Unité 6 : Leçon 21 : La Ville et la Maison

 Today 80% of the French population lives in cities and their surrounding suburbs.

 French cities have a long history. Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, the three largest cities in France, were founded more than two thousand years ago!  Many cities have monuments dating back several centuries.

 Paris began as a Celtic settlement on an island in the Seine. The earliest settlements were likely on various heights lining the river but away form the marshy banks. The Romans arrived with Cesar in 53 BC and occupied Paris. By the first century AD, the Roman settlement of Lutetia Parisiorum was a village with a few hundred inhabitants. The Romans built a wall surrounding the city, and made the town an important trade center. Roman architecture was consolidated organized -- there were planned temple and public districts built on a variation of a grid. Aqueducts brought water to imperial baths and public fountains. The city grew to include the Left Bank, and a road system was built to connect the city to the capital of Roman Gaul, Orleans.

 At the same time, French cities may also appear very modern, with growing numbers of new houses and modern office buildings.

 There are several major cities in France that you should know. They are important not just because of their size, but also because of their historical significance.  There are 11 cities you should know: Bordeaux Grenoble Lille Lyon Marseille Nantes Nice Paris Strasbourg Toulon Toulouse

 Bordeaux is in the Aquitaine region of France  Known for its excellent food and medieval architecture.

 Grenoble is situated in the foothills of the Alps range.  It’s a very historical city, and boasts beautiful scenery!

 Lille is in northern France and shares a border with Belgium.

 Lyon is a beautiful city located between two hills, the Fourvière and Croix-Rousse and between two rivers: the turbulent Rhône and the tranquil Saône.  It is known for producing fine cloth.

 Marseille is located on the Mediterranean Sea and is France’s largest port.

 Nantes is a modern city in central France.  It is known for medieval architecture, but also for its many universities and scientific industries.

 Nice is known as the “Miami of the Riviera.”  It’s known for great beaches and seafood!

 Strasbourg was chosen as the seat of the Council of Europe in 1949, the European Court of Human Rights in 1994 and, finally guaranteed in 1992, the European Parliament.

 Toulon is also located on the Mediterranean Sea.  It is an important town for shipbuilding and fishing.

 Toulouse is located in southwest France. It is the center of the European aerospace industry.

 Of the eleven cities listed on the previous slide, what are their populations?  Write the name of the French city next to its population. 10,000,000 - Paris 1,300,000 - Lyon 1,100,000 - Marseille 950,000 - Lille 700,000 - Bordeaux 650,000 - Toulouse 500,000 - Nantes 500,000 - Nice 430,000 - Toulon 400,000 - Grenoble 380,000 - Strasbourg

Where is each French city located? Write in the city names on the next slide!

Lille Paris Strasbourg Nantes Lyon Grenoble Bordeaux Toulouse Marseille Toulon Nice

 French cities differ in architectural style from region to region because of their geographical location and their historical background. However, they also share many common features…

 For the French, trains are a rapid and inexpensive way to travel.  Stations are usually near the center of town.  The station (la gare) offers useful services, such as an information desk, a car / bicycle rental agency, luggage lockers, restaurants, shops, and a travel agency.  The fastest trains in France are part of the TGV system.  TGV = un Train à Grande Vitesse

 There are many things you can do in a French post office (la poste) besides buying stamps.  In fact, French post offices used to be known first as PTT (Poste, Telephone, Telegraphe).  You can make a long-distance phone call and buy a phone card.  You can deposit and withdraw money with special postal checking accounts or via Western Union.  Letters can be dropped into une boite à lettres on the outside wall of la poste.

 Although supermarkets and grocery chains now exist all over France, most French people still love to shop at the local bakery, pastry shop, butcher, and grocery store.

 The city park (le parc public) or public garden (le jardin public) is the place where French young people come at noon or after class to walk around or to sit on chairs and talk.  The colorful flower beds and shrubbery of the public parks reflect the French love of nature and beauty.  The Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris is especially popular.

 Many French cities were built around a medieval castle.  The castle offered protection against enemy attack. The Castle of Angers is shown in your book.  In the Middle Ages, the city of Angers was the capitol of the province of Anjou.  It was the home of the Angevin kings of England, the most famous of whom was Richard the Lion Heart (Richard Coeur de Lion: ).

 Où habites-tu ? = where do you live ?  J’habite à + (ville)  EX: J’habite à Watertown. Tu habites à Framingham.  J’habite dans + (city / town)  EX: J’habite dans une grande ville, dans un petit village  J’habite dans + (neighborhood)  EX: Nous habitons dans un joli quartier  J’habite dans + (street)  EX: Vous habitez dans une rue intéressante  Quelle est ton adresse ? = what is your address?  J’habite (#) + avenue / rue / boulevard + (nom de rue)  EX: Il habite 215 rue Elm

 In France, streets are often named after famous people, especially writers, artists, and politicians.  EX: Victor Hugo ( ), novelist and poet, is best known for his novel Les Misérables.  EX: La Fayette ( ), played an important role in the American and French Revolutions.  EX: Woodrow Wilson ( ) is remembered as the United States President who sent American troops to help French forces fight against Germany during World War I ( ).