The church of La Madeleine is located north of Place de la Concorde and is one of the famous landmarks in Paris. The church is notorious for its size and history. It resembles a large Greek temple.

History

The construction of La Madeleine began in 1764 during the reign of Louis XV, and designed by architect Pierre Constant d’Ivry using plans based on the St-Louis-des-Invalides Church. When d’Ivry died in 1777 his designs, which can be seen in the Musée Carnavalet, were dismissed by his successor, Guillome-Martin Couture. He decided to raze the unfinished building and start with a new design, this time based on the Panthéon. Both of the designs were not accepted and work stopped between 1790 and 1806.

Napoléon then decided that a Temple of Glory to his Grande Armée should be built, and Pierre-Alexandre Vignon was authorized to draw up the plans. After doing away with the remaining efforts from 1790, building started on what was to be a beautiful Greek temple. The commemorative role of the edifice was lost when the Arc de Triomphe was completed in 1808, and again the focus of the structure became unknown. In 1814, Louis XVIII confirmed that the Madeleine should be a church, but in 1837 it was nearly selected to be the first railway station of Paris. Finally, in 1842 it was consecrated as a church.

Exterior

Modelled on a Greek classical temple, the church is surrounded by 52 Corinthian columns 20 metres tall in Doric style and fronted by a huge pediment depicting The Last Judgement. At the front, the columns are topped with a sculpted frieze.

Interior

Inside, a theatrical stone sculpture of “Ascention of Sainte Marie Madeline” built in 1837, being swept up to heaven by two angels, executed by Charles Marochetti (1805–67), draws your eye to the high altar. The half-dome above is decorated with a fresco by Jules-Claude Ziegler (1804–1856), a student of Ingres; entitled The History of Christianity, it commemorates the concordat signed between the church and state after the end of the Revolution, and shows all the key figures in Christendom.

The church also boasts a pipe organ, built by Cavaillé-Coll in 1846. Nowadays the organ is still used for concerts. The church’s interior is otherwise rather dull and gloomy, heavy with gilt-edged marble.

Surroundings

On the east side of the Madeleine church is one of the city’s oldest flower markets dating back to 1832, open every day except Monday; while nearby are what must be Paris’s most luxurious public toilets, with ceramic walls and wooden doors with stained glass, preserving their original 1905 Art Nouveau décor. But the greatest appeal of place de la Madeleine is the famous “Fauchon” delicatessen shop, in the northeast corner. And, down the west side for rich gourmets and window-gazers you’ll find the smaller Hédiard’s, as well as caviar, truffle and spirit specialists.

Other Useful Information

Opening hours: 7.30am – 7pm (Monday-Saturday) 7.30am -1.30pm and 3.30pm-7pm (Sunday)

How to get there: Metro line 8 or 12: Madeleine

A renowned masterpiece of architecture, you won’t want to miss the Paris opera house on a visit to the city. But just what makes it so special? Learn a little of the history of the opera house to make more of your visit to this special place:

The Paris Opera House is thought to be one of the greatest pieces of architecture of its period. Located on the northern part of Avenue De L’Opera in the 9e arrondisement , it was founded in 1669 by King Louis XIV.

The idea of the Opera house was first proposed in the 1858 during the Second Empire by Baron Haussmann who was granted authorization for the project by Napoleon III. About 12000 square meters of land was cleared and a thirty five year old architect by the name of Charles Garnier was chosen to design the Opera House.

In 1861, construction began and 14 years later the building was complete. There were a number of significant delays however, first there were issues such as the Paris Commune, and the Franco Prussian War and then, there was a problem with the location. The ground was marshy and full of underground water.

For eight months, the site had to undergo constant pumping before the base could be put down and it was said to have formed an underground reservoir. This reservoir became the idea behind the setting of “The Phantom of the Opera”

On January 15, 1875 marked the opening of the Palais Granier (Paris Opera House). There was a performance of La Juive with Fromental Halevy and excerpts of Les Hugentos with Gaicomo Meyrebeer.

The editor John Norwich of Great Architecture of the World reports that a contemporary critic thought the Opera House looked like “an overloaded sideboard” The place is ornate and decorated with marble friezes of various colors.

The interior is filled with gold leaf and velvet. There are cherubs and nymphs everywhere. The chandelier is over six tons in weight. The ceiling itself was painted by Marc Chagall in 1964. The Opera House is 11000 square meters (11844 square feet) with a platform that can fit more than 400 artists and there are over 2000 seats for the audience.

