List of the main monuments of Paris
Ancienne Abbaye Royale du Val-de-Grâce
The Abbey of Val-de-Grâce was built in the 17th century at the request of Queen Anne of Austria in gratitude for the birth of Louis XIV. There are many sculptures inside the church as well as paintings by Philippe de Champaigne. The Army Health Service Museum is housed in the cloister adjoining the church.
The Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile was built at the beginning of the 19th century at the request of Napoleon. Of exceptional dimensions (approximately 50 meters in height) it was designed by the architect Jean-François Chalgrin on the modified model of the Roman arch of Titus. It is possible for visitors to climb to the top of the monument and contemplate Paris from a huge terrace which offers an exceptional view of the Champs-Elysées and the capital.
The decision to build the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Montmartre was taken following the defeat of 1870. The philanthropist Alexandre Legentil and his brother-in-law Hubert Rohault de Fleury had vowed to erect a Church consecrated to the Heart of Christ “in reparation”. They considered that the misfortunes of France came from spiritual causes more than political ones. The law of public utility was passed by the deputies on July 24, 1873 and allowed the Archbishop of Paris, by way of expropriation if necessary, to acquire the land necessary for the construction of the Basilica on the hill of Montmartre. . The first stone was laid on June 16, 1875 and the building was officially completed in 1923. The height of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart makes it one of the most visible monuments of the Capital.
The Catacombs are the origin of old underground quarries from which stone was extracted for the construction of Parisian buildings and monuments. It was decided at the end of the 18th century, for reasons of hygiene, to transfer the bones from the Parisian cemeteries to the old quarries located under the place called Tombe-Issoire, near the place Denfert-Rochereau, in the current 14th arrondissement of Paris. The 200 small Parisian cemeteries are no longer enough to accommodate the new corpses which are therefore piled up there in appalling hygienic conditions and it is decided to close them and replace them with three large cemeteries. The bones will be transferred every evening from 1785 to 1814 from the cemeteries to the catacombs in chariots draped in black forming funeral processions. More than six million Parisians will thus be moved to what will become the largest necropolis in the world.
The Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks in Paris, France. It is located on the Ile de la Cité, in the heart of the city. The construction of the cathedral began in 1163 and was completed in 1345. It is considered a masterpiece of Gothic architecture.
Notre-Dame Cathedral is famous for its imposing façade, colorful stained-glass windows and two iconic towers. It is approximately 130 meters long, 48 meters wide and its spire reached a height of 96 meters before the fire that devastated part of the cathedral in April 2019.
The cathedral is also known to house many treasures, including a crown of thorns believed to have been worn by Jesus Christ during his crucifixion, as well as numerous works of art and sculptures.
Notre-Dame Cathedral has suffered many events over the centuries, but it was the fire of April 15, 2019 that caused considerable damage and moved the whole world. Renovation work on the cathedral has since begun, and it is expected to be fully restored.The Grand Rex is a movie theater, (which also programs shows), built in the 1930s in the Art deco style >. This cinema is absolutely remarkable for its architecture and decoration. The large hall can accommodate more than 2,700 spectators, and its ceiling in the shape of a starry vault culminates at 30 meters in height. The Rex cinema has six other rooms, but it is especially the large room that is worth a look!
The Place de la Concorde is located at the end of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, and measures approximately 86,400 square meters, making it the largest town square.
Place de la Concorde is famous for its large central fountain, which was built in the 19th century, as well as for its two imposing Egyptian obelisks, which were offered to France by the Viceroy of Egypt in 1831.
The square has seen many historical events, including the guillotine installed during the French Revolution, which was used to execute Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and other figures. It is also the scene of major celebrations, such as the July 14 military parade, the French national holiday, which commemorates the storming of the Bastille, and which took place on July 14, 1789. The military parade of July 14 is one of the most important events of the day. It takes place on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris and is broadcast on television. This parade is an opportunity for the French army to show its know-how and its military equipment to the spectators.The Place de la Bastille is an iconic square located in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, France. This square is famous for being the place where the Bastille prison once stood, which was stormed during the French Revolution on July 14, 1789.
After the storming of the Bastille, the prison was demolished and the square was laid out. Today, it is surrounded by cafes, restaurants, shops and home to the Opéra Bastille, one of the largest theaters in Paris.
The July Column, located in the center of the square, is a monument commemorating the Trois Glorieuses, a series of revolutionary events that took place in 1830 and led to the fall of the King Charles X and the accession of Louis-Philippe. It is about 52 meters high and is surmounted by a winged genius symbolizing freedom.
The Sainte-Chapelle is a jewel of Gothic art in the heart of Paris. It was built in the 13th century on the Île de la Cité at the request of Saint-Louis in order to house the Crown of Thorns of Christ as well as a piece of the True Cross, relics acquired by Saint-Louis in 1239.
The Sainte-Chapelle is renowned for the boldness of its architecture, which seems to defy the laws of physics by giving the impression that the stone has disappeared from the building in favor of huge stained glass windows that rise to more of 15 meters and which let in a maximum of light.
