Paris - The Seine - 7me

Plate XL1X - The River Seine…

The Seine flows through the city like its aorta, and in Paris one is never far from its waters. Life on the river and its immediate surroundings appeals to the romantic visitor in us all. From the tourist laden bateaux mouches (as seen here in the river centre) that ply the waters of the central city, giving an unique view of the attractions along its banks, to the smaller privately owned craft moored along the quays, who in this city has not dreamed of sharing the freedom that the river life suggests. A dinner cruise on a bateau is a treat and the illuminated attractions of the city (if not the cuisine) still endure as a special memory of Paris.

The city started life some 2000 years ago on the island in the river, today known as the Île de la Cité . First known as Lutèce, it was inhabited by the Parisii tribes, which having made it their capital gave the city its modern name. Many of today’s landmark buildings on the island were built above the ruins of much older civilizations, Notre Dame for example was preceded by two earlier Christian churches, and they in turn were said to have been constructed on the site of a Roman temple to Jupiter.

The Seine is France’s second longest river after the Loire, but is the main waterway used for inland traffic, and is best known as the river of Paris. It rises near the town of Dijon in the Cote d’Or region of France, and flows to the English Channel near the port of Le Havre - a distance of some 780 kilometres.

Paris - Musée Carnavalet - 3me

Plate XXVII - Musee Carnavalet…

The Union flag? In Paris? I wasn’t sure my eyes were seeing right, for after centuries of being at war (when not sharing Kings or marrying themselves off to one another’s royals) I still didn’t think the French liked the British very much. (Many of the multilingual guide books in Paris display an American, in preference to a British, flag to denote the English language edition). And yet here at the Carnavalet Museum was a visiting exhibition dedicated to the British influence in France. The stand of flags at the entrance made a colourful if transient composition.

The Carnavalet Museum is dedicated to the history of Paris. For anyone interested in the city, its origins and development, the Carnavalet is a must-see. Housed in the Hôtel Carnavalet since 1880, the collection outgrew its original home, causing authorities to annexe also the adjoining Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Frageau in 1989. Hôtel Carnavalet dates back to 1560 with extensive renovations by Francois Mansart in the 1650’s. The Hôtel Le Peletier also dates from the middle 16th century.

Exhibits in the museum trace Paris’ history from the days of its settlement by the Parisii tribes (when it was known as Lutèce) up to the thriving metropolis of the greater Paris of today. Museum artefacts comprise of extensive documents including paintings and drawings, sculptures, photographs, furniture, models, coins and medals and archaeological relics. If it happened in Paris, it is almost certainly recorded in Carnavalet. One of the more famous residents of the hotel (1667 to 1696) was Madame de Sevigne, considered the most beautiful woman in Paris at the time and a letter writer of repute. The museum is to be found in the Rue de Sevigne, and unusually, although the temporary exhibits elicit an entrance fee, the main collection may be visited for free. It’s well worth that visit.

Paris - Conciergerie - 1er

Plate XXIV - The Conciergerie

Viewed here across the Seine, the fortress like stonework of the Conciergerie looks grey and forbidding. It should, for it is here that many of the 2500 victims of Madame la Guillotine (including Marie Antoinette and her King) spent the last hours of their prison days before meeting their unhappy public fates at various locations around Paris.  On a sunnier day the turreted towers can have an almost Disney like appearance belying its function as a part of the greater complex of the Palais de Justice.

It is known that the Île de la Cité has been occupied since Roman times when Paris was known as Lutèce. It was here on the west part of the isle that the Palais de la Cité was built in the Middle Ages and became a seat of the royal court of France. The Grande Salle (Great Hall) as it survives today as part of the lower Conciergerie was used as a dining hall for 2000 palace staff, as well as a meeting place for the high court of justice. Much of the original room and its furnishings were devastated by fires in 1618 and 1871, but at a length of some sixty-five and a width of twenty-seven metres it remains as impressive a chamber as you will find in all of Europe.

The palace was first converted to prison use at the end of the 14th century. There is a small chapel in the Conciergerie, reconstructed to resemble the one used by Marie Antoinette during her final moments in captivity. I found my visit there surprisingly poignant.