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 - Grand Palais - 7me

Plate XLVIII - The Grand Palace…

I must confess to not giving the Grand Palace the attention it deserved during my first trip to Paris. It was, like Notre Dame, the Comédie Française, and so many European attractions I have visited, also undergoing extensive repairs and renovations.

Built for the Paris exhibition of 1900, despite it’s magnificence it remains overshadowed as a Paris landmark by its predecessor from the exhibition of eleven years earlier – the Eiffel Tower. A façade of classical stone construction, and Art Nouveau glass clad ironwork, the exhibition hall suffered damage from deteriorating eroding ironwork in June 1993. The nave was closed in November of that year. Listed as an historic monument in 2000, extensive structural repairs continued until 2005, and façade restoration continues. The Palace has been saved.

I mentioned the Eiffel Tower, perhaps an unfair comparison but perhaps not considering that the Grand Palace consumed some 500 tons more steel in its construction than the tower, and began with a universal briefing that it should outdo its 1889 rival. The decorative sculptures commissioned for embellishment of the palace are decidedly baroque in style, the most notable being George Récipons quadrigas placed on the corners of the main façade.

A major three year programme to expand the facilities, doubling the floor space, was announced in 2008, meaning that Paris’s premier exhibition venue will regain its crown and set an international benchmark for facilities of this nature.

I must go back and see.

Paris - Cluny Museum - 5me

Plate XLVI - The Cluny Museum…

I am fascinated by the unexplained and the quirky.

This door to nowhere certainly caught my attention. I am sure that somewhere in the history of the occupation of this building by the abbots of Cluny there is logical explanation for its existence, but today it escapes the visitor completely.

For anyone interested in the art of tapisserie a visit to this museum is a must. Officially known as the National Museum of the Middle Ages, it is here that the 15th century tapestry cycle of six tapestries known as the Lady of the Unicorn (La Dame à la Licorne) may be seen. The central and main piece - measuring 3.73 metres by 3.58 - is simply magnificent to behold. Displayed in low lighting to protect the subtle medieval colourings the six works take pride of place in a collection of medieval and renaissance works primarily founded on the collection of Alexandre du Sommerand.

The museum building – the Hôtel de Cluny partially covers the remains of the 3rd century Roman baths the Thermes de Cluny, which may also be visited. Works on display include medieval sculptures and art, illuminated religious manuscripts and the carved heads of the Biblical kings severed during the Revolution from the statues on Notre Dame, and recovered during excavations near the Cathedral.

Paris – Outside Notre Dame - 4me

Plate XXXV – Skateboarding outside Notre Dame…

I have said it before, Paris is a living city.

On a Sunday morning I had quietly stood at the back of the nave of the church while a morning mass was in progress. 

A boy soprano had filled the church with the sound of his voice, and I stood in awe.

Outside, children of the same generation had mounted an impromptu exhibition of skateboarding. 

Each, in his own way, was using a God given talent.

Paris – Notre Dame Apse - 4me

Plate XXXIII - Notre Dame – a view of the apse…

Possibly because it was so relatively unobscured at the time, this remains in many ways my preferred view of the cathedral. The west elevation of Notre Dame with its towers and the elaborately Gothic carved main portal doors shows a solidity and has an almost fortress like bearing (the planned spires, still shown on some drawings, on each tower were never completed). The eastern view, from behind the apse has a far lighter feeling, with considerably more detail in the Gothic elements. Extensive use of flying buttresses was deemed necessary when stress fractures appeared in the thinner walls of the transepts, apse and the nave.

Although not part of the initial design, Notre Dame was amongst the first buildings to use the flying buttress, and they add greatly to the architectural uniqueness of the church. The Rayonnant Gothic styled, and gracefully elegant buttress examples of Notre Dame can be clearly seen here supporting the walls of the apse, with their large clerestory windows.

Paris – John XXIII - 4me

Plate XXXII – John XXIII Square…

Following the demolition of a number of crumbling mediaeval houses, along with the vandalized Palace of the Archbishop of Paris, a public garden was established behind the apse at the eastern end of Notre Dame in 1844.

This garden square is named after Pope John XXIII who reigned from 1958 until his death in 1963. Considered by many to be the first progressive Pope of modern times, and along with John Paul II one of the most popular of pontiffs, even I - though non-Catholic and far removed from Vatican life - recall the outpouring of public grief at his passing. He was beatified in 2000. 

Planted with a wide variety of trees and shrubs, and centred by the Gothic Fountain of the Virgin by the sculptor Vigoureux, the spot is a favourite among city birdwatchers, and is an observation point for watching the kestrels which nest here annually. It is a tranquil spot to escape the bustle and the noise of the city.

Although Notre Dame remains state property, its exclusive use is granted to the Roman Catholic Church, so freed from the burdens of the building’s maintenance.

Paris – Notre Dame Rose Windows - 4me

Plate XXXI - Notre Dame, Rose Window...