The Sainte-Chapelle is actually made up of two superimposed chapels. The lower part, where masses were held for the nobles, and the upper part reserved for the King.
This church, whose construction was decided at the end of the 18th century, was built in its current form in the 19th century, by order of Napoleon 1st. The building, first dedicated to the French army, only took on its function as a church in 1842. With its 52 Corinthian columns 20 meters high, the imposing building resembles a Greek temple. The interior of the church is dark and houses one of the most imposing organs in Paris.
The Saint-Germain-des-Prés Church is one of the oldest churches in Paris, originally built in the 6th century. It has been rebuilt several times over the centuries, with additions and changes to the architecture. It is particularly remarkable for its Romanesque architecture, especially for its bell tower, which is the oldest in Paris. The church's organ is also one of the oldest in Paris, dating from the 18th century. The Saint-Germain church houses the tomb of René Descartes.
The Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is at the heart of a district that has been an important center of Parisian intellectual and artistic life over the centuries and particularly in the 1950s.
The Saint-Sulpice Church is a Catholic church located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is dedicated to Saint Sulpice, a 7th century bishop of Bourges.
The construction of the church began in 1646 and spanned several decades. The church was designed in a late Baroque style, with later additions of neoclassical elements. The interior architecture is notable for its large columns, vaulted ceiling, frescoes and sculptures.
Saint-Sulpice Church is also famous for its great organ, which is one of the largest in Europe and was built by the famous organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in the 19th century. The organ has been played by many famous organists, including Camille Saint-Saëns and Marcel Dupré.
Saint-Sulpice Church is also known for its role in the novel "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown, where it is described as one of the key sites in history .
The Jardin du Luxembourg is a public park located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was created in 1612 at the request of Queen Marie de Medici, widow of King Henry IV, to decorate her nearby palace. The park covers approximately 25 hectares and is one of the largest parks in Paris.
The Jardin du Luxembourg is famous for its French gardens, fountains and sculptures. The garden also contains a large central pond where visitors can hire small boats to navigate the water. The park is also home to several historical monuments, including the Pavillon de la Fontaine, the Luxembourg Palace and the Marionette Theater.
The Jardin des Plantes is a botanical and zoological park located in the center of Paris, on the banks of the Seine. It was founded in 1626 by King Louis XIII as a garden of medicinal plants for the teaching of medical students. Today, the garden covers approximately 24 hectares and is open to the public for walking, nature observation and the discovery of life sciences.
The Jardin des Plantes contains the Great Greenhouse, which houses a collection of exotic plants. It also houses a Menagerie, which is one of the oldest zoos in the world. This Menagerie is home to a wide variety of animals, including primates, reptiles, birds and wild animals.
The Jardin des Plantes is also known for its National Museum of Natural History, which is located inside the park. The museum houses collections of natural specimens, exhibits on the history of life on Earth, research laboratories and a planetarium. It is also in the Jardin des Plantes that you will find the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution which presents a collection of animal species from all over the world, from the oldest to the most recent, in a space of 7000 square meters.
The Panthéon de Paris is a neoclassical building located in the Latin Quarter of Paris on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève. Construction of the Paris Pantheon began in 1758 under the direction of architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot, but the building was not completed until 1790, several years after Soufflot's death. The building was originally intended to be a church dedicated to Sainte Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, but it was transformed during the revolution into a secular mausoleum intended to house the remains of notable French personalities. Among the famous personalities resting in the Pantheon, we can mention Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Marie Curie, Alexandre Dumas, Jean Jaurès, Louis Braille. The Pantheon is open to visitors, who can access the crypt.
The Parc Montsouris is a public park located in the 14th arrondissement, in the south of Paris. It was created in the 19th century, on an old quarry, as part of the beautification plan for the city of Paris under Napoleon III.
The park covers an area of 15 hectares and is famous for its picturesque landscape, English gardens, waterfalls, water features and lookouts. p>
The Bardo Palace was located in Parc Montsouris, a building designed to represent Tunisia at the Universal Exhibition of 1867, and later moved in Montsouris Park. This abandoned building was destroyed in 1991 by fire. No trace of it remains.
The Eiffel Tower is a 324 meter high tower, built of wrought iron, a type of iron that has been heated to a high temperature and then beaten to remove the impurities and strengthen its resistance. It was designed by the engineer Gustave Eiffel in 1889 and was the main attraction of the Universal Exhibition which took place that year, celebrating the centenary of the revolution. French. It is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, just on the banks of the Seine.
The Eiffel Tower is the iconic symbol of Paris and is one of the city's most popular tourist sites. Visitors can climb, thanks to elevators, to the top of the tower to enjoy a panoramic view of Paris and its surroundings.
The Tour Montparnasse is a 210-meter tall, 56-storey skyscraper located in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. It was built between 1969 and 1973, and inaugurated in 1973. It mainly houses offices but is open to the public who can, upon payment of an entrance fee, access the restaurants located on the top floor and the terrace located on the roof of the building. This terrace offers a panoramic view of all of Paris and much of its suburbs.
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