Traditional finish line of the Tour de France
50th finish on the Champs-Élysées
Capital of France, commune-department and prefecture (75)
Population: 2,100,000 (Parisians)
Specialities: French cuisine, more than 13,500 brasseries and restaurants
Famous people: too many to mention!
Sport: Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1 football and women's team, Division 1 handball), Stade Français Paris (Top 14 rugby).
Events: Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Paris Marathon and Half Marathon, French Open tennis tournament (Roland Garros), judo (Paris Tournament), etc.
Economy: new technologies, research, fashion, luxury goods, tourism (the most visited city in the world, with around 30 million tourists every year)
Culture: 31 monuments (Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sacré-Cœur, Invalides, Panthéon, etc.), 173 museums (Louvre, Grand and Petit Palais, Centre Pompidou, Orsay, Quai Branly, etc.), 3 opera houses, 208 theatres and cabarets, 430 cinema screens. Festivals: Fashion Week, Solidays (three days of concerts against AIDS), Fête de la Musique, Paris Plage, Pride March, Paris Quartier d'été, Cinéma au clair de lune, Techno Parade, Printemps des rues, Nuit Blanche, Festival d'Automne, Rock en Seine, Fête des Jardins de Paris, and more
Label: banks of the Seine listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site / City of the Tour de France 4 bikes
Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Tossed by the waves but never sunk)
Websites: www.paris.fr / www.parisinfo.com
PARIS AND CYCLING
50 years of the Champs-Élysées
On 27 July, the Tour de France will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tour de France's finish on the Champs-Élysées. It will also be the 50th finish on the Champs, an event that should have taken place in 2024 if the Tour had not ended last year in Nice due to the Olympic Games. The idea was suggested in 1974 to the then director of the Tour de France, Félix Lévitan, by journalist Yves Mourousi, star presenter of TF1's television news. So it was on 20 July 1975 that the Grande Boucle ended for the first time on the "most beautiful avenue in the world". And it was Walter Godefroot, the "Flemish bulldog", who was the first to raise his arms in victory, while Bernard Thévenet won his first Tour de France and received the Yellow Jersey from the President of the Republic, which was a first... and a last. Of all the famous Tour finishes in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe, it is undoubtedly the 1989 finish that remains etched in the memory, with Greg LeMond winning by eight seconds over Laurent Fignon after a thrilling time trial. But while the Champs-Élysées has given sprinters a run for their money, as evidenced by Mark Cavendish's record four victories, some have managed to break away from the pack to win by a narrow margin. This was the case for Alain Meslet in 1977, but also for Bernard Hinault in 1979 – who also won the sprint in 1982 – Eddy Seigneur in 1994 and Alexandre Vinokourov in 2005. The last Frenchman to win there was Jean-Patrick Nazon in 2003.
SIGHTS
Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars
Construction: late 19th century. Architect: Gustave Eiffel.
History and characteristics: 324 m high, including the television antenna at its summit. Built for the 1889 World's Fair, which celebrated the centenary of the French Revolution. Studies began in 1884 and construction in 1887. The flag was raised at the top on 31 March 1889, two years, two months and five days after work began. Today, it is the most famous symbol of Paris. It weighs 7,000 tonnes without paint (50 tonnes of paint must be added every seven years). From the third floor, the view stretches for up to 67 km. Behind the tower are the Champ de Mars and École Militaire.
Fun fact: it remained the tallest tower in the world until 1930, when it was surpassed by the Chrysler Building in Manhattan.