One has to time a visit perfectly to get the best illumination effect through the glass of any of the three rose windows in the church. Unusually for me, I think I timed it perfectly for the south transept window.

During later visits to France, and even using considerably more sophisticated electronic camera equipment I have found it challenging both in Notre Dame, and in Chartres to capture the colours of the glass work this spectacularly.

Fearing their destruction by German bombers during the Second World War the windows of Notre Dame were removed and placed in protective storage, to be returned to the cathedral after the liberation of Paris, and the war’s end. Consequently, all three rose windows still display, mostly, their original 13th century glazing. When I contemplate the deliberate destruction of our global heritage caused by wars and conflicts over the centuries (and it continues to this day) I am saddened by man’s disrespect for the past and the future of humanity, for surely this heritage belongs, not only to a single country, but to each of us.

Paris – Notre Dame Rose Windows - 4me

Plate XXX - Notre Dame, the Rose Windows...

Arguably the three most remarkable features of Notre Dame are the organ, the bells and the stained glass rose windows. Look out for the stylized souvenir glass jewellery pendants of the windows sold in shops in the vicinity of the Cathedral. Many are pure tourist tat but others, available at the better jewellery shops, are exquisite in their detail.

This outside view of the south transept windows was taken from the Rive Gauche. An exterior view, although giving a good indication of the size of the lower window, gives little indication of the magnificence of the colour and light when seen from inside the church.

Since childhood I have been a lover of the art of the stained glass artisan; I finally incorporated some lead-light windows in the design of the first house I had built. Although my personal preference is for work in the style of LC Tiffany and the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts exponents of the work, I have untold admiration for the secular works of the European practitioners, many dating back as far as the Middle Ages. Not only are the designs remarkable, but the hand-painted detail of the faces and the figures of subjects is exceptional. Notre Dame and the nearby Sainte Chapelle offer the aficionado a master class in design and technique.

Paris – Notre Dame - 4me

Plate XXIX – Notre Dame…

Our Lady of Paris was ‘taking a bath’ when I was there.

On this first visit I did not get to see the famous west elevation of the cathedral, for as you will see she was hiding behind a modesty panel of net screening. Rather like a seductress with one bare shoulder, the top of her south tower (on which cleaning had been completed) was revealed to show the promise of what was soon to come, enticing the visitor to return one day. This tower houses the Bourdon Bell (Emmanuel) used to toll the hours of the day.

It is a sad fact of our modern environment that we are in danger of irreparably harming the legacy we have been left from the centuries before us. The sulphurous industrial acidity of the rain that eats away, and the carbon residue that blackens the stones of ages past could sadly mean that many historical monuments will be diminished or completely lost to future generations. And so, rather than bemoaning the attractions I have found hidden from me on many occasions in my travels around the world I welcome the sight of work-in-progress when I see such preservation efforts and cleaning being undertaken.  (I did see the results of this work on a later visit to the city. Notre Dame is magnificent).  

Built in the French Gothic style, construction was started in 1163 with the western portals and these towers started in around 1200. Numerous architects were involved in the design, which is evidenced from the differing styles at different levels of construction. Completion of the cathedral was in around 1345, and so this unsurpassed example of Gothic architecture spanned the two centuries when the style was popular. 

As with most historic buildings, damage has also been inflicted on Notre Dame through many of the conflicts in its history, most notably during the Revolution when biblical statues (believed by the Revolutionaries to represent the Kings of France) were, along with their modern Royal counterparts, beheaded. Twenty-five years of restoration work, for neither the first nor last time, wa s begun in 1845. The stone heads, recovered during excavations are now displayed in the Cluny Museum.

In June 1971 the French daredevil Philippe Petit focused the world’s attention on the towers of Notre Dame when he walked a tightrope he had secretly strung between them.

Paris - Ste. Chapelle - 1er

Plate XXV - Ste. Chapelle

Hard to photograph, and do any justice, using this camera I may have to resort to the proverbial thousand words on Sainte Chapelle, the holy chapel found within the walls of the Palace of Justice. Built by Louis IX between 1243 and 1248 as a reliquary to house Christ’s crown of thorns it remains one of Frances greatest monuments. The architect is unrecorded though often assumed to be Pierre de Montreuil. Sainte Chapelle represents the pinnacle of the Gothic Rayonant style of architecture where not only does the tracery of the glass work contribute to design complexity, but the interplay between glass and stone is a notable feature. The work in Sainte Chapelle was to inspire many later church architects - some influence can be noted on the transept windows of Notre Dame. Severe damage was inflicted on the chapel during the French Revolution, and much of what is seen today is the result of superb and meticulous restoration carried out in 1855, adhering strictly to surviving original documentation.

