Louvre Museum (Paris, France)

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Louvre Museum

Louvre Museum

Come morning of our second day in Paris, after breakfast at our hotel, we walked towards the Gare de l’Est Metro entrance  where we took the Metro to the Louvre Museum (or simply the Louvre), one of the world’s largest museums and a central landmark and historic monument of the city.  It was already raining  when we arrived at the Louvre.   Located on the Right Bank of the Seine River, in the 1st arrondissement (ward), we arrived early in the main courtyard (Cour Napoléon).

L-R: Jandy, Grace, Kyle, Cheska and Manny

L-R: Jandy, Grace, Kyle, Cheska and Manny.  The Louvre Pyramid is in the background

However, lines were already starting to form near the 21.6 m. (71-ft.) high Louvre Pyramid (Pyramide du Louvre), a large  pyramid of glass  and metal  designed by the late Chinese architect Ieoh .Ming (I.M.) Pei.  Its square base has sides of 35 m. (115 ft) and consists of 603 rhombus-shaped and 70 triangular glass segments. Completed in 1989, it is surrounded by three smaller pyramids. The large pyramid serves as the main entrance.

Check out “Louvre Pyramid“

The main courtyard (Cour Napoléon)

The main courtyard (Cour Napoléon)

The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are still visible in the crypt in the basement of the museum. Whether that spot was the first building is not known.  It is possible that Philip modified an existing tower.  The remains of the medieval fortress and moat have been excavated and preserved, and can be seen today on the underground level of the Sully Wing, on the way to the department of Egyptian antiquities.

Check out “Louvre Museum – Egyptian Antiquities Department”

Remnants of the late 12th century fortress

Remnants of the late 12th century fortress

The building was altered frequently throughout the Middle Ages and was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace. In the 14th century, Charles V converted the building into a residence and, in 1546, Francis I renovated the site in French Renaissance style and acquired what would become the nucleus of the Louvre’s holdings (his acquisitions including Leonardo da Vinci‘s Mona Lisa).

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In 1682, Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles as his residence and constructions slowed.  However, the move permitted the Louvre to be used primarily as a place to display the royal collection, including, from 1692, a collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture. It was also used as a residence for artists.

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In 1692, the building was occupied by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres and the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture which, in 1699, held the first of a series of salons. The Académie remained at the Louvre for 100 years. During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a public museum to display the nation’s masterpieces and, on August 10, 1793 (the first anniversary of the monarchy’s demise), opened with an exhibition of 537 paintings and 184 objects of art, three quarters of which were derived from the royal collections, and the remainder from confiscated émigrés and Church property (biens nationaux).

Statue of Louis IV

Statue of Louis IV

On May 1796, the museum was closed due to structural deficiencies but was reopened on July 14, 1801, arranged chronologically and with new lighting and columns. Under Napoleon I, the collection was increased with many Spanish, Austrian, Dutch, Vatican (including Laocoön and His Sons and the Apollo Belvedere)and Italian (including the Horses of Saint Mark) works seized by his armies (returned to their original owners after Napoleon’s abdication) and the museum  was renamed the Musée Napoléon in 1803. During the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, the collection was further increased and, during the Second French Empire, the museum gained 20,000 pieces.

The lobby underneath the pyramid

The lobby underneath the pyramid

With an area of over 60,600 sq. m. (652,300 sq. ft.), the Louvre exhibits a collection of nearly 35,000 objects, from prehistory to the 21st century, divided among 8 curatorial departments – Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; Prints and Drawings.  You can’t possibly see them all, so you have to navigate to see what you want to see in the world’s most visited museum (the Louvre received over 9.7 million visitors in 2012).  Since the Third Republic, its holdings have grown steadily through donations and bequests.

Check out “Louvre Museum – Painting Collection” and “Louvre Museum – Greek, Etruscan and Roman Department”

Jandy and Grace at the main courtyard

Jandy and Grace at the main courtyard

Louvre Museum: 75001 Paris, France.  Tel: +33 1 40 20 50 50. Open daily, except Tuesdays and holidays, 9 AM- 6 PM (until 10 PM on Wednesday and Friday evenings).

The Louvre has three entrances: the main entrance at the pyramid, an entrance from the Carrousel du Louvre underground shopping mall, and an entrance at the Porte des Lions (near the western end of the Denon wing).

Admission is free, from October to March, on the first Sunday of every month. Still and video photography is permitted for private, noncommercial use only in the galleries housing the permanent collection.The use of flash or other means of artificial lighting is prohibited. Photography and filming are not permitted in the temporary exhibition galleries.

How To Get There: the Louvre can be reached via Metro lines 1 and 7, station Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre Métro or the Louvre-Rivoli stations. By bus, take No. 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95 as well as the touristic Paris l’Open Tour. By car, there is an underground parking reachable by Avenue du Général Lemonier, every day from 7 AM – 11 PM.

Musee d’Orsay (Paris, France)

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The final leg of our first day tour of Paris was to be some art immersion at the Musee d’Orsay, located on the left bank of the Seine.  From Les Invalides, we walked the short 1.4 km. distance to the museum via Rue de Varenne and Rue de Bellechasse.  This museum is housed in the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts  railway station, designed by architects Lucien Magne, Émile Bénard and Victor Laloux, and built between 1898 and 1900 for the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans and finished in time for the 1900 Exposition Universelle.

Musee d’Orsay

Musee d’Orsay

The terminus for the railways of southwestern France . by 1939 the station’s short platforms had become unsuitable for the longer trains that had come to be used for mainline services and, after 1939, it was used for suburban services and part of it became a mailing centre during World War II.  It was then used as a set for several films (such as Franz Kafka‘s The Trial adapted by Orson Welles), as a haven for the Renaud–Barrault Theatre Company and for auctioneers, while the Hôtel Drouot was being rebuilt.

Grace, Cheska, Kyle and Manny making their way to the museum

Grace, Cheska, Kyle and Manny making their way to the museum

In 1978, the station was put on the list of Historic Monuments and the Directorate of the Museums of France then decided to turn the station into a museum that would bridge the gap between the Louvre and the National Museum of Modern Art at the Georges Pompidou Centre. That same year, a competition was organized to design the new museum and ACT Architecture, a team of three young architects (Pierre Colboc, Renaud Bardon and Jean-Paul Philippon), were awarded the contract which involved creating 20,000 sq. m. of new floor space on four floors.

The museum's interior

The museum’s interior

The construction work was carried out by Bouygues and, in 1981, the Italian architect, Gae Aulenti was chosen to design the interior including the museum‘s internal arrangement, decoration, furniture and fittings. In July 1986, the museum was finally ready to receive its exhibits and it took 6 months to install the 2,000 or so paintings, 600 sculptures and other works, many of which were formerly exhibited at the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume. In December 1986, the museum was officially opened by Pres. François Mitterrand.

Upper concourse sculpture gallery

Upper concourse sculpture gallery

The museum now houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist French art masterpieces in the world (mainly dating from 1848 to 1915). Its painting collection includes  works by  Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh.

Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Oceania

Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Oceania

At the square, next to the museum, are six bronze allegorical sculptural groups in a row, all originally produced for the Exposition Universelle (1878).   They are  “South America “ (Aimé Millet), “Asia” (Alexandre Falguière), “Oceania” (Mathurin Moreau), “Europe” (Alexandre Schoenewerk), “North America” (Ernest-Eugène Hiolle) and “Africa” (Eugène Delaplanche).

Young Greeks at a Cockfight (Jean-Leon Gerome, 1846)

Young Greeks at a Cockfight (Jean-Leon Gerome, 1846)

Major painters and their works represented include:

The Birth Of Venus (Alexandre Cabanel)

The Birth Of Venus (Alexandre Cabanel)

The Bellelli Family (Edgar Degas)

The Bellelli Family (Edgar Degas)

The Source (Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1856)

The Source (Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1856)

Homage to Cézanne (Maurice Denis)

Homage to Cézanne (Maurice Denis)

The Birth of Venus (William Bouguereau, 1879)

The Birth of Venus (William Bouguereau, 1879)

Major sculptors includes François Rude, Jules Cavelier, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Auguste Rodin, Paul Gauguin, Camille Claudel, Sarah Bernhardt and Honoré Daumier.

The Dance (Jean Baptiste Carpeaux, 1895)

The Dance (Jean Baptiste Carpeaux, 1895)

Also featured are works of Ernest Christophe, Antonin Carles, Alfred Charles Lenoir, Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, Louis Ernest Barrias, Joseph Bernard, Alexandre Falguière, Antoine-Auguste Préault, Antoine Louis Barye, Henri Chapu, Aristide Maillol, Clara Rilke-Westhoff, Auguste Clesinger, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (best known for designing the Statue of Liberty), Albert Carrier-Belleuse, Jules Salmson, David d’Angers, Andre-Joseph Allar, Jean Dampt, Charles Degeorge, Denys Puech, Paul Dubois. Jean-Léon Gérôme and Jean-Baptiste Hugues,

Ugolino (Auguste Rodin)

Ugolino (Auguste Rodin)

Aside from paintings and sculptures, it also holds collections of architecture, furniture, decorative arts and photography.

Furniture exhibit

Furniture exhibit

Musee d’Orsay: 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 75007 Paris, France. Tel: +33 1 40 49 48 14. Website www.musee-orsay.fr. Open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 9 AM to 6 PM, Thursdays, 9:30 AM to 9:45 PM. Rooms begin closing 30 minutes before museum closing time, The museum is closed on Monday and the following French holidays: December 25 and May 1. Admission (adults): €11. Reduce price of €8.50 for 18-25 years who are not nationals of the European Union.  Admission is free for those under 18 and 18-25 years old from European Union.

How to Get There: Via Subway 12, stop at Solferino, for RER C, stop at Musée d’Orsay, Bus 24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84 and 94,

L’Hôtel des Invalides (Paris, France)

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L'Hotel des Invalides

L’Hotel des Invalides

After our pilgrimage to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, we made the somewhat long, 1.8-km. walk, via Rue de Sèvres and Boulevard des Invalides, to the National Residence of the Invalids, also called L’Hôtel des Invalides.  While some distance away, we could already espy its elegant golden cupola.

Check out “Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal“

Main entrance

Main entrance

One of the most prestigious monuments in Paris, this complex of buildings, in the 7th arrondissement, contains museums (Musée de l’Armée, the military museum of the Army of France, the Musée des Plans-Reliefs and the Musée d’Histoire Contemporaine) and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans (invalides), the building’s original purpose.

Left wing

Left wing

The building retained its primary function as a retirement home and hospital for military veterans until the early twentieth century. Because of its location and significance, the Invalides was also the scene of several key events in French history.

Right wing

Right wing

L’Hôtel des Invalides had its beginnings in 1670 when Louis XIV, by an order dated November 24, initiated the hôpital des invalides, a home and hospital for aged and unwell soldiers. Designed by architect Libéral Bruant, it was built on the then suburban plain of Grenelle (plaine de Grenelle) and, by the time it was completed in 1676, the  front facade facing the Seine River was 196 m. (643 ft.) long.

L-R- Kyle, Grace, Cheska, the author and Jandy

L-R: Grace, Kyle, Cheska, the author and Jandy

The complex had 15 courtyards, the largest being the cour d’honneur (“court of honor”) which was used for military parades. The veterans’ chapel, known as Église Saint-Louis des Invalides, was also designed by the aged Bruant, assisted by Jules Hardouin Mansart, and finished in 1679.

The Domed Church

The Domed Church

Louis XIV’s separate private royal chapel, referred to as the Église du Dôme (Domed Church), was designed and built by Mansart and was completed in 1708. One of the triumphs of French Baroque architecture, this royal chapel is centrally placed to dominate the court of honor.

The chapel's gold-plated cupola

The chapel’s gold-plated cupola

Its Baroque dome was inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and was built between 1677 and 1706 to glorify Louis XIV, the monarchy and his armies. Mansart raised its drum, with an attic storey over its main cornice, and employed the paired columns motif in his more complicated rhythmic theme.  On 14 July 1789, during the French Revolution, Les Invalides was stormed by Parisian rioters and the cannons and muskets stored in its cellars were seized for use against the Bastille later that same day.  The royal chapel was later renamed as the Temple de Mars.

The chapel's facade

The chapel’s facade

During the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, it became a military pantheon with the installation of the tomb of Henri de la Tour d’Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne (better known as Turenne), one of the most famous marshals of France, in 1800 and, on May 26, 1808, had the heart (his other remains were scattered during the French Revolution) of Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban , designer of Louis XIV’s military fortifications, transferred, from his grave in Bazoches, to a mausoleum erected opposite Turenne’s, both under the dome.

The Corithian columns and pediment at the upper level

The Corithian columns and pediment at the upper level

On December 15, 1840, remains of Napoleon himself was brought back to France, from the island of St. Helena  (an event known as le retour des cendres or “return of the Ashes”and arranged by King Louis-Philippe) and first buried in the Chapelle Saint-Jérôme  (Chapel of St. Jerome) in the Invalides until his final resting place, designed by Louis Visconti, was finished. On April 2, 1861, Napoleon was finally interred in a porphyry sarcophagus in the circular crypt under the dome.

The Domed Chapel's interior

The Domed Chapel’s interior

On January 5, 1895, the degradation of Capt. Alfred Dreyfus was held before the main building, while his subsequent rehabilitation ceremony took place on July 21, 1906 in a courtyard of the complex. During the second half of the 20th century, after the destruction of small back buildings and the creation of a peripheral gap, the entire site of the Hôtel National des Invalides was opened to the public.

The gilded dome

The gilded dome

In 1981, a huge restoration project, under the instigation of an interdepartmental commission co-directed by Ministries of Defense and Culture, was undertaken to restore the former splendor of this exceptional site.  In 1989, 12 kgs. (20 lbs.) of gold (550,000 leaves) were used to regild the dome and details at the walls for the bicentenary of the French Revolution.

