ParisSecrets

ParisSecrets Paris, a city with a over 2000 years of history, is bound to have a few secrets.

Sure, we all know about Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower, but do you know about secret Paris, like the bronze plaque that marks the center of the city?

Fontaine des Quatre SaisonsIn the early 18th century Saint-Germain-des-Prés was one of the wealthiest quartiers in Paris...
07/11/2021

Fontaine des Quatre Saisons
In the early 18th century Saint-Germain-des-Prés was one of the wealthiest quartiers in Paris, but it was without a water supply. Sculptor Edme Bouchardon (royal sculptor of Louis XV) was commissioned to design a fountain to solve two problems — to supply water and to solidify the king's benevolence to the people of Paris. It took Bouchardon seven years to complete the project with four distinct bas-reliefs representing the four seasons.

Although the Ionic-pillared fountain is adorned with an abundance of decoration, it wasn't very functional; with only two little spouts water merely dribbled out. Voltaire widely criticized the project saying, "I have no doubt that Bouchardon will make of this fountain a fine piece of architecture; but what kind of fountain has only two faucets where the water porters will come to fill their buckets? This isn't the way fountains are built in Rome to beautify the city…"

Arenes de Lutece – The Roman Arena
07/09/2021

Arenes de Lutece – The Roman Arena

The emblem is everywhere — on city schools, train stations, bridges, the Sorbonne, police badges, public buildings, and ...
06/28/2021

The emblem is everywhere — on city schools, train stations, bridges, the Sorbonne, police badges, public buildings, and even the mayor's stationary. The image of a sailing vessel (known as La Nef Parisienne ) has been on the city's coat of arms since about 1260 when Louis IX, AKA Saint Louis, appointed the Guild of the Watermen to help run the city.

Of course, during the French Revolution all emblems were abolished. But the coat of arms soon resurfaced. Beneath the vessel you usually find the words, "fluctuat nec merigitur" — "tossed by the waves but never sinking" — the motto of Paris. The motto first appeared in the 16th century but was made official by none other than Baron Haussmann in 1853.

The Statue of Ste Genevieve – Patron Saint of ParisShe faces upriver, guarding the city as she has done since 451, when ...
06/26/2021

The Statue of Ste Genevieve – Patron Saint of Paris
She faces upriver, guarding the city as she has done since 451, when the prayers of Genevieve the virgin nun were credited with halting Attila the Hun's advances. In 464 as the city was under siege by the Franks, Genevieve is said to have smuggled boatloads of grain through enemy lines. 1,280 years after her death, fanatic revolutionaries burned her remains and cast the ashes into the river.

Look for her on the Pont de la Tournelle, one of Paris' newest bridges (1928), where you'll spot the 14-meter-high statue of the city's patron saint. The statue of Sainte Genevieve, by Paul Landowski (1875-1961), was completed the same year as the bridge.

Point Zero des Routes de France – Paris Point ZeroAll distances in France are measured from this bronze compass star fix...
06/24/2021

Point Zero des Routes de France – Paris Point Zero
All distances in France are measured from this bronze compass star fixed in concrete in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. Throughout France, autoroute (highway) signs tell you how many kilometres you are from this exact point in Paris. Many pilgrims come here to pay their respect. It is, in fact, considered the official center of Paris.

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4th Arrondissement

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