Cruising the Seine River Paris, The City of Light

Vernon, France

The Town Hall

• Was built at the end of the 19th century in neo classical style.

• The mayor who erected the Town Hall took care to raise the bell tower higher than the church, because of the rivalry between religious and civil power at that time.

COLLEGIATE CHURCH NOTRE-DAME

• The church was dedicated in 1072 "to the Holy Mother of God", this is why it is named Notre-Dame (Our Lady).

• The building of the church Notre-Dame of Vernon started in the 11th century but was completed in the 17th century.

• The Notre Dame Church Collegiate is considered one of the most beautiful examples of medieval architecture in France.

• The organs date back to the beginning of the 17th century and which was restored in 1979.

• Some magnificent abstract-style stained glass windows were inserted in the 1970’s to replace those destroyed during World War II.

THE TOURELLES CASTLE

• The castle originated in 1196, when Philippe Auguste (Philip II of France), fighting against the king of England, Richard the Lionheart, for possession of Normandy, seized Vernon and made the town a military base.

• The castle consists of a square tower surrounded by four round turrets, the whole edifice rising to a height of 66 feet.

• It is one of the few castles in France which has been practically unchanged for 800 years.

• It was a bridgehead meant to defend the town of Vernon.

THE OLD MILL

• Is a legendary symbol of Vernon and the most popular landmark.

• The bridge was built in the 12th century, the mill in the 16th century.

• The mill was damaged during WWII and the city of Vernon salvaged the mill.

• The bridge and mill has been represented by many painters including Claude Monet.

Giverny and Monet’s Garden• Monet settled in Giverny in 1883 after

noticing the village through a train window.

• There are two parts in Monet's garden: a flower garden called Clos Normand in front of the house and a Japanese inspired water garden.

• Monet lived in the house from 1883 until his death in 1926. He and many members of his family are interred in the village cemetery.

Rouen, France

Rouen Cathedral

• Construction on the current building began in the 12th century.

• The cathedral was named the tallest building in the world from 1876 to 1880.

• Rouen Cathedral narrowly escaped destruction in WWII - it took several direct hits from bombs in 1944, which narrowly missed destroying key pillars.

• The Lantern Tower which contains a carillon of 56 bells, utilizes 740 tons of iron and bronze, and rises to almost 500 ft.

• The most famous royal relic is the heart of Richard the Lionhearted of England.

The Great Clock(Les Gros Horloge)

• Since its construction in the late 14th century, the Gothic belfry has housed the town's bells and clock

• In 1409; a clock face was installed on the archway over a gate in the ancient Roman walls. The current archway and clock faces, were rebuilt between 1527-1529.

• On the two Renaissance clock faces, a single hand indicates the hour. Under the number VI, a divinity associated with the day of the week appears at noon on a chariot. Above the clock face, a globe indicates the phase of the moon.

• Many depictions of sheep show the importance of the wool trade in Rouen and the Paschal Lamb, which has been part of Rouen's coat of arms since the 14th century, is represented on the underside of the arch.

Church of St Joan of Arc• The church of Saint Joan of Arc was completed

in 1979 in the center of the ancient market square in Rouen.

• This is the same location where Joan of Arc was burned alive for heresy in 1431 - a large cross outside the church marks the exact spot.

• The stained glass windows come from the 16th century Church of Saint Vincent (originally located in central Rouen - the ruins can still be seen today). The church was almost completely destroyed in 1944 during World War II, but fortunately the windows had been removed and stored in a safe location during the war. They were then incorporated into the Church of Saint Joan of Arc.

• The architecture is strikingly modern and deeply historical. The sweeping curves of the structure are meant to evoke both the flames that consumed Joan of Arc and an overturned Viking ship. Many early Christian churches were designed in the shape of an overturned boat.

Honfleur, France

Arromanches

• Arromanches is remembered as a historic place of the Normandy landings and in particular as the place where an artificial port was installed. This artificial port allowed the disembarkation of 9,000 tons of material per day.

• It was on the beach of Arromanches that, during the Invasion of Normandy immediately after D-Day, the Allies established an artificial temporary harbor to allow the unloading of heavy equipment .

• Although at the center of the Gold Beach landing zone, Arromanches was spared the brunt of the fighting on D-Day so the installation and operation of the port could proceed as quickly as possible without damaging the beach and destroying surrounding lines of communication.

• The British built huge floating concrete caissons which, after being towed from England, then had to be assembled to form walls and piers forming and defining the artificial port called the Mulberry Harbor.

• These comprised pontoons linked to the land by floating roadways and even today sections of the Mulberry harbor still remain with huge concrete blocks sitting on the sand and more can be seen further out at sea.

Pointe du Hoc

• During World War II it was the highest point between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east. The German army fortified the area with concrete casements and gun pits. On D-Day (6 June 1944) the United States Army Ranger Assault Group assaulted and captured Pointe du Hoc after scaling the cliffs.

• At the end of the two-day action, the initial Ranger landing force of 225+ was reduced to about 90 fighting men. In the aftermath of the battle, some Rangers became convinced that French civilians had taken part in the fighting on the German side. A number of French civilians accused of shooting at American forces or of serving as artillery observers for the Germans were executed.