The baldacchino above the high altar

The baldacchino above the high altar

The Greek Cross-shaped Les Invalides has a beautiful facade with Doric and Corinthian columns, two colossal marble statues of Charlemagne (by Charles Antoine Coysevox) on the right and St. Louis holding the Crown of Thorns (by Nicolas Coustou) on the left decorate the niches of the lower levels and on the level above, on the corner of the balustrade, stand the Four Virtues (also done by Coysevox) – Strength, Justice, Temperance and Prudence. Two colossal marble sculptures flank the entrance to l’Église du Dôme. Inside are 9 chapels and niches plus a  high altar area covered by a baldachin. The sides each have 3 chapels where the tombs are.

The heavy bronze door

The heavy bronze door leading to Napoleon’s crypt

Upon entering, I was awed by the interior of the 107 m. (351 ft.) high, ribbed and hemispherical dome, the second tallest in Paris, after the Pantheon, and another unmissable monument in the Parisian landscape.  Painted by  Charles de La Fosse, Charles Le Brun’s disciple, and completed in 1705, its main feature was the Baroque illusion of space (sotto in su) when seen from below. The 50 ft. diameter symbolic painting on the cupola and the pendentives depicts St. King Louis IX wearing his royal robes, entering into glory, amidst angels, and giving to Christ the sword he used to triumph over Christianity’s enemies.

Check out “Pantheon (Paris)“

Balustrade overlooking Napoleon's crypt

Balustrade overlooking Napoleon’s crypt

Underneath the lavishly-decorated dome is a balustrade with a large space that looks down into the crypt where Napoleon’s huge porphyry tomb resides. We entered the crypt via a staircase behind the altar that leads to a heavy bronze door forged from cannons taken during the Battle of Austerlitz.  The door is flanked by two statues and above the lintel is an inscription extracted from Napoleon’s will (“I wish my ashes to rest on the banks of the Seine among the people of France whom I so much loved“).

Napoleon's sarcophagus

Napoleon’s sarcophagus

Built on a pedestal of green granite from  the Vosges Region, the sarcophagus was sculpted from blocks of red quartzite from Russia and is surrounded by a laurel crown and inscriptions referring to the Empire’s great victories. Inside the sarcophagus is a nest of six coffins: one made of soft iron, another of mahogany, two others of lead, one of ebony and finally the last one of oak. Napoleon is dressed in his Colonel’s uniform (of the cavalry of the Guard) which bears his sash of the Légion d’Honneur. His hat rests on his legs.

The author besides Napoleon's Tomb

The author besides Napoleon’s Tomb

Around the tomb and mounted up against the pillars of the crypt are 12 “Victories,” symbolizing Napoleon’s military campaigns, sculpted by James Pradier. Inscribed on the polychrome marble floor are his 8 famous victories – Austerlitz, Friedland, Jena, Marengo, Moscow, Pyramids, Rivoli and Wagram. Within the circular gallery are a set of 10 white marble bas-reliefs sculpted by Pierre-Charles Simart, depicting the main achievements of his reign – pacification of the nation, administrative centralization, State Council, Civil Code, Concordat, Imperial University, court of accounts, code of commerce, Major Works and the Legion of Honor.

Napoleon II's Tomb

Napoleon II’s Tomb and the statue of Napoleon I clad in the symbols of empire

Halfway along the gallery is a vault containing the coffin of his son Napoleon II (though his heart and intestines remained in Vienna), the King of Rome also known as l’Aiglon, transferred here on December 15, 1940, and placed under a marble slab in the crypt on December 18, 1969. Over the tomb stands a statue, by Simart, of Napoleon as a Roman emperor clad in the symbols of the Empire.

Jerome Napoleon's Tomb

Tomb of Jerome Napoleon, the youngest brother of Napoleon I who reigned as Jerome I (formally Hieronymus Napoleon in German), King of Westphalia, between 1807 and 1813. From 1816 onward, he bore the title of Prince of Montfort. After 1848, when his nephew, Louis Napoleon, became President of the French Second Republic, he served in several official roles, including Marshal of France from 1850 onward, and President of the Senate in 1852.

Two side chapels contain the tombs of Joseph Bonaparte (Chapel of St. Augustine) and Jérôme Bonaparte (Chapel of St. Jerome ), the eldest and youngest brothers, respectively, of Napoleon.

Joseph Bonaparte's Tomb

Tomb of Joseph Bonaparte, the older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte who made him King of Naples (1806–1808, as Giuseppe I), and later King of Spain (1808–1813, as José I). After the fall of Napoleon, Joseph styled himself Comte de Survilliers.

The gilt bees on the walls of the chapel of Saint-Jerôme serve to remind visitors that the Emperor’s coffin lay here while the crypt was being built.  Several military officers who served under Napoleon (Henri Gratien, Comte Bertrand and Geraud Duroc) are also buried at Les Invalides, all alongside Napoleon’s tomb.

Henri Bertrand's Tomb

Tomb of Henri Bertrand (March 28, 1773 – January 31, 1844), a French general life whose life was closely bound up with that of Napoleon, who had the fullest confidence in him, honoring him in 1808 with the title of count and at the end of 1813, with the title of Grand Marshal of the Palace. During the expedition to Egypt, Napoleon named him colonel (1798), then brigadier-general, and after the Battle of Austerlitz his aide-de-camp.

Geraud Duroc's Tomb

Tomb of Geraud Duroc (October 25, 1772 – May 23, 1813), a French general noted for his association with Napoleon. His devotion to him was rewarded by complete confidence. He became first aide-de-camp (1798), general of brigade (1800), and governor of the Tuileries. After the battle of Marengo, he was sent on missions to Vienna, St Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm and Copenhagen. He also served as Grand Marshal of the Palace. After the Battle of Austerlitz, where he commanded the grenadiers and was employed in a series of important negotiations with Frederick William III of Prussia, with the elector of Saxony (December 1806), in the incorporation of certain states in the Confederation of the Rhine, and in the conclusion of the armistice of Znaim (July 1809). In 1808, he was created duc de Frioul.

Aside from Turenne, other Marshals of France buried here include Thomas Bugeaud (conqueror of Algeria); François Certain Canrobert (commanded the III Army Corps in Lombardy in 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence, distinguishing himself at Magenta and Solferino); Ferdinand Foch (Allied Supreme Commander in the First World War); Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque  (commander of the famous 2nd Armored Division during World War II); Hubert Lyautey (dubbed the “Maker of Morocco” and the French empire builder) and Jean de Lattre de Tassigny ( commander of the French First Army during World War II and later commander in the First Indochina War).

Ferdinand Foch's Tomb

Tomb of Ferdinand Foch (October 2, 1851 – March 20, 1929), a French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War, successfully coordinating the French, British and American efforts into a coherent whole.  Deftly handling his strategic reserves, he stopped the German offensive and launched a war-winning counterattack.

Army captain Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle (author of France‘s national anthem, La Marseillaise), Antoine Marie-Roger de Saint-Exupery (author of “The Little Prince”) and Pierre Auguste Roques (founder of the French Air Force and Minister of War in 1916) are also buried here.