The Opera House is now thought to be a masterpiece because Garnier had made wonderful use of the difficult and cramp site. The carriage ramps, the steps, the foyers and staircases were both planned and sectioned with skill and confidence.

Garnier was accused of being overly ornate, just like Napoleon and Haussman were criticized of having old and imperialist ideas but the critics forget to keep in mind that cities need their grand monuments and without Napoleon, Garnier, and Haussman, Paris could not have been thought of as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

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Anne Morris writes articles about travel. Discover more information about travel at more-paris.com and sanibeltoday.com.

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Originally built as a fortress on the banks of the Seine river by Philippe Auguste in the early 1200’s, the Louvre was conceived as a castle to defend Paris from the invading Normans. It remained a military structure until the 1400’s, when the city had grown and new roads stretched further out. In 1535, after the old castle was demolished, construction on the new Louvre began. King François I enlisted the architect Pierre Lescot with the task of building a suitable home for himself and the treasures he had recently collected on his endeavors – Renaissance paintings.

Lescot is credited with bringing to Paris the style of the Renaissance – emphasizing geometrical symmetry, proportion, and harkening back to Classical, Ancient Roman Forms. The sculptor Jean Goujon was hired and collaborated with Lescot to add further decorative elements to the new structure. François I unfortunately passed away a year into construction, leaving his son Henry II in charge – and Lescot worked tirelessly until his own death in 1571.

After François I’s death, his widow, Queen Catherine de Medici no longer wanted to live in the palace he constructed. She ordered the construction of the Palais des Tuileries, as well as the 500 meter-long passageway that would link it to the Louvre. This huge passageway, now known as the Grande Galerie, was not completed until 1608 (under the watch of Henry IV, after the death of Henry II), and is now where the Louvre’s most famous paintings are displayed.

By 1643, Louis XIII completed the most during his reign, including the Denon Wing and the Richelieu Wing. Napoleon I contributed the Jardin du Carrousel in1805, and new wings were being added even during decades later by Napoleon III. In 1989, the Louvre went through its most recent development, adding the Louvre Pyramid – a glass pyramid – as its main entrance.

The Louvre was first opened to the public in 1793, after the French Revolution. In 200 years, it has come a long way, with its collection growing to over 380,000 art objects. In 2006, their visitor count was 8.3 million – making it the most visited museum in the world.

There’s so much to see and do in Paris that it’s difficult knowing where to start. Here’s a handy guide to the top attractions in the city to help you plan and make the most of your stay in this beautiful city.

A great way to save money if you’re planning to visit lots of museums and attractions in Paris is to buy a Paris Museum Pass, which can be obtained at any participating establishment. It gives access to over 60 attractions and as well as saving you money it will allow you to jump the queues. See www.parismuseumpass.fr for details.

Another important point when planning your visit is that most museums and galleries in Paris are closed one day per week, usually Monday or Tuesday. Also, some museums offer free or reduced admission on Sundays.

Admission fees given below are for full price adult tickets.

Cathédrale de Notre Dame

Description: The Cathédrale de Notre Dame is a magnificent Gothic cathedral in l’île de la Cité, the oldest part of Paris. It was completed in 1345 after two centuries of construction work. In the crypt are foundations from the earliest part of the buildings and from previous Roman buildings on the site. There are wonderful views all over Paris from the top of its two towers.

Location: place du Parvis Notre Dame, l’île de la Cité
Métro: Cité
Opening hours: 07.45 to 18.45 Monday to Saturday (towers open 09.00 to 17.15)
Admission: donation only
Website: www.cathedraledeparis.com

La Tour Eiffel

Description: The Eiffel Tower is the most famous symbol of Paris. When it was built at the end of the 19th century for the Paris Exposition it was the tallest building in the world. Take the lift and/or stairs up to the top for fabulous views of the city.

Location: Champ de Mars
Métro: Bir Hakeim, Trocadéro, École Militaire
Opening hours: open daily throughout year – January to June and September to December 09.30 to 23.45 (last admission to top 22:30), July and August 09.00 to 00.45 (last admission to top 23.00)
Admission: 11€ to the top
Website: www.tour-eiffel.fr

L’Arc de Triomphe

Description: This grand triumphal arch in the centre of Place d’Étoile was built by Napoléon to honour the French Army. It’s a war memorial commemorating those who have died in various battles and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with its eternal flame lies underneath it.

