Once the Residence of Victor Hugo, the Site is now a Museum: Maison de Victor Hugo, situated at no. 6 Place des Vosges (originally known as Place Royale), was the home of Victor Hugo. Although the word 'maison' is French for 'house', the site is no simple domicile. These sprawling apartments were the home of the famed poet, writer and dramatist between 1832 and 1848. Hugo was the author of such well-known (if less widely read) works such as Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. … [Read more...]
Arc de Triomphe – Napoleon's Triumphal Arch
June 20, 2010 by
"Go Home Beneath Triumphal Arch" - A Promise by Napoleon to his Men: Though less artistic than its older cousin of Porte Saint-Denis, the Arc de Triomphe is the more famous and far larger. Set on Place de Charles de Gaulle-Etoile, atop the hill of Chaillot, it forms the centre from which radiates a dozen busy Parisian avenues. The twelve avenues which form a star (étoile) pattern was the creation of Baron Haussmann who was charged with the urban modernization of Paris by Napoleon … [Read more...]
Opéra Garnier – A Grand Paris Opera House
May 21, 2009 by
Palais Garnier is a Paris Opera House fit for an Emperor: You don't have to be an opera buff to appreciate the Palais Garnier which is also known as the Opéra de Paris or the Opéra Garnier, or more commonly referred to as the Paris Opéra. Located on the Place de l'Opéra in Paris' 9th arondissement, this 1,900-seat neo-Baroque style opera house was built on the orders of Napoleon III and its grandeur is certainly fit for emperors. As part of Napoleon III's great Parisian … [Read more...]