which had originally founded by King Clovis I and Queen Clotilde of the Merovingian Dynasty and was rededicated to Geneviève after her death and canonization. The church was built from 1492 to 1626 in the Gothic and Renaissance styles, replacing an older and smaller church of the same name which had been established in 1222.
Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève
The Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève is a university library dating back to the 6th century Abbaye Sainte-Geneviève. The present building was built in 1850 to house the library after it was expelled from the 18th century abbey building it shared with the Lycée Henri IV. The new building was designed by the French architect Henri Labrouste, alumnus of the École des Beaux-Arts and winner of the prestigous 1824 Prix de Rome.
Panthéon
The namesake monument of the 5th arondissement, the Pantheon was built from 1758 to 1790 at the behest of King Louis XV, who decided to replace the Abbaye Sainte-Geneviève with a grand new church. After the French Revolution, the National Assembly voted to repurpose the newly built royal church as a masoleum for illustrious Frenchmen instead, naming it the Panthéeon. Subsequent political upheaval led to the building's status repeatedly changing: it was partially restored to the Catholic Church by Napoleon while also remaining a crypt for illustrious Frenchmen, was fully consecrated as the Église Sainte-Geneviève during the Bourbon Restoration with the crypt closed, was reverted to the Panthéeon under the July Monarchy (but with no change to the status of the crypt), was re-reverted to a church (and "National Basilica") under Napoleon III, and finally circled back around to the Panthéeon under the Third Republic and the crypt finally reopened.
Mairie du Ve Arrondissement
Due to the sheer size of the city of Paris, each of the city's twenty arrondissements has historically had its own individual mairie d'arrondissement. From 2020 onwards, the first four arrondissements are administratively grouped into a single "Paris Centre" district which utilizes the mairie d'arrondissement of the 3rd.
Collège de Sorbonne
Founded in 1253 by Robert de Sorbon, the Collège de Sorbonne was the theological college of the University of Paris. The Chapel de Sainte Ursule de la Sorbonne is the only surviving building from Cardinal Richelieu's reconstruction and expansion of the college's physical complex from 1627 to 1642. It is located on the site of the former Collège de Calvi, the former grammar school component of the Sorbonne.
Musée de Cluny-Musée National du Moyen Âge
The Musée de Cluny-Musée National du Moyen Âge is a medieval art museum which encompasses the Roman-era Thermes de Cluny public bath and the 15th century Hôtel des Abbés de Cluny.
Thermes de Cluny
The Thermes de Cluny complex is estimated to have filled a space a hundred metres long and sixty-five meters wide, which served as the primary public bathhouse for the Gallo-Roman city until it was wrecked by barbarian attacks around 275 AD. Roughly a third of the complex remained after that and the ruins became an integral component of the later abbey house, which wraps above and around the more heavily damaged portions of the complex.
The central frigidarium of the Roman baths retains its vaulted roof, which soars 14.5 metres above a room which can only be described as enormous. Most of the original decoration has been lost over time, but the bare walls really only emphaize the sheer scale of the place. The other major rooms are roofless with partially shattered walls, but enough remains to expose their size and layout. The smaller rooms housing the support functions of the bath are exclusive to the docent-led guided tours.
Hôtel des Abbés de Cluny
The Hôtel des Abbés de Cluny is a Flamboyant Gothic townhouse which was built in 1485 for Abbot Jacques d'Amboise, the newly appointed head of the Order of Cluny. The house was built around and partially integrated with the Roman bathhouse ruins because it would have been vastly too expensive to demolish them.
Fontaine Saint-Michel
The Fontaine Saint-Michel is a monumental fountain built in 1858-160 as part of Baron Haussmann's grand reconstruction of Paris.
Île de la Cité
The Île de la Cité is an island in the Seine River in the center of Paris. It is part of the Paris Centre arrondissement, and historically was split between the 1st and 4th arrondissements.
Palais de Justice de Paris
The Palais de Justice was originally the Palais de la Cité, the royal residence from the sixth century Capetian dynasty through the fall of the Bourbons in the French Revolution. Rebuilt countless times over the centuries, the Palais now serves as the headquarters of the French justice system and also contains two museums open to the public: the Sainte-Chapelle chapel in the courtyard, and the infamous Conciergerie prison below.
