Chapter 4Chapter 4

FranceFrance

FranceFrance

Country name: French Republic, France Capital: Paris Location: Western Europe, bordering the

Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain

Border countries: Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain, Switzerland.

Government type: republic Population: 60,180,529 (July 2003 est.) Languages: French 100%, rapidly

declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)

Religions: Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%

GDP – per capita: purchasing power parity - $26,000 (21st in the world) (2002 est.)

Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism

Currency: euro (EUR) (CIA, World Fact Book)

Important FactsImportant Facts

The top destination in the world 77,0 million international tourist arrivals $ 32,3 billion international tourism receipts

(the third after US and Spain) (WTO, 2003) Coastline: 3.427 km Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently

rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east

Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral (CIA, World Fact Book)

Selling PointsSelling Points Paris, museums, cathedrals, food,

skiing, palaces, specialty tours (wine, culinary, hiking etc.), Versailles, mountain climbing, the Louvre, beaches, the Eiffel Tower, shopping, L’Arc de Triomphe, nightlife, the Champs Elysees, sidewalk cafes, health spas, carnivals, casinos, the Left Bank, Notre Dame, festivals, architecture, walled medieval towns, the Alps, the coasts, scenery, canal trips and art and culture

Main AttractionsMain Attractions

Attractions with more than one million visitors Disneyland Paris 12,500,000 Tour Eiffel, Paris 6,368,537 Louvre Museum, Paris 5,265,000 Chateau de Versailles 2,652,292 Musee d’Orsay, Paris

2,240,808 Arc de Triomphe, Paris 1,218,113

(1999)

Brief History and Its Brief History and Its Influence on ArchitectureInfluence on Architecture

In 120 BC, Romans occupied France. Beautiful arenas, villas, thermal-spring baths in

towns Followed by the medieval religious orders

St Jean Baptistery in Poitiers, the Trinity Chapel on the Bay of Cannes

1125, Gothic style began in the design of cathedrals Such as the ones in Reims, Chartres, Mont-

Saint-Michel Renaissance influence

In the homes and chateaux of the Loire Valley

ParisParis The Latin Quarter (meeting place for

intellectuals and students), on the Left Bank of the Seine River Boulevard St. Michel, St. Germain des Pres (oldest

church in Paris), Rue Mouffetard (narrow road full of market stalls every morning, cafes, patisseries, boulangeries), Luxemburg Gardens, Pantheon (Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo)

Hotel des Invalides (military museum holding Napoleon’s tomb)

Eiffel Tower Lle de la Cie (the island in the Seine, the

Cathedral of Notre Dame) Bateaux-Mouches (boat trips on Seine)

Bridges on the Seine ( 36 bridges in Paris, one of the most beautiful, Port Alexander III)

The Georges Pompidou Center (an example of 1970’s architecture, inside the building – the Musee National d’Art Moderne (the world’s largest contemporary-art museum, Picasso)

Bastille (was site of the prison, July Column in center of square and modern Opéra de la Bastille, Voltaire)

Louvre Museum (Mona Lisa, more than 350.000 art work, Rembrandt section), glass pyramid

The Place de la Concorde (3300 year-old Egyptian obelisk of Rameses III from the temple at Luxor)

Place Vendome, Rue de St. Honore - place of designers (Hermes, Gucci, etc)

The old opera house (ceiling repainted by Marc Chagall), the Avenue de l’Opera

Boulevard des Champs Elysees (with shops, showrooms, sidewalk cafes, cinemas), the Arc de Triomphe

Hill of Montmartre, the Sacre Coeur Basilica (nice view over Paris), Montmartre Cemetery (graves of Degas, Offenbach, Berlioz)

Cabaret shows (e.g. Moulin Rouge) Musee d’Orsay (impressionist collection) La Defense, La Grande Arche (modern part

of Paris, famous with its modern architecture)

Vicinity of ParisVicinity of Paris

Chartres one of Europe’s best known cathedrals constructed in pure Gothic style (1194-

1225) Disneyland Paris

France’s top tourist attraction, over the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre

Fontainebleau Palace in a huge forest, home of Marie

Antoinette, Napoleon

Giverny home of the impressionist painter Claude

Monet, the beautiful garden he painted Loire Valley

the valley famous with its chateaux, countryside and villages

Usse (home of the Sleeping Beauty legend), Clos Luce (Leonardo da Vinci lived, died, buried), Azay-le-rideau, Chambord, Amboise.

barge cruises are available to see the valley (e.g. Burgundy, Canal du Midi, etc.)