Avenue des Champs-Élysées
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It stretches 1,910 metres from east to west, connecting Place de la Concorde and Place Charles-de-Gaulle (formerly Place de l'Étoile). In its lower section, east of the Champs-Élysées-Marcel-Dassault roundabout, the avenue is lined with side streets (known as "promenade des Champs-Élysées") running alongside the Champs-Élysées gardens. Originally, the Champs-Élysées was nothing more than marshy, uninhabited land. Marie de Medici decided to have a long avenue built there, Cours de la Reine, which opened in 1616. Louis XIV, wanting to beautify and expand the capital, decided to raze the fortifications and build large avenues. He commissioned André Le Nôtre to lay out this "Avenue des Tuileries" as a royal axis through the woods and marshes along the Seine. Le Nôtre designed a beautiful avenue lined with elm trees and lawns, stretching from the current Place de la Concorde to the current roundabout of the Champs-Élysées. It was called the "Grand-Cours" to distinguish it from the Cours la Reine. The name Champs-Élysées was not definitively established until 1709. The Champs-Élysées had a bad reputation for a long time. It was a place of open-air cafés that attracted bad boys, prostitutes and even bandits. The popularity of the Champs-Élysées, which took its definitive name in 1789, did not really take off until the French Revolution. It was along the Champs-Élysées that the " " a procession of women, marched on 5 October 1789 to Versailles to bring the royal family back to Paris. It was also along the Champs-Élysées that the royal family was brought back to Paris on 25 June 1791 after their escape to Varennes, between two rows of National Guards. During the 1855 World's Fair, the Champs-Élysées became the place to be. While the avenue had only six houses in 1800, it was soon lined with buildings, mansions and bourgeois houses. The Second Empire was a prosperous period for the Champs-Élysées. The avenue became the centre of elegant Parisian life. After falling into disrepair, the avenue was finally renovated in the early 1990s and inaugurated on 26 September 1994 by Jacques Chirac, then mayor of Paris.
Arc de Triomphe
Construction: 1806 to 1836
Characteristics: the Arc de Triomphe stands in the centre of Place Charles-de-Gaulle. It is located at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. It is 49.54-m high, 44.82-m wide and 22.21-m deep and is managed by the Centre for National Monuments. The monument weighs 50,000 tonnes (actually 100,000 tonnes if you include the foundations, which are 8.37-m deep).
History: Napoleon I, in the aftermath of the Battle of Austerlitz, declared to French soldiers: "You will not return to your homes except under triumphal arches." By an imperial decree dated 18 February 1806, he ordered the construction of this triumphal arch dedicated to perpetuating the memory of the victories of the French armies. Construction was completed between 1832 and 1836 by architect Guillaume-Abel Blouet. The Arc de Triomphe was inaugurated on 29 July 1836 on the sixth anniversary of the Three Glorious Days.
Characteristics: the Arc de Triomphe is one of France's most historically significant monuments. Its importance has been reinforced since the remains of the Unknown Soldier, killed during the First World War, were buried there on 28 January 1921. Two years later, André Maginot, then Minister of War, supported the project to install a "flame of remembrance" there, which was lit for the first time on 11 November 1923.
Listed as: Historic Monument since 1896.
The Louvre
Foundation: converted into a museum in the 18th century. Inaugurated in 1793 under the name Muséum central des arts de la République (Central Museum of the Arts of the Republic).
Characteristics: With an exhibition area of 72,735 m2, it is now the largest art and antiquities museum in the world. In 2018, with around 10.2 million visitors annually, the Louvre is the most visited museum in the world (it is the most visited paid cultural site in France). Its collection includes more than 550,000 works, among which the most famous are the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, the Crouching Scribe, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Code of Hammurabi.
History: The international renown of the Louvre Museum sometimes makes us forget that it was originally designed as a palace. Since the Middle Ages, its evolution has been marked both by events in French history and by the succession of architects and decorators who have left their mark on it. A medieval castle, palace of the kings of France and museum since 1793, the Louvre Palace has developed its architecture over more than 800 years.
Louvre Pyramid
Construction: completed in 1989.
History: erected in the centre of the Cour Napoléon, the glass pyramid is the work of Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei, commissioned by French President François Mitterrand in 1983. Its creator died on 16 May 2019 in New York at the age of 102. A symbol of a museum open to the world, it is celebrating its 30th anniversary throughout 2019 with a series of festive events. Before becoming one of the most admired buildings, it was at the centre of a real dispute between traditionalists and modernists. The introduction of a contemporary element into a context rich in heritage did not go down well... and yet.