Tomb of Hubert Lyautey

Tomb of Hubert Lyautey (November 17, 1854 – July 27, 1934), a French Army general and colonial administrator who, after serving in Indochina and Madagascar, became the first French Resident-General in Morocco from 1912 to 1925. Early in 1917, he served briefly as Minister of War and, from 1921, was a Marshal of France. He was dubbed the French empire builder and, in 1931, made the cover of Time.

Vauban’s monument, in the Chapel of St.-Theresa, replaced by a black marble coffin made by the sculptor Antoine Etex in 1808, depicts Vauban semi-recumbent, holding a compass and meditating on his writings. He is surrounded by the veiled figure of Science and the figure of War wearing a helmet. On top of the coffin is an obelisk surrounded by flags and standards. On the base is an inscription and a bas-relief referring to Vauban’s project for a royal tithe and celebrating the political and reformatory aspect of Vauban’s work.

Vauban's Tomb

Tomb of Sebastien le Preste de Vauban (May 1, 1633 – March 30, 1707), a French military engineer who served under Louis XIV who is generally considered the greatest engineer of his time, and one of the most important in Western military history. His principles for fortifications were widely used for nearly 100 years, while aspects of his offensive tactics remained in use until the mid-twentieth century.

Turenne’s monument shows the Marshal General of France, under Louis XIV, expiring in the arms of Immortality, who crowns him with laurels, as she lifts him to Heaven. At the marshal’s feet is an eagle, representing the Holy Roman Empire, over which he had several victories.

Turenne's Tomb

Tomb of Turenne (September 11, 1611 – July 27, 1675), a French general and one of only six Marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France. The most illustrious member of the La Tour d’Auvergne family, his military exploits over his five-decade career earned him a reputation as one of the greatest military commanders in modern history.

From the Dome Chapel, we moved on to the main courtyard which is is the central area of the Hôtel National des Invalides. Many events unfolded here and a large part of the artillery collections of the Army Museum  (musée de l’armée)  is displayed here. The Army Museum has one of the most impressive collections of artillery pieces. It had its beginnings in 1872 when the musée d’artillerie (Artillery Museum), whose collections were gathered together during the Revolution, was located within the building.  Later, in 1896, it was joined by the musée historique des armées (Historical Museum of the Armies). In 1905, the two institutions were merged to form the present musée de l’armée.

The main courtyard

The main courtyard

At the Main Courtyard, we were presented an exceptional array of 60 French classical bronze cannons, jewels of the artillery collections of the Army Museum, plus a dozen howitzers and mortars. Tracing 200 years of the history of French field artillery, we discovered how these pieces were manufactured, their roles and the epic of great French artillerymen.

An array of French classical cannons

An array of French classical cannons

The first models of French classical cannons, along with a few adaptations, were developed by the Keller brothers in 1666. These highly popular, large-caliber cannons were used in sieges against fortified towns during the wars of Louis XIV and made the successes of Vauban possible.

French classical cannon

In 1732, a royal ordinance laid down by regulations that cannons be decorated with heraldic and mythological ornamentations. A series of 30 of these prestigious cannons are on display.

Gribeauval cannon (1780s)

Gribeauval cannon (1780s)

From 1764, French classical cannons were replaced by cannons of the Gribeauval system  (named after its creator) This new, easier to handle and better organized artillery excelled during the revolutionary and imperial wars. Napoleon Bonaparte, who trained as an artilleryman, was able to put it to wonderful use, notably during the two Italian campaigns and the battles of Friedland and Wagram. From 1825 onwards, the Valée systems succeeded the Gribeauval system. The cannons of the two systems were more functional and had fewer decorations than French classical cannons.

12 pounder Napoleon cannon

12 pounder Napoleon cannon

Eight mortars, made for the sieges of the revolutionary and imperial wars, were also on display while, on exhibit at the corners of the courtyard, are two large howitzers, designed to bombard Cadiz, when the French army besieged this city in 1810. The howitzers could fire shells from a distance of nearly 6 kms., an unprecedented achievement at that time.

One of 8 mortars on display

One of 8 mortars on display

Hôtel National des Invalides:  129 rue de Grenelle 75007 Paris, France. Tel: +33 (0)1 44 42 37 72. Fax: +33 (0)1 44 42 35 14. E-mail: infos-ma@invalides.org. Website : www.invalides.org.

Open daily, October 1 to 31 and March (10 AM to 5 PM), April 1 to September 30 (10 AM to 6 PM).  Closed every first Monday in the month, January 1, May 1, September 1 and December 25.
Dome and tomb have same opening times but is accessible from 10 AM to 7 PM from June 15 to September 15. Admission: €9,5.

How to Get There: By Metro (Line 8, Invalides station), RER (Line C, Invalides station), buses  28, 49, 63, 69, 82, 87, 92.

Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (Paris, France)

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A number of places we visited in our itinerary, as prepared by my brother-in-law Manny, included religious pilgrimage sites and, here in Paris, he made it a point to visit one.  On our very first day in the city, right after our visit to the iconic Pantheon, we dropped by the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

Pilgrims waiting outside for the chapel's opening

Jandy (back turned) with pilgrims waiting outside for the chapel’s opening

A Marian shrine, it is the site of 3 Marian apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary said to have been experienced by then 24 year old Marian visionary St. Catherine Labouré in 1830.  On the first visit, the night of July 18, she received a request that a Confraternity of the Children of Mary be established.

Compound of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Compound of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Later, on a second apparition on November 27, she was to request the creation of a medal with the following invocation: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”  The reverse side bore the letter “M” surmounted by a cross and over 2 hearts, one encircled by a crown of thorns and the other pierced with a sword. From May 1832 onwards, the medal, which is extraordinarily disseminated and said to convert, protect and perform  miracles, is called as the Miraculous Medal by the faithful.

The Miraculous Medal

Invocations on the Miraculous Medal

It was also here that, for three successive days, while at prayer, St Vincent de Paul, showed her his heart, each  time in different colors – white (the color of peace), red (the color of fire) and then black (an indication of the misfortunes that would come upon France and Paris, in particular). Shortly after, Catherine saw Jesus Christ present in the Sacred Host and, on June 6, 1830, the Feast of the Holy Trinity, Christ appeared as a crucified King, stripped of all his adornments.

Statue of St. Louise de Marillac

Statue of St. Louise de Marillac

The construction of a chapel began in the medieval Hôtel de Châtillon in 1813 and, on August 6, 1815, the solemn benediction of the chapel was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. By imperial decree, it was attributed to the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul where Catherine entered on April 21, 1830, a few months before the apparitions. In 1849, the chapel was expanded after the apparitions to accommodate all those who wish to pray at the altar and, in the following years, underwent many other transformations. The present chapel is a complete renovation done in 1930, the year of its centenary.

Statue of St. Vincent de Paul

Statue of St. Vincent de Paul

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is more commonly referred to by its address, “140 rue du Bac,” or, simply, the street on which it is situated, rue du Bac.  We arrived there 30 mins. before its 2:30 PM opening and crowds of Roman Catholic pilgrims were slowly gathering outside the gate. 