Reims Principal city of the region where

champagne is produced Gothic cathedral (kings of France were

crowned) Versailles

King Louis XIV magnificent halls, the Hall of Mirrors big enough to house the king and his 3000

people in a single building famous gardens, Petit Trianon (home-away-

from-home for Queen Marie Antoinette)

Southeastern FranceSoutheastern France

Aix-en-Provence once a Roman spa famous with its romantic streets studio of painter Paul Cezanne

Carcassone (famous walled city, only completed one in Europe)

Arles on the banks of the Rhone River Vincent Van Gogh lived and painted

Cannes Cannes Film Festival La Croisette, the elegant seaside promenade The Palm Beach Casino Rue d’Antibes (flower gardens and shopping)

Marseilles the second-most populous city in France also an industrial port examples of ancient and modern architecture

(Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde Cathedral – 19th century basilica)

Puget sculptures at the town hall, Museum of the Roman Docks

Monaco tiny independent principality Visited by gamblers, rich and famous or

those who want to say they have been there

Casino de Monte Carlo beaches, the Oceanographic Museum and

Aquarium (former director Jacques Cousteau), Princess Grace Rose Garden, the Royal Palace.

Formula 1 and Tennis Tournament Nice

most famous Riviera town in summer (beaches and carnival), in

winter (festivals)

has strong cultural heritage (Opera House, the Chagall Museum, fine-arts museum (Monet, Degas, Renoir and Rodin collections)

Promenade des Anglais (very old and exclusive hotels)

Cagnes-sur-Mer (villa of Renoir) Provence

famous with restaurants and scenery The Riviera

also known as the Cote d’Azur famous with its beaches beautiful drive from Nice to Monaco charming towns such as St. Raphael

St. Tropez poor beach, nice scenery shopping, cafes, some museums,

people-watch

Western FranceWestern France

Biarritz major city of the Basque region top beach resort for rich, famous and

retired, golf courses, casinos, nightlife Bordeaux

wine region 18th century architecture in city of

Bordeaux Brittany

region of seaside towns and villages

Mont-Saint-Michel founded in the 11th century at high tide, it becomes an island, at

low tide, it links to mainland Normandy

full of history, William the Conqueror launched his invasion of England, Allies landed in World War II

beautiful scenery, old towns

Things to RememberThings to Remember

Museums, chateaux and other historic monuments (operated by the government) are closed on Tuesdays

should be avoided in August (weather and holiday season)

best in May-October (except August)

Hotel des InvalidesHotel des Invalides

founded in 1671 by Louis XIV as accommodation for disabled and impoverished war veterans

the Royal Chapel (church) inside has 107 meters high dome

remains of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon I) from St Helena brought in 1840

Jardin de LuxembourgJardin de Luxembourg

most popular park in Paris, near the Sorbonne University

was design in 1612, in the 19th century opened for the public

at the center, there is a pond, children can rent small remote-controlled boats. There is also a puppet theatre.

popular with chess players

PantheonPantheon

originally decided to be a basilica to originally decided to be a basilica to serve as a tombserve as a tomb

accommodate the remains of the accommodate the remains of the great men of France – some of the great men of France – some of the most famous buried here; Victor most famous buried here; Victor Hugo, Jean Monnet, Marie/Pierre Hugo, Jean Monnet, Marie/Pierre Curie, Emile ZolaCurie, Emile Zola

Eiffel TowerEiffel Tower

the symbol of Paris 320 meters high, made with 7000

tones of iron, and 7 million nails, has 1652 steps

the highest building until the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York in 1930

designed by the engineer Gustave Eiffel in 1889

Notre Dame de ParisNotre Dame de Paris

not the largest cathedral in the world, but maybe the most famous

construction started in 1163 and completed around 1340

masterpiece of Gothic art; the first cathedral built on a monumental scale, became prototype for future cathedrals in France

has several large rose windows, most impressive is 21 meters high

located on the Ile de la Cite, a small island on Seine (there are three islands on Seine in Paris)

Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor in 1804

restored between 1991 and 2001

Pont Alexander III Pont Alexander III

considered most beautiful bridge in Paris by many

decorated with lampposts and sculptures of cherubs and nymphs

each of the ornaments on the bridge was created by a different artist

in 1896, the first stone was laid by the Russian Tsar Nicholas II. It was named after his father, Tsar Alexander III.