The 15 windows of the upper chapel of Sainte Chapelle rank amongst the most impressive in the world. This chamber, once reserved for Royal use, is built of slender trellised columns filled by almost continuous curtains, some 15 metres in height, of the most exquisite stained glass, comparable only to the work I later saw in Chartres Cathedral. Dating from the early 13th century the windows too were extensively damaged during a number of conflicts in the city, most notably during the Revolution, but even so it is estimated that some two thirds of the glass seen today is original, while the remainder has been sympathetically restored.

I was fortunate on a later visit to France to watch restoration work being done on the windows of Chartres Cathedral. The painstaking attention to detail exercised by the glass artists commissioned to do this work is beyond belief. It is encouraging to know that this level of artisan craftsmanship still exists today. I fear it will not for much longer – I think the youngest of the restoration team was over fifty.

Additional precious relics of Christ’s Passion had been added to the reliquary over the centuries, the remnants of these are now housed in the Treasury of Notre Dame de Paris. There are two places I have found in my life that inspire me to use the adjective ‘celestial’ when describing them - Mont St. Michel is the one … and Sainte Chapelle is the other.

* Included here in the 1st arrondissement due to its proximity to the Conciergerie - some guides show the location as 4^th arrondissement.

Paris - Comédie-Française - 1er

Plate XX– Palais Royal Gardens, Comedie Francaise…

My love of Paris (and most things French) is all Miss Cook’s fault. Miss Cook was my first French language teacher and to learn the French language she contended, one needed an appreciation also of French arts and culture. One of the characters who fired my imagination as a young student was Sarah Bernhardt - the Divine Sarah. Who could fail to be captivated by a woman who played Hamlet, was legendary for her performances as Marguérite Gautier in La Dame Aux Camélias, who continued to perform after the amputation of a leg and reputedly counted both Victor Hugo and England’s Edward VII (then Prince of Wales) among her many famous lovers. Sarah Bernhardt started her career at the Comédie-Française in 1862, although she was soon fired for slapping the face of a senior member of the company - then, due to her sheer talent, was later recalled. My kind of girl!

Of course, I couldn’t see Sarah (unless you count my visit to Père Lachaise cemetery), but I could get to the theatrical home (properly called the Salle Richelieu) of the Comédie, which is adjacent to the Palais Royal buildings. At the time of my visit the theatre (like the Opéra Garnier, the Grand Palais and even Notre Dame Cathedral) was undergoing restoration work, something the visitor to Europe soon learns to live with and appreciate*. A kindly workman did however allow me access into the lavishly decorated auditorium (who says the Parisians are unfriendly?!). Often associated with Molière, who died before the advent of the Comédie the theatre is one of three homes used by the acting troupe today constituting the Comédie-Française. It is also home to the brain of Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet).

* … I have given some thought to a book of my many photographs of European buildings under maintenance, reconstruction, renovation, cleaning or repair, to be called ‘It’ll be Nice When It’s Finshed’. The only problem is … I don’t think it ever will be!!

Paris - Grande Arche Detail - La Défense

Plate III - Grande Arche de la Fraternite

The three main elements of the Grande Arche are: the arche itself (comprising of two glazed side tower blocks of some 87,000 square metres and a linking belvedere platform creating the span); the Teflon canvas, steel and glass cloud; and the exposed external elevator shaft. Clad in three hectares of white Italian Carrara marble the shape of the arche can be seen from many vantage points throughout Paris. It is arguably the greatest architectural contribution to the city skyline of the twentieth century, and like many of the city’s architectural features it was a controversial addition. Designed by Danish architect Johann Otto Von Spreckelsen in 1983, on an initiative launched by incumbent French president Francois Mitterand in 1981, the arche was inaugurated on 14th July 1989 to coincide with the bicentenary of the French Revolution (and a full century after the Eiffel Tower). The date also coincided with the 15th G7 Summit. 

The arche, at a height of 110 metres (about 300 feet) and forming an almost perfect cube at 108 metres wide, could enclose Notre Dame cathedral. The mass of the arche is calculated at about 300,000 tons – approximately six times the mass of the Eiffel Tower - (the 'roof' contributing some 30,000 of these), and it rests almost centred (it is inexplicably turned at 6.33 degrees) on the furthest point of the historical axis of Paris, on twelve pillars. I choose to believe this slight rotation gives an impression of its depth from any point along the axis (others will tell you it was a more pragmatic decision, taken to accommodate the deep foundations of twelve massive concrete piles intruding into the subterranean train and metro stations below).

The interior space of the Grande Arche is made interesting by the inclusion of “the cloud”. This may be adjusted by height and shape to suit events taking place within the space of the arche. Dramatic lighting effects at night make the cloud visible from distances kilometres away, down the spine of the historical axis, making the name of the shape entirely appropriate, for it’s changing form truly is reminiscent of a cloud.

The arche was constructed in an amazingly short three years. I was in complete awe. It is magnificent – a word I found myself overusing then as I probably shall again and again now. Forgive me.