Characteristics: replicating the exact proportions of the Pyramid of Cheops at its base, it measures 35.42-m wide and 21.34-m high; 95 tonnes of steel and 105 tonnes of aluminium support the structure. When we refer to the Pyramid, we think of the transparent architecture visible in the main courtyard, facing the Tuileries Garden, but there are in fact five pyramids throughout the museum (including three smaller ones, skylights and the inverted one visible in the basement)... It also recalls the museum's important collection of Egyptian antiquities and the Obelisk, located not far away on Place de la Concorde.
Place de la Concorde
Construction: 1757 to 1763
History: originally called Place Louis XV, then Place de la Revolution in 1792 (after the equestrian statue sculpted by Bouchardon was toppled). Covering an area of 84,000 m2, it became the main place of execution during the Reign of Terror, where 1,119 people, including King Louis XVI and his wife Marie-Antoinette, were killed.
Characteristics: around the square, eight statues represent eight French cities: Brest, Rouen, Lille, Strasbourg, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Nantes. Two fountains, inspired by those of Saint Peter's in Rome, were added, the northern one dedicated to river navigation and the southern one to maritime navigation. The pink granite obelisk was given to France in 1831 by Mehmet Ali, viceroy and pasha of Egypt. The monument, measuring 23.39 metres, was originally located in the temple of Thebes (Luxor). Covered with hieroglyphics recounting the reigns of Ramses II and III, the base describes the technical means and tricks used to transport and erect it on the square. The pyramidion (at the top) was covered with gold leaf to restore its original appearance.
Distinguishing features: the Marly horses are mounted on two columns on either side of the Champs-Élysées. Sculpted by Nicolas and Guillaume Coustou, they were installed in 1795. In 1984, having become fragile, they were replaced by copies made of reconstituted marble. The originals are kept at the Louvre Museum.
Grand Palais
Construction: 1897 to 1900.
Characteristics: The Grand Palais is a Parisian monument located on the Champs-Élysées, opposite the Petit Palais, from which it is separated by Avenue Winston-Churchill, in the 8th arrondissement. Its 77,000 m2 regularly host trade fairs and exhibitions.
History: the "Grand Palais des Beaux-Arts" was built for the World Fair scheduled for 15 April to 12 November 1900, replacing the vast but uncomfortable Palais de l'Industrie of 1855. A "monument dedicated by the Republic to the glory of French art", as indicated on the pediment of the west wing (Palais d'Antin), its original purpose was to host the capital's major official artistic events. The Grand Palais has hosted major exhibitions as well as trade shows (car, book) and, above all, retrospectives as part of the National Galleries (Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Hopper). Two major restoration campaigns took place between 2000 and 2007 and since 2020 to enable the Grand Palais to host the fencing events of the 2024 Olympic Games.
Special features: the Palais de la Découverte (Discovery Palace) from the 1937 World's Fair is located in the west wing of the Grand Palais. It was originally designed as a temporary exhibition, but due to its success, it remained in the west wing of the Grand Palais. Today, it is a veritable institution whose popularity has never waned.
Trivia: in the 1960s, Le Corbusier wanted to demolish the Grand Palais and replace it with the Museum of 20th Century Art, which André Malraux had entrusted him with designing. The architect's death on 27 August 1965 put an end to the project.
Listed as: Historic Monument since 1975, then in 2000.
Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel)
Foundation: Built between 1242 and 1248
History: Saint Louis had the Sainte-Chapelle built in the heart of his Parisian residence, the Palais de la Cité. This Gothic-style church was built to house the relics of the Passion of Christ, consisting of the crown of thorns and a piece of the Holy Cross. With the acquisition of the Holy Relics from the emperors of Constantinople, Louis IX increased Paris's prestige worldwide, making it the second capital of Christendom. The relics cost three times as much as the construction of the church.
