$Unique_ID{COW01367} $Pretitle{416} $Title{France A Paradise For Lovers.} $Subtitle{} $Author{French Embassy, Washington DC} $Affiliation{French Embassy, Washington DC} $Subject{paris you'll de museum art world find france louis century} $Date{1990} $Log{} Country: France Book: A Paradise For Lovers. Author: French Embassy, Washington DC Affiliation: French Embassy, Washington DC Date: 1990 A Paradise For Lovers. France is a country for lovers! For your honeymoon, or your golden anniversary, no other country in the world can offer you as many special moments as France and its capital, Paris. But France is not just a paradise for those in love. It offers an unlimited choice to lovers of art, whether classic or modern, lovers of luxury and refinement, lovers of gastronomy, lovers of night life, lovers of sports... And a change of scenery is only a short trip away-less than an hour by plane, two hours by train, a promenade by car and you can go from a sunny beach to the snow-covered slopes of the Alps, from the charms of vieux Paris to a gastronomic inn on the banks of the Loire. So...come to France! If you dream of the Mona Lisa and the Lido girls, of Picasso and Olympic skiing, of opera under the star-covered skies of Provence and vintage champagne, come! If you dream of haute couture and golf, of barge trips on the canals and gourmet cuisine, of warm sands and the Eiffel Tower, come! France will welcome you with warmth and charm. With all its heart. Paris: a brilliant past For lovers of art, Paris is a perpetual wonder! You love Roman architecture? Paris possesses magnificent vestiges. You adore gothic churches? Paris has the most beautiful. Classical monuments move you? Louis XIV scattered them all over the capital. Museums fascinate you? The Louvre will inspire you. Plus a host of smaller museums... some more intimate, some more specialized. But before wandering the streets of the capital, to discover centuries-old treasures that have enchanted generations of visitors... close your eyes! Paris begins in the morning with the warm perfume of croissants, the chirping of birds, a ray of sunshine piercing the blinds of your room... Then, and only then, open your eyes! You'll discover Paris from the deck of a bateau mouche gliding slowly on the Seine, from the foot of the Eiffel Tower to the towers of Notre-Dame. A tranquil promenade while you watch an enchanting parade of stone, bronze and gold file by bearing names such as the Invalides, the Conciergerie or the Institute... And you'll contemplate Paris from the terrace of Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre or from the top of the Arc de Triomphe when the soft light at the end of the day shines on the multi-colored roofs of the great monuments or delicately outlines the dome of the Pantheon. But, Paris is not a city petrified in its history and empty of life! Its three million inhabitants who live, work, love and play there everyday are ready to convince you. Proud of their capital, proud of their homes, proud of the artistic wealth inherited from centuries of grandeur, they'll guide you through the evidence of an exceptional past. the soul of vieux Paris Appreciated already by the Romans under the name of Lutece, at the beginning of the Christian era (you can still see the Arenas and the Baths), Paris first developed on two islands, then expanded over the ages on the two banks of the Seine. So to find the birthplace of the City, rendezvous on the lle de la Cite. Three prestigious monuments were built there, beginning in the 13th century: the gothic cathedral of Notre-Dame whose flying buttresses seem to surge from the Seine, the imposing Conciergerie palace and the delicate Sainte-Chapelle, a veritable lacework of stone. A footbridge leads from the lle dela Cite to the lle Saint-Louis, with its quays lined with lovely 17th century mansions. An island which invites wandering...while enjoying the best ice cream cones in Paris (Berthillon, rue Saint-Louis-en-l'lle). If you choose the right bank, follow the Seine to the west and soon the Louvre will open its immense galleries to you. Before displaying the Mona Lisa, Louis XIV' diamonds, the Venues de Milo and thousands of treasures from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, the Louvre was a royal palace for five centuries. And holds countless souvenirs of its past. When you leave the Louvre, be sure to admire the most beautiful perspective in Paris: the Arch of Triumph of the Carrousel, the obelisk of the Place de la Concorde, and in the distance, l'Etoile with the Arc de Triomphe. At sunset, it's spectacular! Cross the Tuileries gardens and you'll arrive at the Place de la Concorde, with its elegant twin mansions designed by Gabriel. Constructed by Louis XIV, it is here that his descendant Louis XVI was guillotined! the charm of the left bank "Intellectual" Paris opens its doors to you when you cross the Seine. A university center for nearly a thousand years, with its colleges, its bookshops, its publishers, the "rive gauche" is a quarter to be savored step by step. Of course, it also boasts magnificent buildings: the Hotel des Invalides where Napoleon was laid to rest, the Pantheon where the great men of France are buried, the Institute, temple of the intelligentsia, and the Cluny Museum, a gothic wonder. Here you'll find superb Louis XIII facades of brick and stone, 17th and 18th century mansions constructed between courtyards and gardens, gothic and classical churches. While wandering along the streets, you'll stop -- here in front of a richly