The interior of the chapel

The interior of the chapel

Upon entering, we first visited the chapel.  Its walls are beautifully decorated with mosaics and murals and over the altar (where the Virgin Mary Mary promised prayers will be answered) is a white marble statue of the Blessed Virgin sculpted in 1850 and crowned with 12 stars.  From her outstretched palms, rays of graces lead down to the floor.

The white marble statue of the Blessed Virgin

The white marble statue of the Blessed Virgin

Its tabernacle, which dates back to the 17th or 18th century, is unchanged since 1815. The tabernacle came from the chapel of the Sisters of Mercy, installed there before the French Revolution, and allocated to the Daughters of Charity in 1800.  St. Catherine said that it was in front of the tabernacle that the Blessed Virgin Mary prostrated herself on the night of July 18, 1830. She also appeared above it during the third apparition on December 30, 1830. In 1850, an ivory crucifix was placed on top of it.

Murals around the altar

Murals around the altar

The body of St. Louise de Marillac and the heart of  St. Vincent de Paul, founders of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, are kept there. Lying inside a glass coffin, at the side altar of the chapel, is the uncorrupted body of St  Catherine, found miraculously preserved after it was exhumed in 1933, over 56 years after her death on December 31, 1876.  Pope Pius XII declared her a saint on July 27, 1947. 

Tomb of St. Louise de Marillac

Tomb of St. Louise de Marillac

Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal:  140 Rue du Bac, 75340 Paris, France. Tél : +33 (0)1 49 54 78 88. Fax : +33 (0)1 49 54 78 89.  Open daily, 7:30 AM – 1 PM and 2:30  – 7 PM, Tuesdays, 7:45 AM – 7 PM.

How to Get There: Take the Sèvres – Babylone Paris Métro  (Lines10 – 12) or Bus 39, 63, 70, 84, 87 and 94.

Église Saint Étienne du Mont Church (Paris, France)

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While making our way, on foot, towards the massive Panthéon, we passed the relatively small but attractive, Gothic-style Église Saint Étienne du Mont Church, built between 1492 and 1655.  It was described by French novelist Charles-Marie-Georges Huysmans  (in the Connecting, 1895) as one of the most beautiful churches in Paris. It contains Paris’ unique and only surviving rood screen (built in 1535), dramatically crossing the nave like a bridge, separating it from the chancel, with spiral staircases on either side. During the Late Renaissance Period, the others were removed because they prevented the faithful in the nave from seeing the priest celebrate Mass.

Église Saint Étienne du Mont Church

Église Saint Étienne du Mont Church

It also houses the shrine containing the relics of St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, until 1793 when revolutionaries burned the body, melted the relics at the Place de Grève (in front of the city hall) and threw them in the sewer. Only the tomb, lying in a chapel in the nave’s southeastern corner, survived. Near her tomb is a highly decorated reliquary containing a finger bone, all that is left of her earthly remains.

The church also housed the remains of important French figures such as Pierre Perrault (Receiver General of Finances for Paris and  scientist), Eustache Le Sueur (painter), Blaise de Vigenere  (diplomat, cryptographer, translator and alchemist),  Blaise Pascal, (mathematician and physicist), Jean Racine (dramatist) and  Isaac de Sacy Lemaistre (theologian and humanist).  The last two were transferred in 1711 from Port-Royal in Saint-Etienne. The political theorist and scientist Jean-Paul Marat is buried in the church’s cemetery.

The three pediments

The three pediments

The church had its beginnings in the 6th century in the abbey of Sainte-Genevieve, where the eponymous saint had been buried. Devoted to the Virgin Mary and, later, to St. John the Apostle, the place was too small to accommodate all the faithful. In 1222, Pope Honorius III authorized the establishment of an autonomous church, this time devoted to St Etienne, then the patron saint of the old cathedral of Paris.

The Stoning of St. Stephen

“The Stoning of St. Stephen” of sculptor Gabriel Jules-Thomas

Soon, the new building, overwhelmed by an increasingly dense population, was enlarged in 1328. However, from the 15th century, a complete reconstruction soon became necessary and, in 1492, the monks Génovéfains donated a portion of their land for the construction of a new church. In 1494, under the direction of architect Stephen Viguier, the apse and the bell tower were sketched and, in 1491, the bell tower was built (the first two bells were cast in 1500). The flamboyant Gothic choir was completed in 1537 and, the following year, the frame was raised. The loft was built around 1530-1535, the chancel in 1537 and, in 1541, Guy, Bishop of Megara blessed the altars of the chapels of the apse. In 1545, the gallery was built and in 1580, the vaults of the nave and transept were built.

That same year, the parish awarded contracts for the windows and statues from Parisian artisans. The nave, from the Renaissance period, was not hunched before 1584. In 1610, the first stone of the facade was laid by Marguerite de Valois (who personally donated 3000 pounds) and, on February 25, 1626, the church was dedicated by Jean- François de Gondi, the first archbishop of Paris and Cardinal de Retz‘s uncle. In 1636, the organ (the work of Pierre Pescheur) was installed and, in 1651, a new pulpit was installed.

Bell tower

Bell tower

During the 17th and 18th century, the church enjoyed great prestige as the scene of great processions wherein the shrine of Sainte-Genevieve went to Notre Dame Cathedral and, subsequently, was returned to this church.  During the French Revolution, the church was closed and then turned into a “Temple of Filial Piety.” in 1801, benefiting from the Concordat, Catholic worship was restored. During the Second Empire, the church was restored by Victor Baltard (who also built the chapel of catechisms), the front was raised and the statues, destroyed by the revolutionaries, were returned.

On January 3, 1857, Bishop Marie-Dominique-Auguste Sibour (who was to inaugurate the novena of St. Genevieve) was assassinated here, with cries of “Down with the goddesses!,” by the priest Jean-Louis Verger who opposed to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. A plaque, at the entrance to the nave, marks the grave of the prelate. The occultist Eliphas Levi was indirectly involved in this tragic event.

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The sculpted The Stoning of Saint Stephen, at the exterior’s tympanum, is the work of French  sculptor Gabriel-Jules Thomas. The front facade, which consists of no less than three pediments, features a classical porch. The fourth chapel, on the right from the entrance, contains impressive 16th century stained glass windows.

The church’s impressive interior, which we didn’t see, is characterized by the curved axis of the nave to the transept, the finely carved stone choir screen of Father Biard (1545), his chair (designed by Laurent de La Hyre and sculpted by Claude Lestocart) and its organ case (1631), the oldest in the capital.  There’s also a notable wooden pulpit supported by Samson, with a jawbone in hand and a slain lion at his feet.

Église Saint Étienne du Mont Church (4) - Copy

From 1929 until his death in 1986, renowned organist, composer and improviser Maurice Duruflé held the post of Titular Organist at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. The interiors and exteriors of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont were featured, in both the beginning and finale, of Max Ophüls celebrated film The Earrings of Madame de… (1953). Popes have also celebrated mass here – Pope Pius VI on January 10, 1805 and Pope John Paul II  on August 23, 1997 (during his visit to Paris on the occasion of World Youth Day).

