Works Cited

Works Cited

La Tour Eiffel

• http://www.history.com/topics/eiffel-tower
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower
• http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/eiffeltower.htm

La Cathedrale Notre Dame

• http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/notredame.htm
• http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/paris-notre-dame-cathedral
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris

L'Arc de Triomphe

• http://www.arcdetriompheparis.com/blog/69-more-about-the-arc-de-triomphe-paris
• http://www.arcdetriompheparis.com
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe
• http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/arctriomphe/arc.html

Le Musee du Louvre

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre
• http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Paris/Museums-Paris/Louvre.shtml
• http://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71065/Musée-du-Louvre

Le Centre Pompidou

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Georges_Pompidou
• http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/centrepompidou.htm
• http://www.rsh-p.com/work/buildings/centre_pompidou

L'Opera Garnier

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_Garnier
• http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/operagarnier.htm
• http://www.randomactsofkelliness.com/2014/07/5-incredible-facts-paris-opera-house.html
• http://entertainmentguide.local.com/fun-garnier-opera-house-3057.html

La Conciergerie

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conciergerie
• http://www.parisdigest.com/monument/laconciergerie.htm
• http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/conciergerie.htm

La Grande Arche

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Arche
• http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/archedeladefense.htm
• http://famouswonders.com/grande-arche-de-la-defense/

La Basilique du Sacre Coeur

• http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/paris-sacre-coeur
• http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/sacrecoeur.htm
• http://traveltips.usatoday.com/10-fun-sacrecoeur-paris-106883.html

Les Invalides

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides
• http://www.worldsiteguides.com/europe/france/paris/les-invalides/
• http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/invalides.htm

Le Palais de Versailles

• http://en.chateauversailles.fr/homepage
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles
• http://paris.arounder.com/en/historic-building/chateau-de-versailles
• http://www.linkparis.com/versailles.htm

Le Musee d'Orsay

• http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/history-of-the-museum/home.html
• http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/garedorsay.htm
• http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/The-Delightful-dOrsay-Museum-236108.html
• http://famouswonders.com/museum-dorsay/

My Opinion?

My Opinion?

Reflecting on the areas I've researched, I've come to the conclusion that the sites that I would definitely like to see are the Palais de Versailles and the L'Opera Garnier. I believe that the reason why the Palais de Versailles interests me is because of the video game Assassin's Creed. After witnessing and exploring how it looks virtually, the site sparks my interests of how it would look in reality. 

Assassin's Creed

Le Palais de Versailles

The second site that interests me is the L'Opera Garnier. After watching the movie The Phantom of the Opera, I'm curious to actually explore the setting and to understand the atmosphere the characters lived in. Also, I would love to see the famous chandelier (that was often referred to in the movie) or to maybe sit down and witness a play!

L'Opera Garnier auditorium

Le Musee d'Orsay

Le Musee d'Orsay

This is the Musee d'Orsay, a well-known museum located at a grand railway station in Paris. The museum is famous for housing many paintings such as Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhone and Claude Monet's Blue Water Lilies. The construction of the Musee d'Orsay originally began in the early 1900s as it was used a train station. However, after the station's abandonment, President Giscard d'Estaing decided to turn it into a museum in 1978. With the works of architects, Gae Aulenti, Victor Laloux, and Emile Bernard, the project was a success. The building was restored in 1979 and officially opened on November 29th, 1986. The Musee d'Orsay measures 35 feet in height, and holds a collection of 2,300 paintings of various different art forms, such as cubism and impressionism. The purpose of the project was to originally attract visitors to the 1900s World's Fair, however, once it became a museum, the purpose shifted into representing modern art. 

Unusual Facts: 

1. Some famous artists connected to the museum are Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Pierre-Auguste

   

   Pierre-Auguste Renoir

   Renoir. 
2. In the year 2013, the museum had over 3,467,320 visitors.
3. The Musee d'Orsay is ranked as the 10th most globally visited museum. 