Louvre MuseumLouvre Museum

one of the largest museums in the world, maybe the most famous

displays about 300.000 works, among them some world-famous like the Monalisa from Leonardo da Vinci is present

the latest addition to the Louvre was the glass pyramid entrance (one of the finest examples of a combination of modern and historic architecture) designed by I. M. Pei

Place de la ConcordePlace de la Concorde

largest square in Paris (8 hectares) sculptures stand all around the square

symbolizing eight French cities In 1792, during the French revolution,

a guillotine was installed at the centre of the square. 1119 people were beheaded, including Marie Antoinette.

at the square, there is a 33 century old obelisk brought back from Luxor in 1833.

Opera GarnierOpera Garnier

most important symbol of 19th century Baroque style

designed by Charles Garnier for Emperor Napoleon III

the largest theatre in the world by acreage (not seating capacity, 2200 seats)

interior is very luxuries, can be compared with the corridors in Versailles

construction started in 1862, not completed until 1875, partly because an underground lake was discovered. The small lake still exists under the building. It was the hiding place of the “Phantom of the Opera” in Paul Leroux’s famous play.

after the modern Opera de Paris Bastille’s opening in 1989, now mainly used for ballet performances

its large ceiling was painted by Marc Chagall in 1964

Champs-ElyseesChamps-Elysees

world’s most beautiful avenue place of entertainment with cinemas,

cafes, also where prestigious companies have headquarters

Arc de TriompheArc de Triomphe

built in the honor of Napoleonic armies

stands 49 meters high at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle

adorned with many reliefs, most of them commemorating previous battles (including Napoleon’s victory over the Turkish – battle of Aboukir)

At the top of the arc, there are 30 shield, representing one of Napoleon’s successful battles

12 street radiate from the circular square. The streets are named after French military leaders

Sacre Couer BasilicaSacre Couer Basilica

located on Montmartre, where is known for its many artists who have been omnipresent since 1880

Roman-Byzantype style basilica, stands in sharp contrast with other contemporary buildings in France (Romanesque style)

built as moral condemnation of the signs of Paris which believed to be the cause of the defeat of the French army against Prussia in 1870

Musee d’OrsayMusee d’Orsay

former railway station (Gare d’Orsay) has one of the most prominent site

along Seine opposite Louvre built in the beginning of the 20th

century, after 30 years, around 1930, platforms became too short for the trains. In 1939, the place was out of use as a train station. Over time, it was used as a parking lot, theatre location, reception centre for prisoners of war

in 1978, decided to be used as a museum for 19th and 20th century art – including art forms of sculptures, photos, films etc. After its restoration, opened in 1986

contains 2300 paintings, 1500 sculptures, 100 other objects

contains works from Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh

La DefenseLa Defense at the end of the I. World War, plans were

made to develop the axis of the Arc de Triomphe, not realized because the Great Depression in 1930s.

in 1951, the area was chosen as an office center

in 1958, development of the area was started now, international business district of Paris Grande Arche de la Defense; the project was

initiated by the French president Mitterrand who wanted a XXth century Arc de Triomphe

106 meters high white building with middle part left open, sides contain offices, lift can be taken to the top (a nice view of Paris of 4km further)

Chateau de VersaillesChateau de Versailles

at the time of Louis XIII, it was a modest hunting lodge

Louis XIV turned it into a royal palace, abandoned Louvre for this

until 1789, used as the royal palace In 1837, decided to be converted

into a museum

Francehttp://www.discoverfrance.net/

Bridges in Parishttp://www.lcpc.fr/en/sources/paris/index.dml

Bateaux-Moucheshttp://discoverfrance.net/France/Transportation/Water/Bateaux-Mouches.shtml#

Chateau de Versailleshttp://.chateauversailles.fr

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