Cheska, Kyle and Grace at Place Sainte Genevieve

Cheska, Kyle and Grace at Place Sainte Genevieve

Église Saint Étienne du Mont Church: Place Sainte-Geneviève, Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, 5th arrondissement,75005 Paris, France. Tel: +33 1 43 54 11 79.

Pantheon (Paris, France)

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The Pantheon

The Pantheon

After mass and tour of Notre Dame Cathedral and our first lunch in Paris at La Bucherie, we proceeded, on foot for 1 km. via Rue St. Jacques, to the nearby Pantheon in the 5th arrondissement on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève.  The Panthéon (from  the Greek word  meaning “Every god”),  a building in the Latin Quarter was originally built as a abbey church, dedicated to St. Genevieve  (the patron saint of Paris), that would house the reliquary châsse containing her relics.

Check out “Restaurant Review: La Bucherie Restaurant“

The interior of the Pantheon

The interior of the Pantheon

However, after many changes, it now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens. By burying its great people in the Panthéon, France acknowledges the honor it received from them. As such, interment here is severely restricted and is allowed only by a parliamentary act for “National Heroes.”

The underground crypt

The underground crypt

An early example of Neo-Classicism, it was designed by Jacques-Germain Soufflot and combines the lightness and brightness of the Gothic cathedral with Classical principles.  With an imposing peristyle modeled on the Pantheon in Rome, it is surmounted by a dome that owes some of its character to Bramante‘s “Tempietto”. However, its later role as a mausoleum required that its 40 great Gothic windows be blocked. The Panthéon looks out over all of Paris.

Entrance to the underground crypt

Stairs leading to the entrance to the underground crypt

Started in 1758, its construction proceeded slowly. Soufflot died in 1780 and he was replaced by Jean-Baptiste Rondelet, his student. The church was finally completed in 1790.  Upon the death Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau on April 2, 1791, the National Constituent Assembly (whose president had been Mirabeau) ordered that the building be changed from a church to a mausoleum for the interment of great Frenchmen.

Portico of Corinthian columns

Portico of Corinthian columns

Architect Quatremère de Quincy  oversaw the project, reducing the height of the towers, took off the cross which capped the dome, closed most openings of the dome and changed the pediment. Mirabeau was interred there on April 4, 1791, the first person to be so honored (his remains, however, were disinterred on November 25, 1794, buried in an anonymous grave and are yet to be recovered).

Cheska and Kyle at the Pantheon

Cheska and Kyle

In 1806 Napoleon I re-converted the Pantheon into a church, changed the pediment and replaced the cross. In 1830, Louis-Philippe decided that should be a Pantheon again, having a new pediment built and stripping the building of any religious feature. However, in 1850, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte re-converted it into a church, again installing a new pediment and replacing the cross on the dome where it has since remained. During the current major restoration project, the cross of the dome, retained in compromise, is again visible. In 1885, the building was finally returned to secular use and converted into a Pantheon. Victor Hugo‘s ashes were the first to be transferred to the Pantheon.

One of 3 bronze doors

One of 3 bronze doors

This vast 110 m. (352 ft.) long, 84 m. wide and 83 m. (272 ft.) high building has a Greek cross plan, 4 naves and is raised 11m above pavement level. It has a massive portico of twenty-two 20 m. high Corinthian columns. The three bronze doors are topped with marble sculptures representing respectively the Baptism of Clovis, Sainte-Geneviève and the Hun Attila.

Tomb of Voltaire

Tomb of Voltaire (November 21, 1694 – May 30, 1778), a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his criticism of Christianity (especially the Roman Catholic Church) as well as his advocacy of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.

Tomb of Jean-Jacques Rosseau

Tomb of Jean-Jacques Rosseau (June 28, 1712 – July 2, 1778), a Genevan philosopher, writer and composer whose political philosophy influenced the progress of the Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolution and the development of modern political, economic and educational thought. His Discourse on Inequality and The Social Contract are cornerstones in modern political and social thought.

Its crypt , no less vast, follows the cross shape of the building and is composed of a large vestibule where we saw the graves of the philosophers Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.. At the entrance to the vestibule is the heart of Léon Gambetta (1838-1882) the founder of the Third Republic, placed in an urn on November 11, 1920.

Urn with heart of Leon Gambetta

Urn with heart of Leon Gambetta (April 2, 1838 – December 31, 1882), a French statesman, prominent during and after the Franco-Prussian War.

The 4 side vaults follow the layout of the arms of the cross. The western vault, the longest and largest, is divided in two corridors. The right hand side contains the remains of 41 important figures of the Empire. The southern vault has no grave. 

The frescoed ceiling

The frescoed ceiling

Soufflot’s masterstroke, concealed from casual view, is the impressive triple dome, each shell fitted within the others.  Permitting a view through the oculus of the coffered  inner dome of the second dome, it is frescoed by Antoine Gros with The Apotheosis of Saint Genevieve. The outermost dome, built with stone bound together with iron cramps, is covered with lead sheathing  rather than the common French period practice of carpentry construction. The massive weight of the triple construction is passed the outwards by concealed  flying buttresses  to the portico columns.

The pediment

The triangular pediment with sculptural group of David d’Angers

The triangular pediment once had a sculptural group called “The Fatherland Crowning the Heroic and Civic Virtues,” created by Jean Guillaume Moitte  but, upon the Bourbon Restoration, was replaced with one sculpted by David d’Angers in 1837.  The philosophers Voltaire and Rosseau are represented, seated on the left hand side of the sculpture. The inscription above the entrance reads Aux Grands Hommes La Patrie Reconnaissante (“To great men, the grateful homeland”). Inside, there are no benches, chairs or altar, just gigantic murals; Corinthian columns and sculptures bathed by light pouring in from the dome’s opening.

La Convention National

“La Convention National” of Sicard

The interior of the building has sculptural groups, representing scenes from the French Revolution, all placed in front of the gigantic columns supporting the dome.  The sculptural group La Convention Nationales, sculpted by Sicard in the early 1920’s, dominates.

Monument to Diderot

Monument to Diderot

Monument to Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Monument to Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Valmy 1782

Valmy 1782

Mural scenes, done by Puvis de Chavannes and Jean-Paul Laurens, were commissioned In the 1870’s by the Marquis of Chennevières (the Director of Fine Arts).  They revolve around the beginnings of Christianity in France and the French monarchy through the life of St.Denis (the first bishop and patron saint of Paris) as well as the life (her childhood, miracles) of St. Geneviève (the other patron saint of the city), the siege of Paris by Attila and his Hun warriors, the Emperor Charlemagne, the baptism of King Clovis, and the life Joan of Arc and King St. Louis.

Mural of The Baptism of Clovis

Mural of The Baptism of Clovis

Among the famous and great intellectuals (writers, poets, scientists, politicians, inventors, explorers, etc.) of France buried in its necropolis include Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Jean Moulin, Alexandre Dumas, Louis Braille, Jean Jaurès and Soufflot, its architect.

