Notre - Dame
There are many beautiful European cities but there is no doubt that it is Paris the one that gets all the fame. Thousands of tourists come to the city of the Seine every year to enjoy its charm, glamor and lifestyle. Multiple are its attractions but that it has some of the most majestic monuments in the world makes it ideal for a unforgettable getaway.
If you are thinking of visiting it soon but do not know where to start, here is 6 monuments that you should visit during your stay.
CONCIERGE
In the heart of the Îlle Cité you will find the magnificent Gothic rooms of the first residence of the kings of France. Built by Philip the Fair in the XNUMXth century, it was partially transformed into prison in the fifteenth century. In it you can visit the cell in which the queen was locked up Marie Antoinette the days before his execution by the guillotine.
SAINTE CHAPEL
On the Îlle de la Cité we will also find the Holy Chapel, a Gothic church built between 1242 and 1248 to house the relics of the Passion of Christ. Louis IX bought them from the emperors of Constantinople, and they cost three times as much as the building works on the temple.
At present it does not keep them because after the French Revolution they were deposited in the Treasury of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
ARCH OF TRIUMPH
Its construction began in 1806 by order of Napoleon I in honor of the Grande Armeé and ended with Luis Felipe. Inspired by the Latin arches of Antiquity, it contains the names of illustrious figures in the history of the country as well as sculpted reliefs.
El Arch of Triumph It is, next to the Eiffel Tower, the most representative monument in Paris and from its terrace, more than 50 meters high, you can admire the famous avenue des Champs Elysees. Stunning views!
Its construction began in the 24th century and ended two hundred years later. It is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture that will celebrate the his 850th birthday anniversary.
To celebrate this anniversary, the authorities decided to renovate the temple thanks to private donations. With the money collected, its lighting has been improved, its organ has been renovated and a platform has been built to appreciate its facade. Also, it has new bells.
Notre-Dame, in 1769, had twenty bells but due to the needs of the French Revolution (1789-1799), its metal was used to build cannons and almost all of them were cast for military purposes between 1791 and 1792.
It should be noted that the festivities will last for almost all the year. There will be concerts, cultural and religious colloquia, seminars, visits and other events that you cannot miss.
THE PANTHEON
Its construction predates the Eiffel Tower and was the first place from which Paris could be seen from above. It is located in the Latin Quarter, very close to the Luxembourg Gardens. The construction of the Pantheon was carried out in the XNUMXth century already throughout history it has had different applications, both religious and patriotic.
Under the Third Republic and coinciding with the funeral of Victor Hugo, the Pantheon became a building destined to harbor the bodies of the illustrious people like Voltaire, Rousseau, Marie Curie, Louis Braille, Jean Monnet or Alejandro Dumas, among others.
THE EIFFEL TOWER
This monument is to France what the bull is to Spain: a National symbol recognizable and attributable to France throughout the world. It was born in the middle of the controversy on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition in Paris of 1889 because the artists of the moment considered it horrible and when the exhibition ended, the possibility of dismantling it was considered.
Fortunately they never did and today the Eiffel Tower has become the most visited monument in the world with more than 7 million annual visitors. The best time to go up is first thing in the morning, when no queues have yet formed, or in the evening to enjoy the illuminated city.
El access to most of these monuments is free for those under 26 years of age who come from countries belonging to the European Union or who are non-European legal residents in French territory.
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