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Invalides & Napoleon's Tomb
The group of buildings
'Hotel des Invalids' was ordered by Louis XIV the ('Sun
King') to house the king's old soldiers. A year later he commissioned
the Eglise du Dome, a magnificent Baroque church with its beautiful
gold-leafed dome, which holds the impressive tomb of Napoleon. Napoleon
was brought here from his grave in St. Helena where he was exiled,
to fulfill his last wish to be buried 'on the banks of the Seine among
the people of France whom I have loved so much. In the complex is
the Army Museum with the largest collection of militia in the world.
Leading from the impressive forecourt of the Invalids with its captured
canons runs the tree-lined Esplanade des Invalides to the grand Pont
Alexandre III a gift from Czar Alexander to commemorate the 1892 French-Russian
alliance.
Parc du Champ de Mars
The Champ de Mars was the site in 53 BC that Julius Caesar finally
conquered the rebellious Parisii tribe and later, in 886, the Parisians
beat back the invadingVikings. However, it acquired its name during
the time of Napoleon I when it was used as a drill ground for the
adjacent Ecole Militaire (Military School). Louis XV and his mistress
Madame de Pompadour commissioned the Ecole Militaire, and it was
here young Napoleon, aged 15, arrived from Corsica and enrolled
in the Military Academy.
Eiffel Tower
The worldwide symbol of Paris. It was built for the World Fair of
1889, held to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution.
Named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel, it stands 320m (1050ft)
high and held the record as the world's tallest structure until
1930. There are three viewing platforms you can reach by elevator
(or you can walk to the first two levels) and from the top you'll
find absolutely breathtaking views. The restaurant at the top of
the
Eiffel Tower, the 'Jules Verne', is an expensive but
memorable treat, though one has to book well in advance. On the
stage below with the same view and less expensive is the 'Altitude
95', which has a Belle Epoque setting.
Musee Rodin
Musee
Rodin housed in the magnificent Hotel Biron. August
Rodin originally rented rooms in the Hotel for living and as a studio.
There were plans to destroy the house but in 1916 the French government
agreed to convert it into a museum for him. The museum now houses
his sculptures, academic paintings and sketches. There are also
several works by Camille Claudel, the talented sculptor who became
Rodin’s muse, model, and lover at the age of 17. He was nearly
50. The lovely garden is a setting for some of Rodin’s best
known works including ‘The Thinker’, ‘The Burghers
of Calais, and ‘The Gates of Hell’.
Continued...
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