THE EIFFEL TOWER
The emblematic monument and the highest in the world until 1931, the Eiffel ...Read more
OPÉRA NATIONAL DE PARIS – PALAIS GARNIER
Paris's temple of lyrical art and classical dance, whose museum recounts ...Read more
PONT ALEXANDRE-III
The Pont Alexandre-III, one of the most prestigious Parisian landmarks of ...Read more
LE PANTHÉON
Read moreChurch of Sainte-Geneviève until the Revolution, the Panthéon was built at the same time as the neighboring Ecole de Droit (Sorbonne Law School). It is located on the eponymous square, which was laid out around 1770 on land once owned by the abbey of Sainte-Geneviève. The square was subsequently redeveloped in the 19th century, notably following the construction of the Sainte-Geneviève library. Commissioned by King Louis XV as a tribute to Saint Geneviève, construction of the Pantheon began in 1755. It was directed by Jacques-Germain Soufflot from 1758, then by Maximilien Brébion and Jean-Baptiste Rondelet. They were completed in 1793. From the outset, they revealed the presence of Gallo-Roman clay extraction shafts nestling some 25 m below ground level. The building, 110 m long and 84 m wide, takes the form of a Greek cross with four naves topped by a dome at their intersection, a bold elevation - in reality a triple dome - under which Louis XV had wished to display the reliquary of Saint Geneviève. Today, the exterior may seem austere, but in the 18th century, the facades were filled with some forty bays, and two 40 m-high bell towers. At that time, two other churches were located on Mont Sainte-Geneviève (the former 12th-century abbey church on what is now Rue Clovis, and the 15th-century church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont). This configuration, among others, motivated the transformation of Louis XV's church into a republican temple to house the tombs of "génovéfains (regular canons of the Order of Sainte-Geneviève) and Frenchmen illustrious for their talents, virtues and services to the fatherland". The first great man to enter was Victor Hugo. Among the personalities laid to rest in the crypt are Voltaire, Rousseau, Jean Moulin, Pierre and Marie Curie, Simone Veil, Josephine Baker... The wall of the monument and the staircase leading to the crypt also feature inscriptions and plaques honoring personalities who have also left their mark on French history: General Delestraint, Alain-Fournier, Charles Péguy, Victor Segalen, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Henri Bergson, François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture and the Justes de France. The decor is also well worth a visit, with works by Puvis de Chavannes, Gros and Cabanel... This place of collective memory is well worth a visit, reflecting the architectural and artistic know-how of different eras, as well as the ups and downs of a turbulent history.
PALAIS DU LUXEMBOURG - SÉNAT
A palace built by the architect Salomon de Brosse in a superb eponymous ...Read more
PALAIS-ROYAL
This palace, steeped in history, was once home to Queen Anne of Austria, ...Read more
GRAND PALAIS
The Grand Palais is an architectural feat that, at the time, symbolized the ...Read more
ARC DE TRIOMPHE
Arc de Triomphe, a remarkable monument offering magnificent views, located ...Read more
THE ARENAS OF LUTETIA
This Gallo-Roman amphitheater was built in the 1st century and rediscovered ...Read more
PETIT PALAIS
A superb setting to discover a rich collection of works of great diversity, ...Read more
THE SAINT-JACQUES TOWER
Gothic tower with bell tower dating from the 16th century, located in ...Read more
BOUGLIONE WINTER CIRCUS
Cirque d'hiver Bouglione de Paris, with its magnificent circular "theater", ...Read more
VICTOR HUGO'S HOUSE
Museum created in 1902, with a permanent exhibition built around the major ...Read more
MONTMARTRE ENCHANTÉ : LA BUTTE AVEC UNE DIVA
Lyric singer organizing guided singing tours of the Butte, performing a ...Read more
MOULIN DE LA GALETTE
A historic mill and restaurant in Paris.Read more
THE BRONGNIART PALACE
A palace inspired by the Greco-Roman style, designed by Alexandre Théodore ...Read more
THE BOURBON PALACE - THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
A high point of the French Republic offering individual tours, guided by ...Read more
L'HÔTEL DE SOUBISE - ARCHIVES NATIONALES
Majestic 18th-century palace, owned by the Guise family in the 16th ...Read more
THE INSTITUT DE FRANCE
The Institut de France, home to the Collège des Quatre Nations, forerunner ...Read more
HOUSE OF RADIO AND MUSIC
The Maison de la Radio et de la Musique offers a wide range of cultural ...Read more