Pont au Change
Pont Neuf
The Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge in Paris, built from 1578 to 1607 and connecting the west end of the Île de la Cité to both banks of the Seine. It was the first stone bridge in Paris which was not lined with houses, a decision made by King Henri IV in order to have an unimpeded view from the Tuileries Palace. The bridge was a lively (if dangerous) central feature of Paris from its completion until around 1754, as popularity shifted to the new boulevards.
Square du Vert Galant
The Square du Vert Galant is a small public park located at the far western tip of the Île de la Cité. The Pont Neuf was at the tip of the island at the time it was built, but natural deposition of sediment over the next 400 years has caused the island to grow past the bridge, creating this space. Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Templar Order, was burned at the stake near here (on the Ile des Javiaux, which is now part of the north bank) in 1314.
Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul II
The Parvis Notre-Dame is a public square which contains the point zéro marker which formally denotes the center of Paris. By an 1811 decree of Emperor Napoleon, this is the nominal starting point for the first-class and second-class routes impériales, which remain to this day as the first routes nationale.
Le Crypte Archéologique de l'Île de la Cité
Le Crypte Archéologique de l'Île de la Cité is one of the municipal museums of Paris, displaying archeological exacavations made from 1965 to 1972, including remaining fragments of the city's earliest surviving Roman walls. It was made into a public museum in 1980.
Because the Roman ruins here are far more fragmentary than the Cluny complex, it's difficult to actually visualize what they were and how it fits together. This is especially true because there's a substantial variety here: the remains include not only parts of the Roman defensive wall, but also a small bathhouse (~175 square metres, versus the massive ~6,000 square metre Cluny baths), one of the docks of the Roman port (what was once the island coast is now 55 metres inland), and foundations from later construction. Nonetheless, the scale and history of the place is palpable.
Charlemagne et ses Leudes
A preliminary plaster model of this statue was exhibited at the 1867 Exposition Universelle, and the finalized bronze at the 1878 Exposition Universelle. It was then "provisionally" installed here on a wooden stand in 1882, and made permament with a stone pedestal in 1908. This is very much a mythological representation of Charlemagne, as he is wearing the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire and bearing the Scepter of Charles V, both of which were not created until well after his death, and his hairstyle and clothing follow the pattern of the much earlier Gaulish and Merovingian period. He is moreover accompanied by Roland and Oliver, both of whom died long before he became Holy Roman Emperor.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
While the early proposal of a temporary church to be opened to the public during the repairs of Notre Dame was never approved, a large wooden grandstand of sorts has been built in the parvis to enable visitors to sit and observe the front facade of the cathedral towering above the temporary construction walls that surround it. The space underneath the grandstand contains small museum-style exhibits, and the construction walls that completely surround the cathedral are likewise printed with narration and images in the style of museum walls. It is an honestly bizarre sight -- a very much still living cathedral wrapped up like a museum artifact with sports bleachers pointed at it.
Île Saint-Louis
The smaller of the two islands of Paris, housing many exclusive shops.
Berthillon
This is the flagship store of the Berthillon ice cream and sorbet brand, dating back to an ancestral 1954 cafe and hotel in the same location. I note that French ice cream (as a whole, not just Berthillon's) has a sharper and less creamy flavor profile than American version I'm used to, with the fruit coming through with vivid intensity. Very different, very delicious.
16 April 2023
Our third day in Paris is spent in the 16th, 7th, 8th, and 6th arondissements, zigzagging eastward across the many bridges crossing the Seine River.
Jardins de Trocadero
The Jardins de Trocadero is a public park on the right bank of the Seine, created for the Exposition Internationale of 1937 and replacing the previous gardens of the Exposition Internationale of 1867. Its central water feature, the Fountain of Warsaw, is the only fountain remaining from any of the expositions held in Paris, and was completely renovated in 2011 in order to continue functioning.
The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics will be held here.
Palais de Chaillot
The Palais de Chaillot was built for the Exposition Internationale of 1937 by demolishing the central hall and towers of the old Palais du Trocadéro which had been built for the Exposition Internationale of 1867, leaving the outer wings but enlarging and restyling them with new construction.
