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HOMEPAGE » ST-GERMAIN DES PRÉS AREA » WHAT TO SEE |
ST-GERMAIN DES PRÉS
St-Germain des Prés |
St-Germain-des-Prés was originally a little market town formed
around the abbey of St. Germain. At that time, it consisted mostly
of fields worked by the Benedictine monks. The church, which dates
from the era, shelters the tombs of the Merovingians and St. Germain,
bishop of Paris. The current building has been reconstructed and
added to over the years, starting in 990 after the Norman raids.
The abbey gave a piece of its land along the Seine to the University
Pré-aux-Clercs. Marguerite de Valois, Henry IV's first wife,
also managed to get a piece of the Pré-aux-Clercs, where
she built an enormous mansion
Boulevard St-Germain des Prés |
overlooking the Seine. She got the land under the condition that
the banks of the river would have the name "Malacquis"
(ill-gotten) - the name has since been transformed into "Malaquais".
Many big statesmen lived here around the end of the 17th century,
and their mansions and courtyards are today the seat of many governmental
ministries.
After the Revolution, the neighbourhood would not come back into
style until after the Second World War. Ultimately, it came to be
known as a center of intellectualism; the Café de Flore and
the Deux Magots were popular hangouts for such minds as Vian, Sartre,
and Simone de Beauvoir. |
PALAIS ET JARDIN DU LUXEMBOURG
Palais du Luxembourg |
The Luxembourg Palace was built for Marie de Medicis in the years
1615-1627. The architect Salomon de Brosse, designed it as a Florentine
palace because Marie de Medicis liked this style. He was the son
of Jean de Brosse, another architect and he inherited the position
as the architect of Marie de Medicis from his uncle Jacques II Androuet
Du Cerceau. For the decorations and the embellishments, Rubens paintings
adorn the walls of the large gallery and the library has the masterpieces
of Eugene Delacroix. The uses of the palace have changed multiple
times. For example, it was a prison during the Revolution. It currently
houses the Senate.
Jardin du Luxembourg |
The gardens of Luxembourg surround the palace. This large park,
which has sprawling lawns and abundant flowers, always astonishes
its visitors with its harmonious paths, the beauty of its flowers
and the shadows under its trees. All the people, young and old,
enjoy themselves in the gardens. The children can rent boats and
sail in the glassy ponds while the elders play chess under awnings.
Moreover, there are many statues of the queens of France, including
a figure of Saint Genevieve, the patron of Paris. |
OBSERVATOIRE DE PARIS
Observatoire de Paris |
If you are walking in this area have a look to the Observatory of
Paris in which you can admire old and modern astronomy instruments.
It was the first observatory built in the world by the architect
Claude Perrault (1667-1672).
From the 1660s, when the observatory was constructed, to 1884, all
French maps had the zero meridian running through the middle of
this building. After that date, they reluctantly agreed that 0°
longitude should pass through a village in Normandy, which happens
to be due south of Greenwich. Although you can no longer visit the
Obersatory, you can see the original meridian line in the garden
behind, on boulevard Arago, marked by a medallion set in the pavement.
In 1986, the bi-centenary of Arago's birth, 135 of these medallions
were set along the Arago line in Paris. |
ST-SULPICE
St-Sulpice |
The ground map and the size of this charming church are the same
as Notre-Dame. The first stone was laid in 1646 on the remains of
an older and smaller church. The building being interrupted several
times, all styles and epochs are mixed in the construction. One
of the most interesting items inside is the wall fresco (the fighting
of Saul with the Angel) painted under the
St-Sulpice Square |
supervision of Delacroix, the Maria chapel and the organ of 1781.
A copper line in the middle of the choir symbolises the zero meridian
of Paris.
A few anecdotes about the church. The ancestor of the telegraph,
the Chappe system (moving panel system set on heights) had a fixed
place on the roof until 1850. Baudelaire and the marquis de Sade
were baptised in this church. Victor Hugo got married here. |
CITÉ INTERNATIONALE UNIVERSITAIRE
Cité Universitaire |
The Cité internationale universitaire de Paris was created
in the context of 1920's pacifism to promote exchanges between students
from all over the world, providing them with lodgings and services
allowing them to pursue their studies in favourable conditions.
The history of the Cité began in 1920 when an important French
industrialist, Emile Deutsch de la Meurthe, wishing to make an enduring
contribution to society, approached the rector of the University
de Paris, Paul Appell. Preoccupied by the difficulties faced by
students when it came to finding lodgings, he suggested that de
la Meurthe found the cité universitaire. The minister of
public education, approved the project and devoted all of his energy
to its realization for almost thirty years. To raise funds, he appealed
to bankers, industrialists, local groups and government in France
and abroad. He travelled extensively to publicize the ideas behind
the project.
To co-ordinate these efforts, the Fondation nationale de la Cité
internationale universitaire de Paris was created by decree on June
6, 1925. The University of Paris, which owned the property, gave
the Foundation a mandate to build and administer the Cité.
The Cité built and received its first student in the Fall
of 1925.
A 34 hectare wooded park, 5,500 students with 126 nationalities
living in thirty-seven halls of residence… the Cité
internationale universitaire de Paris is distinguished by its multi-cultural
project, the goal of which is to foster high-level encounters and
exchanges between academics. |
MUSÉE DE LA MONNAIE
Cooler then it sounds, the Musée de la Monnaie
(Currency Museum), is not just for coin-collectors. A veritable
cultural history lesson of France and Paris written in the language
of commerce, the museum shows the history of French coinage from
Roman times to today. |
MUSÉE ZADKINE
This museum was born in 1982 and is dedicated to the Russian sculptor
Ossip Zadkine. Zadkine, who emigrate in Paris in 1909, worked with
influences from Primitivism to Neo-Classicism to Cubism. For this
reason, its works represent all his creative periods. In addiction
to its collection, this museum also holds temporary exhibits by
contemporary artists. |
THÉÂTRE NATIONAL DE L’ODÉON
The Théâtre de l’Odéon is the oldest and
largest theatre in Paris completed in 1782, it was bought by Louis
XIV for the Comedie Française, a theatre troupe founded by
Molière during the 17th century. During the period of the
Terror, the theatre was closed. Its present appearance dates from
1818 renovations overseen by David. The Odéon fortunes changes
after the second world war when it became a venue for experimental
theatre. On May 1968, student protesters seized the building and
destroyed much of its interior before police quelled the rebellion.
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ÉCOLE NATIONALE SUPÉRIEURE DES BEAUX-ARTS
The most appreciate art school in France is the Ècole Nationale
Supérieure des Beaux Arts, founded by Napoleon in 1811. This
school became soon the stronghold of French academic painting and
sculpture. The current building was finished in 1838 and is a mixture
of architectural styles.
The collection housed in the school presents works of paintings,
photography, and works by new generation’s Parisians artists.
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