Location: place de l’étoile
Métro: Charles de Gaulle Étoile
Opening hours: open daily throughout year – April to September 10.00 to 23.00, October to March 10.00 to 22.30 (last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Admission: 8€
Website: www.monum.fr/prehome/prehome.dml

Musée du Louvre

Description: The Louvre Palace is a spectacular Renaissance building and the famous museum within it contains one of the most important collections of fine art in the world. Collections: Egyptian, Roman and Oriental antiquities, European painting from 12th to 19th century, Leonardo’s Mona Lisa.

Location: rue de rivoli
Métro: Palais Royal Musée du Louvre
Opening hours: 09.00 to 18.00 every day except Tuesday
Admission: 8.50€, admission free on the first Sunday of every month
Website: www.louvre.fr

Musée d’Orsay

Description: This art gallery is an impressive collection of art from 1850-1950. Collections: impressionism (Renoir, Monet, Degas), post-impressionism (Van Gogh, Gaugin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cézanne.

Location: 1 rue de bellechasse
Métro: Solférino
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 09.30 to 18.00, Thursday 09.30 to 21.45, closed on Mondays
Admission: 7.50€, admission free on the first Sunday of every month
Website: www.musee-orsay.fr

Musée National d’art Moderne

Description: France’s national collection of modern art. It’s located in the Pompidou Centre. Notable artists: Yves Klein, Matisse, Picasso, Miró and Warhol.

Location: place Georges Pompidou
Métro: Hôtel de Ville, Châtelet, Rambuteau
Opening hours: daily except Tuesdays 11.00 to 21.00 (last admission 20.00)
Admission: 10€ (ticket includes entry to all museums and exhibitions within the Centre Pompidou)
Website: www.centrepompidou.fr

Musée Carnavalet

Description: This history museum traces the development of the city of Paris from Roman times to the present day. The displays are fascinating and captivating and the Renaissance palace in which it is housed is also impressive.

Location: 23 rue de Sevigné
Métro: St Paul
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10.00 to 17.30, closed on Mondays
Admission: 8€
Website: www.carnavalet.paris.fr

Hôtel des Invalides

Description: this splendid building was commissioned by Louis XIV as a hospital for injured soldiers. It’s now a military history museum, Musée de l’Armée. Collections: armour, swords, guns, uniforms, canons, standards and flags. Napoleon’s tomb is located within the complex and there’s a section in the museum containing artefacts that belonged to him. The section on World War Two is also very interesting.

Location: place des invalides
Métro: Varenne, Latour-Maubourg, St François-Xavier, Invalides
Opening hours: open daily except on the first Monday of every month, 10.00 to 17.00 October to March, 10.00 to 18.00 April to September
Admission: 7.50€
Website: www.invalides.org

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Audrey Akeman has resided in Paris for over 20 years. She works as a freelance writer. Website: http://www.pariscityinformation.info

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At the head of the Champs Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe forms the centre for many important state occasions in France, and is a symbol of Paris almost as widely recognised as the Eiffel tower. Learn about the history of the Arc de Triomphe before you make the long climb to the top:

The Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile, is the world’s largest triumphal arch. It forms the backdrop for an remarkable urban collection in Paris. The monument surmounts the hill of Chaillot at the center of a star-shaped configuration of 12 radiating avenues.

It is the pinnacle of a vista seen the length of the Champs Elysées from the smaller Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in the Tuileries gardens, and from the Obélisque de Luxor in the place de la Concorde.

Since 1920, the tomb of France’s Unknown Soldier has been sheltered underneath the arch. Its eternal flame memorializes the dead of the two world wars, and is rekindled every evening at 6:30. On every Armistice Day, the President of the Republic lays a ceremonial wreath on the tomb. On July 14, the French National Day, a military parade begins at the arch and proceeds down the Champs Elysées. For main occasions of state, and on national holidays, a huge French tricolor is unfurled and hung from the vaulted ceiling inside of the Arch. The last leg of the Tour de France bicycle race also finishes here on the third or fourth Sunday in July.

At the bases of the Arc’s pillars are four huge relief sculptures, commemorating The Triumph of 1810; Resistance, Peace; and the Departure of the Volunteers, which is commonly known as La Marseillaise. On the day the Battle of Verdun started, the sword carried by the figure representing the Republic broke off from La Marseillaise. The relief was immediately hidden to conceal the accident, so that it would not be interpreted as a bad omen.

