Archive for October, 2010
Sacre Coeur Basilica
On the highest point of Paris stands a beautiful Roman Catholic basilica, known as Sacre-Coeur, or the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
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Place de la Concorde
One of the most important squares in Paris is Place de la Concorde. It is also the largest square of the city, with a surface of 86 400 meters. It borders Avenue Champs-Élysées at its eastern end and is situated in the eighth arrondissement.
Place de la Bastille
Where the famous and infamous Bastille prison used to stand, there is nothing left to remind of it but a square, bearing its name. The Bastille was completely demolished between 1789 and 1790, in the period of the French Revolution.
Pigalle Area
Just between arrondissements number 9 and 18 in Paris, around the Place Pigalle, there is the area called Pigalle, after Jean Baptiste Pigalle, the 18th century sculptor.
Origins of Paris
The first inhabitants of the Paris area were dated back to 4200 BC according to archaeologists. Starting with 250 BC there was recorded a population called Parisii, who was of Celtic Senones origins and lived near the Seine River.
Moulin Rouge
Joseph Oller built the Moulin Rouge cabaret in 1889. He was the owner of the Paris Olympia, too. The famous Red Mill is to be found in the 18th arrondissement, on Boulevard de Clichy, a well known boulevard of the Pigalle red-light district of Paris. The place is market with a large red windmill right on the roof. To get there by metro, you need to get off at Blanche station.
Montmartre District
In the 18th arrondissement of Paris, on its Northern area, there is a hill called Montmartre. It is best known for the beautiful Roman Catholic Basilica Sacre Coeur on top of the hill. Ironically, it is also a famous nightclub district. Another church to be found on the hill is Saint Pierre de Montmartre, much older than Sacre Coeur. It is believed that in this church was founded the priest order of Jesuits. The community of Montmartre was also home to some famous artists like Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Vincent van Gogh or Amedeo Modigliani.
Champs Elysees
Perhaps the best known boulevard in Europe is the Champs- Élysées Avenue in Paris. Here can be found elegant cafes, cinemas, luxury shops and poetical chestnut trees. Being such a famous spot, no wonder rents can reach up to 1.1 million Euros for almost 100 square meters of space. In Europe it is only overtaken as rental prices by the New Bond Street in London. The name of the Avenue comes from the Greek myth of the Elysian Fields, where the blessed ones ended after passing away.
Avenue Montaigne
To take a walk on the Avenue Montaigne, you need to go to Arrondisement number 18 in Paris. This boulevard was originally the gathering place for widows in mourning in the 18th century; this is why it was called Widows’ alley or allee des Veuves. In the 19th century it was the place for some glamorous balls and it got the name of a French Renaissance writer, Michel de Montaigne. Read the rest of this entry »