Tomb of Napoleonic Marshall Jean Lannes

Tomb of Jean Lannes (April 10, 1769 – May 31, 1809), a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of Napoleon’s most daring and talented generals. A personal friend of the emperor, he was allowed to address him with the familiar tu, as opposed to the formal vous.

Tomb of Emile Zola

Tomb of Emile Zola (April 2, 1840 – September 29, 1902), a French novelist, playwright, journalist, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism. He was a major figure in the political liberalization of France and in the exoneration of the falsely accused and convicted army officer Alfred Dreyfus. Zola was nominated for the first and second Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901 and 1902.

In 1907 Marcellin Berthelot was buried with his wife Mme Sophie Berthelot, the first woman to be interred but Marie Curie was the first woman interred based on her own merits. Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz  (symbolic internment) and Germaine Tillion, heroines of the French resistance, were interred here in 2015.

L-R: Jandy, Grace, the author, Cheska and Kyle

L-R: Jandy, Grace, the author, Cheska and Kyle

Pantheon: Place du Panthéon, 75005 Paris, France. Tel: +33 1 44 32 18 00. Website: www.pantheonparis.com.

Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris, France)

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Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral

We arrived at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle International Airport on a Sunday morning and, after checking in at the Ibis Paris Gare de l’Est 10th, we decided to hit two birds with one stone by taking the Paris Metro to get to the historic  Notre Dame Cathedral, among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world, where we plan to hear Mass and do sightseeing later.  It was already raining when we left the hotel and, when we arrived,we still had to queue to get into the cathedral through the right door.  The Gregorian Mass we attended was said in French.

The Gothic-style facade

The Gothic-style facade

The magnificent, awe-inspiring Notre-Dame Cathedral, also called  Notre Dame de Paris, (French for “Our Lady of Paris”) or simply Notre-Dame, is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, its pointed arches, thinner walls and the naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass  in stark contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture. The cathedral treasury is famous for its reliquary which houses some of Catholicism‘s most important first-class relics including the purported Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross, and one of the Holy Nails. The cathedral, with a cruciform plan, was made famous by Victor Hugo’s famous, larger-than-life novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” (about the hunchback bell ringer, Quasimodo, who falls madly in love with the beautiful gypsy dancer, Esmerelda). Notre-Dame is composed of a choir and apse, a nave with double aisles and square chapels. It is 226 ft. high, 420 ft. long and has a total surface area of 5,500 sq. m. (interior surface 4,800 sq. m.).

The pointed Gothic arch of the main entrance

The pointed Gothic arch of the main entrance

Construction of the cathedral began in 1163, during the reign of Louis VII. Bishop Maurice de Sully devoted most of his life and wealth to the cathedral’s construction. Throughout the construction period, numerous architects worked on the site resulting in differing styles at different heights of the west front and towers. The choir was built from 1163 until around 1177 and the new High Altar was consecrated in 1182. After Bishop Maurice de Sully’s death in 1196, Eudes de Sully (no relation), his successor, oversaw the completion of the transepts.

Gallery of the Kings of Judah

Gallery of the Kings of Judah

He also pressed ahead with the construction of the nave which was, at the time of his own death in 1208, nearing completion. The western facade had also been laid out by this stage but it was not completed until around the mid-1240s.   Between 1210 and 1220, the fourth architect oversaw the construction of the level with the rose window and the great halls beneath the towers. The cathedral was essentially complete by 1345.

The rose window

The magnificent rose window

In the mid 13th century, the transepts were remodeled in the latest Rayonnant style and, in the late 1240s, Jean de Chelles added a gabled portal to the north transept, topped off by a spectacular rose window. Shortly afterwards, from 1258, Pierre de Montreuil did the same on the southern transept. Both transept portals were richly embellished with sculpture.  The south portal features scenes from the lives of St Stephen and of various local saints, while the north portal featured the infancy of Christ and the story of Theophilus in the tympanum, with a highly influential statue of the Virgin and Child in the trumeau.

Gargoyle waterspouts

Gargoyle waterspouts

In 1548, features of Notre-Dame were damaged by rioting Huguenots  who considered them  idolatrous. During the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV, as part of an ongoing attempt to modernize cathedrals throughout Europe, the cathedral underwent major alterations. In 1786, a colossal statue of St Christopher, standing against a pillar, near the western entrance, and dating from 1413, was destroyed, as well as tombs and stained glass windows.  However, the north and south rose windows were spared.

The cathedral interior

The cathedral interior showing the sexpartite vaulting on the ceiling

In the 1790s, during the radical phase of the  the French Revolution , many of Notre-Dame’s religious imagery and treasures were either damaged, destroyed or plundered. For a time, Lady Liberty replaced the Virgin Mary on several altars. The 13th century spire was torn down and the statues of the biblical kings of Judah , located on a ledge on the facade of the cathedral, were beheaded as they were erroneously thought to be kings of France. Many of the heads were found during a nearby 1977 excavation and are now on display at the Musée de Cluny. However, the cathedral’s great bells managed to avoid being melted down.  In 1793, the cathedral was rededicated to the Cult of Reason, and, later, to the Cult of the Supreme Being. The cathedral came to be used as a warehouse for the storage of food.

The altar area

The altar area

In 1845, a controversial  and extensive  25-year restoration program was initiated and overseen by architects Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus and Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (responsible for the restorations of several dozen castles, palaces and cathedrals across France, he always signed his work with a bat). The restoration included a taller and more ornate reconstruction of the flèche (a type of spire) as well as the addition of the chimeras on the Galerie des Chimères.

Stained glass windows

The very beautiful stained glass windows

During the Second World War, several of the stained glass windows on the lower tier were hit by stray bullets but were remade after the war.  They now sport a modern geometrical patterns not the old scenes of the Bible.  In 1991, a major program of maintenance and further restoration intended to last ten years was initiated.  It included the cleaning and restoration of old sculptures which is an exceedingly delicate matter. By 2014, much of the lighting was upgraded to LED lighting.

Ornate wooden pulpit

Ornate wooden pulpit

Among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports), Notre-Dame was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and nave.  However, after the construction began, the thinner walls grew ever higher and stress fractures began to occur as the walls pushed outward. To remedy this, the cathedral’s architects built supports around the outside walls.  Later additions continued the pattern.

The cathedral's pipe organ

The cathedral’s pipe organ

Around the exterior, many small, individually-crafted statues, including the famous gargoyles and chimeras, were placed to serve as column supports and water spouts. Most of the exterior as well as the statues were originally vividly colored but the paint has since worn off, exposing the  gray stone.

The huge bronze equestrian statue of Charlemagne et ses Leudes (Charlemagne and his Guards)

The huge bronze equestrian statue of Charlemagne et ses Leudes (Charlemagne and his Guards)

As we were on a tight schedule, we didn’t have time to join the extremely long queue climbing several narrow (387 step total, no elevator) spiral staircases, in 3 stages, to the top of the 90 m. high South Tower.  Upon reaching the top, it is possible to view, in close quarters, the cathedral’s Emmanuel Bell, the largest and most famous bell, the flying buttresses and its gargoyles as well as have a spectacular view of the Ile de la Cite. At Notre-Dame, there are 14 millions visitors per year or an average of 40,000 tourists per day.The area around the cathedral has lots of book stalls and cafes.