Carved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. However the names of less important victories, as well as those of 558 generals, can be found on the inside walls.

The first view of this enormous monument will be startling. Naturally as it is the largest arch in the world. The imposing triumphal arch in Paris standing on an elevation at the end of the Avenue des Champs Élysées and in the center of the Place de l’Étoile, which is formed by the intersection of 12 radiating avenues. It celebrates the victories of Napoleon I, under whose decree it was built.

Construction was begun in 1806 by J. F. Chalgrin from his own designs and was carried on after his death by L. Goust, J. N. Huyot, and G. A. Blouet successively, who brought the arch to completion in 1836. In 1920 the body of an unknown French soldier of World War I was interred beneath the arch, and a perpetual flame was lighted.

One can climb right to the top of the Arc De Triomphe for a small fee. Any person will have to climb 260 steps up the narrow spiral staircase. Inside the arch, at the top, there is a small museum which has displays about topical events and the background history of the arch. There is a souvenir shop there, too.

One can go outside at the top and enjoy the view across the city. There is a special fence to keep everyone safe. When one walks around, one can see all the twelve avenues that make up the “star”.

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Anil Gupta recommends that you visit http://www.bookings.fr/city/fr/paris.html?aid=305255 for more information on Paris hotels.

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Instantly recognisable, and a remarkable construction, the Eiffel Tower has been used for different purposes at different times, and is the one tourist attraction in Paris that is simply unmissable. With a fascinating history, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world for four decades, a claim long since lost, but the tower has lost none of its ability to enthrall:

The Eiffel Tower – an enormous structure of exposed latticework supports made of iron, was constructed for the Paris Exposition of 1889. The Prince of Wales officiated at the ceremonial opening. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, one was collectively chosen, a radical conception from the French structural engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who was assisted in the design by engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre.

The Eiffel Tower was admired by Rousseau, Utrillo, Chagall, and Delaunay. It was almost dismantled in 1909 at the termination of its 20-year lease, but was saved because of its antenna – used for telegraphy at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part of the International Time Service. French radio and French television have also made use of its stature. In the 1960s, it was the subject of a wonderful study by semiologist Roland Barthes.

Built to commemorate the science and engineering achievements of its age, soaring 300m / 984 ft. and weighing 7000 tons, the structure is made up of two visibly distinct parts – a base composed of a platform resting on four separate supports and, above this, a slender tower created as the bents taper upward, rising above a second platform to come together in a unified column.

This unparalleled work, the tallest structure in the world until the Empire State Building was built about 40 years later, had several previous circumstances. Among them were the iron-supported railway viaducts designed by Eiffel, an arch bridge over the Douro River in Portugal with a span of 160 m, and a design for a circular, iron-frame tower proposed by the American engineers Clarke and Reeves for the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Eiffel acknowledged this influence publicly; as he was no stranger to the United States, having designed the wrought-iron pylon inside Frederic Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty in 1885. Later in the same year, he had also begun work on the cupola of the Nice observatory.

In the basements of the eastern and western pillars, one can visit the gigantic 1899 machinery which powers the elevators. From the Tower’s three platforms -especially the topmost – the view of Paris is superb. It is generally agreed that one hour before sunset, the panorama is at its best. The camera should not be forgotten to capture a dazzling sunset on the Seine.

There are other magnificent views, especially when the Trocadéro fountains are in full force; one gets free show from the dancers and acrobats who perform around the Palais de Chaillot. The vast green boulevard beneath the tower is the Parc du Champs-de-Mars, which extends all the way to the 18th-century Ecole Militaire, at its southeast end. This formal lawn was once a parade ground for French troops.

The Eiffel Tower at night is one of the grand sights of Paris and shouldn’t be missed. The gold lighting highlights the delicacy of the steelwork in a way that is missed in daylight.

The Eiffel Tower is a real crowd pleaser. At the crossroads of the entire world, 180 million visitors have come since its construction. It’s not surprising when one considers that the Eiffel Tower is the monument that best symbolizes Europe. It’s also the one tourists prefer.

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Anil Gupta recommends that you visit http://www.bookings.fr/city/fr/paris.html?aid=305255 for more information on Paris hotels.

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