sculpted carriage entrance, there, beneath a balcony supported by plump caryatids. And, when you want to take a break, you'll stop on a small, picturesque square and order a coffee and... croissants. museums for all tastes Other places in Paris preserve the treasures of French genius: the museums. There's one to satisfy every taste, every passion. - The Cluny Museum with its famous 15th c. tapestries of "The Lady and the Unicorn." - The manufacture des Gobelins, created by Louis XIV, which still weaves tapestries for kings, princes and celebrities throughout the world. - The Museum of Decorative Arts with its rare furniture. - The Nissim de Camondo Museum, a perfectly restored 18th c. house where not a single dish is missing. - The Carnavalet Museum which relates the history of Paris. - And the Museum of the Hunt (Musee de la Chasse), or even that of the Lock (la Serrurie). You could also choose the Marine Museum with its splendid models, or the Museum of French Monuments, representing centuries of art. Finally, don't miss the latest born: the Fashion Museum (Musee de la Mode et de la Couture) that stars haute couture. Today's art began the day that Manet painted his Olympia, that Cezanne placed three apples on a plate, that Renoir turned a woman's face into a hymn to life. Ever since, painters, sculptors, engravers, architects and artists from throughout the world have come to France, and especially to Paris, to bring their personal contribution to this artistic movement in perpetual evolution. Haunted by the need to mark the word "beauty" with the seal of their genius, they have bequeathed an exceptional heritage to lovers of modern art. A heritage so abundant that Paris has created two new museums in the past ten years to welcome this astonishing explosion. Thus in 1977, the Pompidou Center was inaugurated, a futuristic building whose facade is made of tubes, air ducts and exterior escalators! A unique decor, the only one worthy of sheltering the largest modern art museum in France. The most famous artists of the 20th century are represented here: the fauves, Tels Vlaminck, Van Dongen, Derain and Matisse, the cubists who gathered around Picasso, such as Juan Gris or Marcel Duchamp, the colorists as striking as Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Kandinsky or Chagall. The Pompidou Center also proposes temporary photography, sculpture, and contemporary art exhibitions. Just to the right of the Pompidou Center, IRCAM (Institute of Research and Acoustic Musical Coordination) is the temple of avant garde music! For those who rhyme concerto with computer. A living modern art the Impressionists come home What do you do when you are lucky enough to own too many canvases by Monet, Sisley, Picasso, Manet, Cezanne, Degas, Gauguin, Renoir, or even Van Gogh? The solution: design a veritable setting for these treasures. The Musee d'Orsay was opened in december 1986, housed in a former railway station almost directly opposite the Place de la Concorde... just across the Seine from the Tuileries gardens. Here, the Impressionists will be reunited in a superb, naturally-lit gallery under the roofs. But, not only will you be able to admire the most striking examples of the moment when centuries of classicism were abandoned, but all of the production of the "Belle Epoque" (1860-1914) - an epoch that witnessed the birth of industrial architecture, photography, cinema, publicity... An epoch presented with all the aspects of its creativity: sculptures by Carpeaux and Maillol, bronzes by Camille Claudel, Galle vases, art deco furniture, photographs, posters... And don't forget the famous Water Lilies by Monet which in themselves merit a trip to Paris! They await you in the Orangerie in the room especially designed for them, along with the rich Guillaume-Walter collection, also dedicated to the Impressionist era. two unforgettable rendezvous Yes, Paris offers you still more treasures. Two art giants are waiting to welcome you, both installed in beautiful classical mansions - a rendezvous you can't afford to miss! One used stone and bronze to give free rein to his lyricism: Rodin. The other preferred canvas and color, as well as hundreds of materials to express his extraordinary vision of the world: Picasso. First Rodin! It is thanks to an ancient wigmaker at the beginning of the 18th century that Rodin had the privilege of installing his studio in this architectural jewel two centuries later. And it is moving to know that it was within these very walls that the famous sculptor created the masterpieces that you see before your eyes. Statues as well-known as "the Thinker", "the Kiss" or "the Cathedral". In the Picasso Museum, installed in the Hotel Sale (its first owner collected salt taxes), the entire 20th century unfolds before you. Not only will you see paintings from the rose or blue period, but also works by artists that Picasso admired and respected - his private collection. You'll surely pass a memorable afternoon! another source of pleasure To passionately admire the invaluable works of the great masters of modern or contemporary art is one thing. To buy their lithographs, their sketches, their drawings or the canvases of young artists is another source of pleasure. A pleasure which Paris, one of the world centers of art, offers you. And as if to facilitate your quest, the galleries flock together and thus are easy to find. The avenue Matignon, near the Champs-Elysees, proposes sure investments: Impressionists and post-Impressionists. The boulevard Saint-Germain as well as