The famous places and sites of Paris Report by Jang Wonjoon

L’arc de triomphe Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon, shortly after his victory at Austerlitz, it was not finished until There are four huge relief sculptures at the bases of the four pillars. These commemorate The Triumph of 1810 (Cortot); Resistance, and Peace (both by Etex); and The Departure of the Volunteers, more commonly known by the name La Marseillaise (Rude). Engraved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The names of less important victories, as well as those of 558 generals, are to be found on the inside walls. Generals whose names are underlined died in action. Beneath the Arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and eternal flame commemorating the dead of the two world wars.

Place de la Concorde The Place de la Concorde, which is the largest place in Paris, is situated along the Seine and separates the Tuilerie Gardens from the beginning of the Champs Elysées. It is in the 8th arrondissement, or district of the city. Jacques Ange Gabriel, Louis XV's architect, began construction in 1754 and completed it in It was thus called the Place Louis XV. The place was constructed to hold an equestrian statue of Louis XV that the city of Paris commissioned in 1748 from Bouchardon to offer to the King. The place today maintains the general appearance that it had in the eighteenth century. The statue of Louis XV, removed during the Revolution, was replaced by the Obelisk of Luxor given by the viceroy of Egypt, Mohamed Ali, to Louis Phillipe.

Tour Eiffel The Eiffel Tower was built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England, opened the tower. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, Gustav Eiffel’s was unanimously chosen. It was almost torn down in 1909, but was saved because of its antenna - used for telegraphy at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part of the International Time Service. French radio (since 1918), and French television (since 1957) have also made use of its stature. During its lifetime, the Eiffel Tower has also witnessed a few strange scenes, including being scaled by a mountaineer in 1954, and parachuted off of in 1984 by two Englishmen. In 1923 a journalist rode a bicycle down from the first level. Some accounts say he rode down the stairs, other accounts suggest the exterior of one of the tower's four legs which slope outward. However, if its birth was difficult, it is now completely accepted and must be listed as one of the symbols of Paris itself.

Musee National du Louvre The library of Charles V - installed in one of the towers of the original fortress of Philippe August - was eventually dispersed. François I began a new collection of art with 12 paintings from Italy. These included works by Titian, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci, the most famous being the Joconde - or Mona Lisa. The royal collection grew and by the reign of Louis XIII, numbered roughly 200 pieces. Henri II, and Catherine de Médicis continued to enlarge the collection, as did others. When Louis XIV died in 1715, there were 2,500 pieces of art and objects. Until the Revolution, this collection was strictly for the private pleasure of the Court. Finally, the idea of a museum (originating with Louis XVI) was realized on 10 August 1793, when the Musée de la République opened to the public. Today, the catalogue lists nearly 300,000 works, only a fraction of which are on display at any one time. Le Grand Louvre - begun in 1981 is transforming the museum once again enlarging it substantially. The Richelieu Wing - which had ``temporarily'' housed part of the Ministry of Finance since the 18th century - was opened in 1993.

Les Invalides In 1670, Louis XIV - the Sun King - founded Les Invalides near what was then called the Grenelle Plain. An old soldiers home, it was funded by a five year levy on the salaries of soldiers currently serving in the army at that time. The first stones were laid in 1671, for what was to become a complex providing quarters for 4,000. Construction followed plans drawn up by Libéral Bruant, and was completed in The Esplandade was layed out by Robert de Cotte. The most significant event in the history of Les Invalides however, is unquestionably the return of the body of Napoléon in After seven years of negotiation with the British government, Louis- Philippe, King of France, obtained permission to repatriate the Emperor's remains from St. Helena. On 8 October years after the death of the Emperor - the coffin was exhumed and opened for two minutes before transport to France aboard the frigate La Belle Poule. Those present claim that the body remained in a state of perfect preservation.

Avenue des Champs-Elysees The Avenue des Champs-Elysees is probably the most famous avenue in the world. This impressive promenade stretches from the Place de la Concorde to the Place Charles de Gaulle, the site of the L’arc de Triomphe. In the 16th century this area was nothing but fields outside the center of Paris. In 1616 Marie de Medicis decided to create a long tree-lined path going east from the Tuileries. The route was redesigned in 1667 by Le Nôtre as an extension of the Jardins des Tuileries. The promenade, now called 'Grande Allee du Roule' or 'Grand-Cours' had become a fashionable place but was still isolated from the city with few buildings surrounding the area. 27 Years later the promenade was renamed to 'Champs-Elysees', or Elysian Fields in English. The name was derived from Greek mythology where 'Elusia' is a place where heroes come to relax. At its western end it is bordered by cinemas, theaters, cafe and luxury shops. Near the Place de la Concorde, the street is bordered by the Jardins des Champs-Elysees, beautifully arranged gardens with fountains and some grand buildings including the Grand and Petit Palais at the southern side and the Elysee at its northern side. The latter has been the residence of the French Presidents since At its western end it is bordered by cinemas, theaters, cafe and luxury shops. Near the Place de la Concorde, the street is bordered by the Jardins des Champs-Elysees, beautifully arranged gardens with fountains and some grand buildings including the Grand and Petit Palais at the southern side and the Elysee at its northern side. The latter has been the residence of the French Presidents since 1873.

Montmartre The name Montmartre comes from Mont des Martyrs, so named because the bishop Saint Denis (patron saint of France), the priest Rustique, and the archdeacon Eleuthere were decapitated on the hill around the year 272. It was on the hill in 1534, that Ignatius Loyala and seven companions took the vows that led to the creation of the Jesuit order. A large nunnery once stood on the hill. For many years the vineyards and windmills gave Montmartre an air of the country in the middle of Paris. During the French Revolution it was renamed Montmarat to commemorate the assassinated revolutionary Jean Marat, but it was soon called Montmartre again.

Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris Gallo-Roman temple to Jupiter, a Christian basilica, and a Romanesque church, construction of Notre-Dame de Paris began in 1163 during the reign of Louis VII. Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone. The idea to replace the Romanesque church occupying the site - the Cathedral of St. Etienne (founded by Childebert in 528) - was that of Bishop Maurice de Sully (who died in 1196). (Some accounts claim that there were two churches existing on the site, one to the Virgin Mary, the other to St. Stephen.) Construction was completed roughly 200 years later in about The reigns of Louis XIV (end of the 17th century) and Louis XV saw significant alterations including the destruction of tombs, and stained glass. At the end of the 18th century, during the Revolution, many of the treasures of the cathedral were either destroyed or plundered. Only the great bells avoided being melted down, and the Cathedral was dedicated first to the cult of Reason, and to the cult of the Supreme being. The church interior was used as a warehouse for the storage of forage and food. After falling into disrepair, a restoration program overseen by Lassus (died 1857) and Viollet-le-Duc, was carried out in This program lasted 23 years, and included the construction of the spire and the sacristy.

During the Commune of 1871, the Cathedral was nearly burned by the Communards - and some accounts suggest that indeed a huge mound of chairs was set on fire in its interior. Whatever happened, the Notre Dame survived the Commune essentially unscathed. Now in 1991, a 10 year program of general maintenance and restoration has begun, and sections of the structure are likely to be shrouded in scaffolds for the foreseeable future.