The Passy (southern) wing houses the Musée national de la Marine and the Musée de l'Homme, while the Paris (eastern) wing houses the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine and the entrance to the Théâtre national de Chaillot (whicch is located in the basement under the esplanade).
Pont d'Iéna
The Pont d'Iéna was constructed from 1808 to 1814 by order of Napoleon I and then enlarged to a width of 35 metres in 1937.
Champs de Mars
The Champs de Mars is a large public park on the left bank of the Seine River which was established as the military drill grounds of the 1765 École Militaire. As the largest open space wwithin the central core of downtown Paris, it has served as the site for large and important public events in Paris, including all five Expositions Universelle hosted by Paris. S
La Tour Eiffel
La Tour Eiffel was constructed at the north end of the Champs de Mars in 1887 as the centerpiece for the Exposition Universelle of 1889, and has since become the iconic landmark of Paris. Although originally intended as a temporary structure to be dismantled after 20 years, the 330 metre tall iron lattice tower was granted a 70-year extension after taking on a strategic role as a long-range radio tower.
Grand Palais Ephémère
Located at the far end of the Champs de Mars, the Grand Palais Ephémère is a temporary replacement for the Grand Palais art gallery which is closed for renovation.
École Militaire
The École Militaire was founded in 1750 by King Louis XV as a novel state-sponsored military academy for cadet officers from poor noble families who could not afford the cost of a traditional military academy.
Hôtel National des Invalides
The Hôtel National des Invalides was founded in 1670 by King Louis XIV as a military hospital and retirement home for disabled soldiers. The complex continues in that role to this day, as well as housing several military history museums.
Dôme des Invalides
The Dôme des Invalides was built from 1676 to 1703 at the center of the Invalides complex as a private chapel for the King, although it was rarely (if ever) actually used as such. Under Napoleon, it was redesignated as a tomb for France's greatest military heroes, beginning with the Vicommte de Turenne and then the Marquis de Vauban. It would later house Napoleon's own tomb.
L'Église Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides
Part of the same physical church building but a formally distinct space from the Dôme des Invalides, L'Église Saint-Louis-des-Invalides was created as a chapel for the patients of the Invalides hospital. In 1986, it was designated as the cathedral of the Diocèse aux Armées Françaises.
Musée de l'Armée
The Musée de l'Armée was created in 1905 by the merger of the previous Musée de l'Artillerie (founded in 1795 and moved into the Invalides in 1871) and the Musée Historique de l'Armée (founded in 1896).
Esplanade des Invalides
The Esplanade des Invalides is a green space extending from the Cour d'honneur of the Hôtel National des Invalides to the Pont Alexandre III.
Pont Alexandre III
The Pont Alexandre III was built from 1896 to 1900 for the Exposition Universelle of 1900, connecting Les Invalides in the 7th with the Jardins des Champs-Élyées in the 8th. One of the most famous bridges in the world, it is ornately decorated with four gilded copper Fames statues on 17 metre socles which function as counterweights for the bridge arch, and two hammered copper Nymph reliefs.
Le Jardin des Champs-Élyées
Le Jardin des Champs-Élyées is a 13.7 hectare park running along both sides of the eastern half of the Champs-Élyés. Built in 1667 as an public extension of the Jardin des Tuileries, it was the site of the 1855 Exposition Universelle and a secondary site for the 1900 Exposition Universelle.
Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées
The Grand Palais was built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle, replacing the Palais de l'Industrie from the 1855 Exposition. It housed the Exposition Décennale des beaux-arts de 1889 à 1900 and the Exposition Centennale de l'art Français de 1800 ´ 1889, as well as exhibitions of foreign art. Unlike most exposition buildings, it was a permanent structure which subsequently became a large-scale venue for artistic events.
The Grand Palais has been closed for renovation since 2021 and is scheduled to reopen in 2024, when it is slated to host the fencing and taekwondo competitions of the Olympic Games.
Petit Palais
The Petit Palais was built for the Exposition Universelle of 1900, across from the larger Grand Palais. It housed the Exposition rétrospective de l'art Français des Origines à 1800, and then subsequently the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris.