the area surrounding the Pompidou Center are the domain of the nonrepresentational artists, known or undiscovered. It is here that you may find that rare painting that will grace the walls of the world's best museums in a few years. a fantastic voyage Hovering on the borderline between art and technology, between modern science and the future, the new Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie may well be the largest museum of science and industry in the world. Housed in a former slaughterhouse at La Villette, the new museum is a magical space flooded with light from 3 green - house windows and surrounded by a moat of water reflecting the Geode (an Omnimax theatre). Inside, participate in the conquest of space with a visit of the Ariane rocket, plunge to the ocean floor with the Nautilus submarine, pass through a space which translates your every movement into music... Plus: the most advanced planetarium in the world, temporary exhibitions, industrial robots, a science library. Paris: a world of luxury Attracted by the artistic marvels of the capital or on a business trip to attend one of the many international events that take place year round (conferences, congresses, symposiums, trade fairs), you'll find it impossible to avoid the pleasure of plunging into the universe of luxury and refinement which has made Paris a symbol of fashion and elegance. the capital of elegance Paris is not only the most beautiful city in the world. It is also the city that knows how to make women even more beautiful, and men even more seductive. If Dior, Chanel, Hermes, Cartier (to name only a few) are for you synonymous with a refined art de vivre, now is the moment to push open the doors of these famous creators and to penetrate a world that you have long dreamed of. It's not necessary to run from one end of the city to the other. You only have to stroll at your own speed, not far from the Champs-Elysees, to find the perfect accessory that you have been searching for, or even just to fill your eyes with enough marvels to last a lifetime - or at least until your next visit... The world of haute couture is on permanent exhibition on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore and should be your first stop. Pierre Cardin, on the corner of the avenue Matignon, opens the ball. Then Lagerfeld, Courreges and Yves Saint-Laurent take over. All on the same side of the street, as if to better seduce you and give you the desire to slip into their prestigious dresses or their impeccable ensembles. Hermes follows, with a building all to itself, the temple of sumptuous baggage, inimitable scarfs, saddles of fragrant leather. Then there's Lanvin with its exquisite charm, who was inspired with the idea to also dress men (opposite). You could stop here, but your trip would be incomplete. You still have to see Chanel and her famous suits before attaining paradise. A paradise of diamonds and emeralds, rubies and pearls, necklaces and rings, bracelets and pendants. This paradise is found on the place Vendome and the rue de la Paix where Cartier, Van Cleef, Boucheron and a host of others present, one after another, the most... brilliant windows in the world. Fortunately, they also sell cuff links and baubles. The next day, when you have recovered from so much beauty, take a walk on avenue Montaigne. Christian Dior, Nina Ricci, Scherrer... one illustrious name follows another. You'll be sure to find something in all this magnificence to astonish and dazzle your friends (especially if you haven't forgotten them). But Paris is not limited to this deluxe image. For elegance on a more modest budget (although the pleasure of window shopping is free), two department stores - Le Printemps and the Galeries Lafayette - near the Opera can satisfy all your whims, all your needs. Here, you'll find the ready-to-wear translation of the greatest couturiers. As well as the fragrances of the most famous Frence perfumers and everything for the home, from the wine cellar to the attic. You can also wander through the shopping arcades on the Champs-Elysees (Point Show, Galerie du Lido, Galeries du Rond-Point) where you'll find all sorts of temptations. You'll also be tempted at the Forum des Halles, the controversial structure that replaced the ancient pavilions of the "belly of Paris". The sides of beef and pyramids of vegetables have disappeared to make way for elegant boutiques with prestigious names. You can dress your entire family here! a heritage of beauty Crossing the Seine and wandering the narrow streets that crowd around the Saint-Germain-des-Pres church, you'll encounter another facet of French taste. That of centuries of painting, sculpture, furniture and objects d'art. It is, in fact, in this old quarter of Paris that many antique dealers and galleries have gathered. So if you want an ancient writing-desk, an 18th century pastel, a bronze animal or a sun dial, stroll along the rue de Seine or the rue Jacob, stop on the place Furstenberg and finish your promenade on the terrace of the celebrated "Deux Magots" cafe or in the equally famous "Cafe de Flore". Then, return to the quays of the Seine to rummage in the boxes of the booksellers. You'll find everything here: books, naturally, but also old magazines, drawings and engravings, antique postcards, water colors... all at extremely interesting prices. Which you can bargain for. "les puces": flea markets You'll surely find the missing piece for your collection in these open air markets: A 1920s dress (sometimes a bit torn), fine batiste nightgowns, watches