   

   Claude Monet

   

   Vincent Van Gogh

Le Palais de Versailles

Le Palais de Versailles

Famous for symbolizing wealth and monarchy, Le Palais de Versailles, or the Palace of Versailles, is a royal manor located in Paris. The construction of the palace began in 1624, as it was used as a hunting lodge, built by King Louis XIII. However the building was expanded in 1669 by King Louis XIV and became a manor for kings until the year 1790. Ordered by King Louis XIV, each architect was in charge of designing a section. Designer of the Les Invalides, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, was in   charge of initiating the designs of the Grand Trianon. Louis Le Vau, the greatest architect of Louis XIV, developed the apartments for the kings and queens. The last architect was Andre Le Notre,  whom was in charge of designing the gardens of the palace. The purpose of the palace was to symbolize absolute monarchy, as well as political power during the French regime. With a floor area of 721,182 ft, the estate is separated into four sections; the Garden, the Grand Trianon, Marie Antoinette's estate, and the Palace itself.

Hall of Mirrors

Unusual Facts:

1. One of the most famous rooms in the palace is the Galerie des Glaces, or the Hall of Mirrors. This room is well-known due to the numerous ceremonies held during the French regime. 
2. The Le Palais de Versailles is also seen in pop culture. One notable feature is in two video games called Assassin's Creed Unity and Assassin's Creed Rogue. 



Le Palais de Versailles, in Assassin's Creed

3. The Chapel, a section of the palace, took a total of 28 years to build, due to King Louis XIV's desire of perfection and design within the room. 

   

   The Chapel

Les Invalides

Les Invalides

Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne

This is the Les Invalides, a building complex that contains museums, monuments and a hospital. The building is also well-known for its military purposes, as it is a burial site for French soldiers. The construction of the Les Invalides started in 1671 and was completed in 1678 by architects, Liberal Bruant and Jules Hardouin Mansart. Since it is mainly a hospital, the main purpose of the building was to house wounded soldiers during the 1600s. Due to the Les Invalides being a complex, the building contains a museum called the Musee de l'Armee, which contains many forms of art, such as expressionism, surrealism, and futurism. In fact, a famous painting housed at the museum is the Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne, which was painted by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. 

Unusual Facts:

1. Although not much is known about the Les Invalides measurements, the building's dome measures 107 m (351 ft) in height. 
2. The Les Invalides contains three museums in total: the Musee de l'Armee, Musee de l'Ordre de la Liberation, and the Musee des Plans-Reliefs.
3. Napoleon Bonaparte, one of French's famous war heroes, is buried at the Les Invalides, as well as some of his other family members. 

   

   Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb at the Les Invalides

La Basilique du Sacre Coeur

La Basilique du Sacre Coeur

Also known as a Roman Catholic Church, La Basilique du Sacre Coeur, is a famous landmark in Paris. It is located at the highest point in the city of Montmartre, and has a measurement of 273' (83 m) in height. The Basilique du Sacre Coeur was built by architect, Paul Abadie, as the construction began in 1876. However, after Abadie's death, he was later succeeded by another architect named Lucien Magne. The purpose of the Sacre Coeur was to serve as a symbol of hope and confidence after the French defeat during the Prussian War. 

Unusual Facts:

1. The Basilique du Sacre Coeur is higher than the top of the Eiffel Tower, due to its location on the Montmartre hill.
2. The church contains the Savoyarde, which was built by architect Lucien Magne. The Savoyarde is measured to be one of the world's heaviest bells, weighing nineteen tons. 



Savoyarde Clock Tower, which contains the bell.

3. Another reason as to why the church was built was to create a basilica, similar to Christian traditions. 

La Grande Arche

La Grande Arche

Known as as a modern monument, the Grande Arche, is located at the heart of the La Defense, a business district in Paris. The construction of the monument began in 1985 and was built by architect, Johann Otto Von Spreckelsen. However, the purpose of the Grande Arche was to become a centerpiece for the La Defense, due to the lack of culture and attraction in the area. The arc was completed in 1989 and has a measurement of 110 m (361 ft) in height. Due to its location in a business district, the monument has thirty-five floors, which are used as conference rooms and office space. 

Unusual Facts:

1. The Grande Arche is apart of the "Grand Projects", a construction created by former president Francois Mitterrand. The purpose of the "Grand Projects" was to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution and to promote culture.
2. The archway of the monument is large enough to fit the Notre Dame under it. 
3. The La Grande Arche had four courtyards that used to be open to the public, however, these areas are permanently closed due to elevator problems.