Omaha Beach

Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial

Les Andelys

Chateau Gaillard• Chateau Gaillard ("Saucy Castle") is a

ruined medieval castle located 295 ft above the city of Les Andelys overlooking the Seine River.

• Construction began in 1196 under the direction of Richard the Lionheart, who was simultaneously King of England and feudal Duke of Normandy.

• The castle was expensive to build, but the majority of the work was done in just two years

• Château Gaillard has a complex and advanced design; it was also one of the earliest European castles to use machicolations.

• Château Gaillard was captured in 1204 by the French king, Phillip II, after a lengthy siege. The castle changed hands several times in the Hundred Years War, but in 1449 the French captured Château Gaillard from the English for the last time, and from then on it remained in French ownership.

Chateau de La Roche-Guyon

• The present Château de La Roche-Guyon was built in the 12th century, controlling a river crossing of the Seine. In the mid-13th century, a fortified manor house was added below.

• Before and after D-Day German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel defended Normandy against the Allies in World War II from a bunker located here. The castle also was Rommel's headquarters.

• It was not just Rommel's headquarters but also a place where some of the conspirators involved in the plot discussed about the removal of Hitler's power.

• When Rommel's headquarters were located to the Chateau, Rommel refused to have the family relocate, so the Duke and his family occupied the upper levels of the chateau while Rommel and his staff occupied the lower levels.

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine

Château de Malmaison• Josephine de Beauharnais bought the manor

house in April 1799 for herself and her husband, General Napoléon Bonaparte, the future Napoleon I of France, at that time away fighting the Egyptian Campaign. Malmaisonwas a run-down estate that encompassed nearly 150 acres of woods and meadows.

• Upon his return, Bonaparte expressed fury at Joséphine for purchasing such an expensive house with the money she had expected him to bring back from the Egyptian campaign. The house, for which she had paid well over 300,000 francs, needed extensive renovations, and she spent a fortune doing so.

• Joséphine endeavored to transform the large estate into "the most beautiful and curious garden in Europe.” The property achieved enduring fame for its rose garden. She created an extensive collection of roses and grew some 250 varieties of roses.

• Birds and animals of all sorts began to enrich her garden, where they were allowed to roam free among the grounds. At the height of her days at Malmaison, Joséphine had the company of kangaroos, emus, black swans, zebras, sheep, gazelles, ostriches, chamois, a seal, antelopes and llamas.

• After her divorce from Napoléon, Joséphinereceived Malmaison in her own right, along with a pension of 5 million francs a year, and remained there until her death in 1814. Napoléon returned and took residence in the house after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles• In 1624 King Louis XIII commissioned a

hunting lodge in Versailles, however; it was not until 1661 that his son, Louis XIV, began the task of turning the much smaller lodge into the palace we know today.

• The palace is 549,000 square feet, has 2,153 windows, 67 staircases, and nearly 2000 acres of gardens.

• Due to the constant political turbulence in Paris Louis XIV, the Sun King, officially moved the seat of government and court from the Louvre Palace to Versailles in 1682.

• Construction of the palace cost in current monetary figures approximately 2 billion dollars.

• Versailles has been made famous largely due to Marie Antoinette who married Louis XVI. Her extravagant lifestyle and Austrian decent made her unpopular with the Parisian citizens due to the prevalence of poverty, France’s growing debt and tensions with Austria. In 1789 a mob stormed the gates of Versailles, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were captured, imprisoned, and later sentenced to death by the guillotine.

• The Treaty of Versailles was signed in the Hall of Mirrors in 1919, ending World War I.

• Versailles is famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy

Palais de Chaillot

Luxembourg Garden

Les Invalides• was founded in 1671 by Louis XIV, the Sun

King. He wanted to provide accommodation for disabled and impoverished war veterans.

• Originally only a number of barracks were planned, but King Louis XIV chose a design which consisted of a large impressive building with a royal courtyard and church. The building was completed in 1676 and housed up to 4,000 war veterans.

• The church was later referred to as the Soldiers' church and was opened for the soldiers in 1679. They were required to attend the daily mass here.

• In 1840 king Louis-Philippe repatriated the remains of the Emperor Napoleon from St. Helena - where he was buried after his death 19 years earlier - to have Napoleon entombed here. Les Invalides now also houses the tombs of several other military leaders.

• In 1940, during the World War II German Occupation, Adolf Hitler personally ordered the return of Napoleon II’s body to Paris, as “a gift to the French people.” They buried Napoleon II in the floor of Les Invalides at the foot of a statue of his father.

The Louvre

The Louvre• The collection of the Louvre

Museum was first established in the sixteenth century as the private collection of King Francis I.

• One of the works of art he purchased was the now famous Mona Lisa painting. The collection grew steadily thanks to donations and purchases by the kings. In 1793, during the French Revolution, the Louvre became a national art museum and the private royal collection opened to the public.

• The Louvre was created in several phases. Originally built as a twelfth-century fortress by King Philip II, it was significantly expanded in the fourteenth century during the reign of King Charles V.