Characteristics: the sanctuary has two floors: the upper chapel, which only the king and his close relatives could access (this is where the holy relics were placed), and the lower chapel, which is much more discreet and less bright and was used as a place of worship by the palace staff. In the apse on the left, a 13th-century fresco of the Annunciation is still preserved; it is the oldest mural in the city.
Special feature: The Sainte-Chapelle is the jewel of French Rayonnant Gothic architecture. With over a million visitors a year, it is the third most visited monument managed by the Centre of National Monuments in France after Mont Saint-Michel and the Arc de Triomphe.
Listed as: UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, listed as a Historic Monument in 1840.
Palais Garnier
Construction: between 1862 and 1875
History: its construction was directed by Charles Garnier (1825-1898), winner of the Grand Prix de Rome in 1848. It is the thirteenth opera house in Paris since the institution was founded by Louis XIV in 1669. Its construction was decided by Napoleon III as part of the major renovation of the capital carried out under his orders by Baron Haussmann. It became a temple of dance, classical music and opera. Together with the Bastille Opera House, it forms the Paris Opera.
Characteristics: the grand staircase rises to a height of 30 metres and, according to its architect, constitutes the true heart of the theatre. There is a wide variety of white, grey, yellow, green, red, pink and purple marble, and the statues are a profusion of colours: Garnier fought to impose polychromy in his palace against the defenders of monochromia, led by Eugène Delacroix. The ceiling of the Opera House was completely renovated and redesigned in 1964 under the impetus of the Minister of Culture André Malraux. The frescoes, covering an area of 220 m², were entrusted to Marc Chagall, who was 77 years old at the time and took a year to complete his work. Completely disinterested, the painter did not receive any payment. The ceiling is characterised by its bright colours and multitude of details and pays tribute to 14 major composers of opera and lyrical music.
Trivia: the opera house is home to a brigade of 20 firefighters and a police station, which are on duty day and night. Manual sprinkler systems equipped with hoses are located throughout the theatre, and there is a water tank that is completely emptied every 20 years (48.27 m long and 37.57 m wide, 2,400 m3, contained around a hundred pillars, giving firefighters quick and easy access to water to contain and extinguish any fires. This tank is the source of the famous legend of an underground lake mentioned in Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera.
Listed as: Historic Monument since 1923.
Orsay Museum
Construction: 1900 for the station. Museum opened in 1986.
Characteristics: museum inaugurated in 1986 and dedicated to all forms of artistic production from 1848 to 1914
History: named after the former train station that houses it. The latter, a railway station on the Invalides line at Quai d'Orsay in Paris-Austerlitz, was opened on 28 May 1900 for the Paris-Orléans railway company and operated for 39 years. Designed by architect Victor Laloux (1850-1937), it was listed as a Historic Monument in 1978.
Place de l'Hôtel de Ville
Construction: 19th century.
History: in May 1871, during the Commune, the old town hall (dating from 1628) was burned down. It was rebuilt in eight years and inaugurated in 1882. Today, in winter, an ice rink is set up on its esplanade.
Fun fact: the expression "faire la grève" (to go on strike) comes from the gatherings of unemployed workers on Place de Grève, its former name (once occupied by an old beach made of sand and gravel, where it was easy to unload goods arriving via the Seine), renamed Esplanade de la Libération on 22 April 2013, paying "tribute to the resistance fighters, the Free French, the Allies and all the insurgents who liberated Paris on the night of 24 to 25 August 1944".
TO EAT
Paris mushroom
Its real name is Agaricus bisporus, and it was first cultivated under Louis XIV in Versailles, then under Napoleon in the catacombs of Paris. Hence its name. But it was not until the end of the 19th century that its cultivation developed, not in Paris, but in Touraine and the Saumur region. As the agaricus bisporus is the easiest mushroom to grow in mushroom beds, it quickly conquered the entire planet and is now mainly produced in China and the United States.
