Paris - Grand Gardens and Canal - Versailles

 

Plate CXII -The Grand Gardens and Canal…

While visiting the palace and some of the surrounding attractions it had already been intermittently raining. Nothing too dramatic, but by my judgement of the sky it would be safe to begin a walk around the five and a half kilometer perimeter of the Grand Canal, with possibly a few diversions along the way.

From this position in front of the Bassin de Latone one gets a beautiful view of the canal beyond the ‘tapis vert’ that lends scale and perspective to the view. The fountain dating from 1670 depicts a scene from classical Greek literature, where Latona and her children are being tormented by mud slung at them by Lycian peasants. An obvious parallel is drawn between this event and the revolts of the Fronde in the time of Louis XIV. Mud slinging continues to be a popular political pastime!!

The Grand Canal once served as a venue for royal boating events. At some 1500 metres in length and over 60 metres wide it extends the east to west axis view of the park. At the junction of the north to west canal transverse lies an area known as Little Venice, used originally to house gondolas (and their gondoliers) a gift of the Doge of Venice.  The canal collected waters from the myriad fountains of the park, which was then recirculated using a system of windmills and pumps. The supply of water to the spectacular fountains, best seen during an event known as the Grand Eaux is a marvel of water engineering and a continuing challenge to this day.

I was no more than a kilometre into my walk around the canal when the most almighty storm broke loose. I seemed to have been alone in my foolishness of taking a stroll in the mid afternoon of this day. I knew that severe storms in 1990 had most recently destroyed and battered many of the ancient trees of the gardens. From the experience I had this day I can fully understand the nature of what was to prove an even worse catastrophe in 1999 when reportedly thousands of trees, some dating back to Napoleonic and supposedly Louis XVI times were destroyed. It was the worst such storm damage in the history of the Versailles gardens necessitating the fifth recorded re-plantation of the trees.

Contemplating this, and still wondering what the car hire company made of the sight of the saturated being who returned their slightly damp (interior) vehicle, I guess I was just lucky ……

Paris - The Queen’s Hamlet - Versailles

Plate CX – Hameau de la Reine …

In the gardens of the Palace at Versailles is a well restored rustic playground built in 1783 for Marie Antoinette, and known as the Hameau de la Reine. Intended to evoke the atmosphere of a peasant village the hamlet buildings were designed by Richard Mique, an architect reputedly much favoured by the Queen. The rustic exteriors of the buildings masked sumptuous interiors where she held sovereignty, forbidding even her husband Louis XVI to enter without invitation.

Sited close to the Petit Trianon, part of the raison d’etre of the hamlet was to add to the illusion that the Trianon was located in the countryside rather than within the confines of the grand royal estates of Versailles. This hamlet was not a solitary example of such gardens, such model farms being popular amongst the French aristocracy of the time. Few however matched the scale or grandeur of this one, resembling as it does a setting perhaps by Fragonard.

Paris - Elysee Palace - 8me

Plate LXXVIII – Elysee Palace …

I have great respect, and more than a little sympathy for the guards stationed at Europe’s public buildings. Under the constant gaze of passers-by and often antagonized by tourists who should know better they unblinkingly carry out their duties and provide a continuing link to tradition. As I did here, I have as unobtrusively as possible also captured their presence from Buckingham Palace, and the Tower of London to the Royal Palace in Athens – watch out Swiss Guards, I aim to get to the Vatican yet!!!

Built for the court of the Comte d’Evreux as an hôtel particulier in 1718 by Armand-Claude Mollet in the classic Régence style, the residence was acquired by Louis XV for his mistress the Marquise de Pompadour. Signs erected by the citizens of the city were said to proclaim it as the ‘Home of the King’s Whore’. (O.K. - so she could always escape to the peace of her Petit Trianon at Versailles - which we will get to visit later). Sold again to private ownership in 1773 for use as a country residence (still lying well beyond the limits of the city) it was repurchased for the crown by Louis XVI. It was also once home to the Empress Joséphine, and it was here that the defeated Napoleon signed his abdication. Seized during the revolution it has since then remained ‘public property’ being used variously as a furniture warehouse and dance hall, even being occupied by camping Cossack soldiers during the Russian occupation of Paris in 1814. Known until the advent of the second republic as the Hôtel d’Evreux the government renamed it the Elysée National and assigned it as the official residence of the President of the French Republic – a role it fulfils to this day, although some recent incumbents have chosen not to use the private apartments. The president has his office inside the Palace, and it is the meeting place of his Council of Ministers.

Paris - Place de la Concorde - 8me

Plate LXXV – Place de la Concorde

An octagonal space designed in 1755 by Jacques-Ange Gabriel under Louis XV the Place was an annex of the Tuileries gardens. At some 86,500 square metres it is the city’s largest square. First called Place Louis XV, it became known as the Place de La Revolution during the eponymously named uprising, and although reputedly the site of the guillotine according to popular legend, in truth it was only one of many sites used for public executions where M Guillotine’s invention so efficiently did her work. Heads that were lost here include Louis XVI and his queen Marie Antoinette, Robespierre and Danton. Its present name was assumed after the Reign of Terror.

The twenty three metre high, hieroglyphics decorated obelisk (said to mark the spot where the guillotine was erected), was given to France by Egypt in 1829 and comes from the tomb of Ramses II in Thebes. It is more than three thousand years old. Transporting the stone to France was logistically challenging, and the story of its journey is diagrammed on its pedestal.

The most notable features of the Place de la Concorde are the magnificent fountains immortalized by Hollywood in the award winning film An American in Paris where a stylistically represented version became the setting for the climactic ballet sequence featuring Gene Kelly and Lesley Caron.

Fronting the Pont de la Concorde can be seen the Palace Bourbon, named after the Duchess of Bourbon (daughter of Louis XIV), and today the seat of the French National Assembly. Begun by the architect Giardini in 1722 it was continued by Lassurance, to be eventually completed in 1728 by Aubert and Gabriel. The present façade, creating a symmetrical element with the facing Église de la Madeleine was built for Napoleon by Poyet in the early nineteenth century. Many fine works of art adorn the interior, including Delacroix’ cycle The History of Civilisation in the library.