• The most recent addition to the Louvre was the construction of the Louvre Pyramid which functions as the museum's main entrance. The pyramid was built in 1989.

• Some of the most famous works of art in the museum are the Venus of Milo, the Nike of Samothrake, Dying Slave by Michelangelo and of course Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

Virgin of the Rocks St. John the Baptist

La Belle Ferronniere Bacchus

The Virgin and Child with St. Anne Mona Lisa

The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Josephine on December 2, 1804

Liberty Leading the People

Battle of Thermopylae

The Apotheosis of Homer

The Raft of the Medusa

Venus de Milo• Venus de Milo is an ancient Greek

statue and one of the most famous works of ancient Greek Sculture. Created sometime between 130 and 100 BC, it is believed to depict Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty (Venus to the Romans). It is a marble sculpture, slightly larger than life size at 6 ft 8 in high. The arms and original plinth were lost following its discovery. From an inscription that was on its plinth, it is thought to be the work of Alexandros of Antioch. The statue is named after the Greek island of Milos, where it was discovered.

• The sculpture was discovered on April 8,1820 inside a buried niche within the ancient city ruins of Milos, on the island of Milos in the Aegean Sea.

Sleeping Hermaphroditus

Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt(1st or 2nd century A.D)

The Three Graces(2nd century A.D.)

Ponte Alexandre III

Eiffel Tower• Once the tallest structure in the world,

the Eiffel Tower is probably Europe's best known landmark and Paris's most famous symbol.

• The tower rises 984 ft; when it was completed at the end of the nineteenth century it was twice as high as the Washington Monument, at the time the tallest structure in the world.

• The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exhibition in 1889, held in celebration of the French Revolution in 1789.

• The structure took more than two years to complete. In all there were 18,038 pieces joined by two and a half million rivets.

• Upon the German occupation of Paris in 1940 the lift cables were cut by the French. The Tower was closed to the public during the Occupation and the lifts were not repaired until 1946. In August 1944, when the Allies were nearing Paris, Hitler ordered General Dietrich Von Choltitz, the military governor of Paris, to demolish the tower along with the rest of the city. Von Choltitz disobeyed the order.

Notre Dame Cathedral• Not the largest cathedral in the

world, the Notre-Dame might be the most famous of all cathedrals. The Gothic masterpiece is located on the Ile de la Cite, a small island in the heart of the city.

• The site of the Notre Dame is the cradle of Paris and has always been the religious center of the city. The Celts had their sacred ground here, the Romans built a temple to worship Jupiter. A Christian basilica was built in the sixth century and the last religious structure before the Notre-Dame construction started was a Romanesque church.

• Construction was started in 1163. The Cathedral was to be built in the new Gothic style and had to reflect Paris's status as the capital of the Kingdom France. It was the first cathedral built on a monumental scale and became the prototype for future cathedrals in France.

• It took until 1345 before the cathedral was completed, partly because the design was enlarged during construction. The result is an overwhelming building, 420 ftlong with two 226 ft tall towers. The spire over the crossing reaches 295 ft. The Notre-Dame Cathedral has several large rose windows, the northern thirteenth-century window is the most impressive. The massive window has a diameter of 43 ft.

Gallery of Kings• The frontal west facade features three

wide portals; above the portals is the Gallery of Kings - 28 statues of Judean Kings - and higher up are the famous gargoyles and grotesques.

• During the French Revolution, many of the cathedral's sculptures, gargoyles and interior were removed or demolished. Even the Gallery of Kings was severely damaged: the revolutionaries thought the statues represented French kings.

Place de la Concorde• In 1763, a large statue of King

Louis XV was erected at this site to celebrate the recovery of the king after a serious illness. The square surrounding the statue was created later in 1772.

• In 1792, during the French revolution, the statue was replaced by a another, large statue, called ‘Liberte' (freedom) and the square was called Place de la Revolution. A guillotine was installed at the center of the square and in a time span of only a couple of years, 1119 people were beheaded here. Amongst them many famous people like King Louis XVI, Marie-Antionette, and revolutionary Robespierre. After the revolution the square was renamed several times until 1830, when it was given the current name 'Place de la Concorde'.

Cleopatra's Needle

• In the nineteenth century the 3200 years old obelisk from the temple of Ramses II at Thebes was installed at the center of the Place de la Concorde. It is a 75 ft tall monolith in pink granite and weighs approximately 230 tons. In 1831, it was offered by the Viceroy of Egypt to Louis Philippe.

• The obelisk - sometimes dubbed Cleopatra's Needle - is covered with hieroglyphs picturing the reign of pharaohs Ramses II & Ramses III. Pictures on the pedestal describe the transportation to Paris and its installation at the square in 1836.

Arc de Triomphe• The Arc de Triomphe

honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

• The arch was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his victories, but he was ousted before the arch was completed. It wasn't completed until 1836. On December 15, 1840, brought back to France from Saint Helena, Napoleon's remains passed under it on their way to the Emperor's final resting place at the Invalides.

• The monument stands 164 ft in height, 148 ftwide and 72 ft deep.