from another age, tin soldiers, 78 rpm records, somewhat rain-damaged, painting, dented trumpets, jewels, sometimes in gold, and straw hats. In short, a voyage into the past that won't ruin you. The largest and most famous of these "puces" is located in the north of Paris, at Saint-Ouen. The crown jewels These jewels are the cathedrals, palaces and chateaux that form a dazzling crown around Paris. The grace, beauty and sumptuousness of these prestigious edifices exemplify the greatest artistic refinement. And, to add to their wonder, they are situated far from the crowds and noise, in the countryside or forests of the Ile de France. So, whether for a leisurely promenade for the day, or a tranquil weekend, discover these magnificent buildings that kings and emperors constructed for their pleasure... which tomorrow will be yours. the home of the Sun King You've dreamed, of course, of the Chateau of Versailles. And suddenly, here you are in an immense cobblestoned courtyard occupied solely by the statue of Louis XIV - the celebrated Sun King! From high on his horse, he welcomes you to his palace. From this moment on, you'll be at a loss for words. The beauty of the ensemble, the grandeur of the proportions, the majesty of the spaces, the opulence of the golds and marbles, nothing can really translate the impression that Louis XIV wanted to give when he enlarged his father's hunting lodge. An impression of splendor worthy of his name! The splendor of the facade facing the park designed by Le Notre, the sumptuousness of the hall of mirrors where extraordinary fetes took place, the brilliance of the grand apartments whose furniture changed with the coming of spring or the return of winter. When your eyes are satiated with this unprecedented luxury, still other sources of wonder await you: the charm of the park scattered with statues and fountains, the magic of the fountains playing and the illuminations, the perfection of the Trianons. another Versailles Impossible to compare Versailles with any other wonder of the world. The palace erected by the most powerful monarch of this time remains without a rival. Yet, the perfect jewel exists that inspired the construction of Versailles... and the jealousy of its King - to the eternal regret of Fouquet, his Minister of Finance. Vaux-le-Vicomte, south-east of Paris, is a model 17th century chateau constructed by the best artists of the epoch: Le Vau for architecture, Le Brun for decoration and Le Notre for the gardens (all later commandeered by Louis XIV for Versailles). During a sumptuous evening, Fouquet honored his king: Vatel, an incomparable chef, prepared a dinner served on gold plates. Moliere staged a play. 1200 fountains reached to the sky. And three weeks later, Fouquet was imprisoned, his chateau confiscated... A little to the south, in the middle of a magnificent forest which invites promenades, the pretty town of Fontainebleau and its chateau are waiting to welcome you. A Renaissance chateau that is in itself a class in the history of France. Here, in brick and stone, under the immense slate roofs, all our monarchs have left their mark. Thus, while wandering under the superb paneled ceilings, you'll learn that Francois I put an end to gothic art, that Henri IV promised "a chicken in every pot" on Sundays. You'll also learn that a series of great French kings began with Louis XIII and ended with Louis XVI of the unhappy fate. Finally, in the Cour du Cheval Blanc, flanked by its famous fer a cheval staircase, you'll hear the echo of Napoleon taking leave of his troops. A vanquished emperor... but whose memory of total power lives on in the lovely chateau of Malmaison, about 6 miles from Paris. to the glory of god Of all the vessels of stone that man has built to the glory of God, none in the world can equal Charters Cathedral! Even if Notre-Dame de Paris or Sainte Chapelle filled you with wonder, Charters will amaze you even more. With its two soaring spires, its admirable proportions, its abundance of statues, religious art attains the sublime here. What more is there to say? Come bathe yourself in this unique atmosphere created by the 4,000 sculpted figures of the portal and choir. And, above all, how to describe the extraordinary 12th and 13th century stained glass windows that tell the story of the life of Christ with their 5,000 actors? Over and above the religious theme, you'll be charmed by these colors that time has not faded and whose secret we still not have discovered. But don't think that after having seen Chartres, you'll become blase! France, in general, and the region surrounding Paris, in particular, have plenty to reawaken your sense of beauty. The Beauvais cathedral, another gothic masterpiece, will prove it to you. The interior is overwhelming! Imagine, the nave rises nearly 165 feet and the Arch of Triumph can easily fit into it! But you'll also find Beauvais ravishing with its series of 15th, 16th and 17th century tapestries and its stained glass windows in a rare, cool green. museums of the Ile de France Installed in superb dwellings of the past, these museums will enchant you with their diversity. And there's one for every taste: - the Museum of Saint-Germain-en-Laye to plunge you into prehistoric times, - the Chateau of Ecouen to make you relive the Renaissance, - the Museum of Compiegne for its antique royal carriages and vintage automobiles, - the Museum of the Living Horse (Musee du Cheval Vivant) at Chantilly, - as well as the Sevres Porcelain Museum at Sevres, the Photography Museum at Bievres...