The author at the Zero Point Marker

The author at the Zero Point Marker

One of several interesting things I did see around Notre Dame was the huge bronze equestrian statue of Charlemagne et ses Leudes (Charlemagne and his Guards), created by brothers Louis and Charles Rochet in 1878. Charlemagne, the King of the Franks and the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 800 A.D. until his death in 814 A.D., is holding a lance or staff while being guided by two leudes, which are believed to be the figures of Oliver and Roland.  Also within the square in front of the cathedral is the Zero Point Marker where all mile markers start from.

L-R: Manny, Kyle, Cheska, Jandy and Grace

L-R: Manny, Kyle, Cheska, Jandy and Grace

NOTE:

On April 15, 2019, the cathedral caught fire (speculated to be linked to ongoing restoration work), destroying the spire, the oak frame and the lead roof but leaving the structure intact. The cathedral is closed while restoration work is ongoing.

Notre Dame Cathedral: 6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France. Tel: +33 1 42 34 56 10. Website: www.notredamedeparis.fr.   Open daily, 7:45 AM – 6.45 PM (7:15 PM on Saturdays and Sundays). Photos without flash are allowed. For those who want to  visit the South Tower (admission: 8,50 €, open 10 AM), the entrance is located outside the cathedral, on the left side of the front at Rue du Cloître Notre-Dame. Even with a Museum Pass, you still have to wait in line just like anyone else.  There are also free organ recitals at 8 PM on most Saturday evenings.

How to Get There: the closest Paris Metro stations to the Notre Dame Cathedral are St-Michel Notre Dame (RER B Train Line, blue), the St-Michel Notre Dame (RER C Train Line, yellow) and the Cité – Line 4 (fuschia). By bus, Lines n°21, 38, 47, 85, 96 (Stop Cité – Palais de Justice);  Line n°47, Balabus (Stop Cité – Parvis de Notre-Dame); Lines n°24, 47 (Stop Notre-Dame – Quai de Montebello); Lines n°24, 47 (Stop Petit Pont); Lines n°24, 27, Balabus (Stop Pont Saint-Michel – Quai des Orfèvres); Lines n°24, 27, 96, Balabus (Stop Saint-Michel); and Lines n°21, 27, 38, 85, 96 (Stop Saint-michel – Saint-Germain).

Mt. Tapyas (Coron, Palawan)

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Mt. Tapyas

Mt. Tapyas

On our third and last day in Coron, Aylin, Issa and I were awake by 5 AM, just in time for us to make it to the town proper, via van, were we hoped to catch the sunrise atop the 210 m. (689 ft.) high Mt. Tapyas, the second highest in Coron.

Mt. Tapyas and its lighted steel cross

Mt. Tapyas and its lighted steel cross

From Ligaya Pier, we could already view the mountain, prominent for its giant steel cross (lighted at night) on its peak. Tapyas, in English, literally means “shaved off” or “chipped” because, during the Liberation, one side of the mountain was literally chipped when American forces bombed the Japanese camp on top.

The concrete stairway

Aylin making her way up the concrete stairway

Mt. Tapyas is not what you might expect as a mountaineering destination. It’s already been developed by the local government to give easy and more convenient access to tourists. Instead of hiking through typical mountain trails, trekkers only need to go up flights of some 724 concrete steps, with metal handrails, to the spacious view deck with concrete benches, just the right amount for a little cardio workout.

Typhoon Yolanda damage

Typhoon Yolanda damage

A typhoon damaged refreshment stall

A typhoon damaged refreshment stall

Our van dropped us off at the base of the stairs, just beside a community basketball court. Going up the mountain on our last morning in Coron, we encountered some groups striding up and down the mountain with minimal effort. Surely, they must be locals.

A repaired resting shed

A recently repaired shaded rest stop

For city slickers like us not used to much walking, we had a hard time “conquering” the mountain. However, there were plenty of landings with shaded benches and picnic tables where we took a breather.  However, many of these  still showed damage from super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan)  which also devastated Coron on November 8, 2013.

Nearing the top

The huge CORON signage

Since it was still very early in the morning, it just took me around 15 to 20 mins. to reach the top.  Once there, the view was amazing. We were treated with a breathtaking panoramic 360-degree view of some of the offshore islands and the surrounding mountains, especially the mountain that they call the “Sleeping Giant.”

The Sleeping Giant

The Sleeping Giant

We also saw the whole of Coron town and appreciated its simplicity. There are two octagonal gazebos at the back but we didn’t go there anymore.  Instead, we made our way back down the mountain.  Our van just arrived, minutes after making it to the base of the mountain, and brought us back to Asia Grand View Hotel.

The steel cross

The steel cross

For first-time visitors to Coron town, it’s highly recommended that they go up Mt. Tapyas. It’s best to climb it early in the morning, to see the sunrise, or before night falls to see the sun setting on Coron Bay. 

Mt. Tapyas (32)

The gorgeous view

The gorgeous view

The spacious view deck

The climb may be grueling, but the gorgeous views atop the mountain make it a great experience truly worth the effort. There are refreshment stalls and vendors that sell bottled water, energy drinks and juice drinks. For those who get regular weekly exercise, this trek should be a breeze.

Watching the sun rise

Watching the sun rise

How To Get There: From the town, entry to the steps to Mt. Tapyas is very accessible. From the main road, just look for the landmark Iglesia ni Cristo Church and San Agustin Street (which turns into the slightly sloping Malvar Street) which leads the way to an elevated basketball court at the base. Road signs point directions to Mount Tapyas view deck.

How to Get to Coron: Skyjet Airlines has 4 times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10:30 AM) flights from Manila (NAIA Terminal 4) to Coron (Francisco Reyes Airport).  Travel time is 30 mins.   

Asia Grand View Hotel: Governor’s Ave., Jolo, Brgy. 5, Coron, Palawan.  Tel:(+632) 788-3385. Mobile number: (0999) 881-7848. E-mail: gsd@asiagrandview.com. Manila sales office: Unit 504, Richmonde Plaza, 21 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City.  Tel: (+632) 695-3078 and 531-8380.  Mobile number: (0917) 550-7373 to 75 Fax: (+632) 695-3078.  E-mail: info@asiagrandview.com. Website: www.asiagrandview.com. 

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

Sangat Island Dive Resort (Coron, Palawan)

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Sangat Island Dive Resort

Sangat Island Dive Resort

The last leg of our Asia Grand View Hotel-sponsored activity was a visit to Sangat Island Dive Resort where Ms. Rhoanne Rose Bolohabo, AGVH Resident Manager, used to work.  From our outrigger boat, Rhoanne, Aylin, Gem, Adora, Joy, Issa, Angelo, Donald and I were picked by the resort’s motor boat while Mike opted to swim the short distance to the shore.  The others decided to stay behind on the boat.

The 300 m. long white sand beach

The 300 m. long white sand beach

Sangat Island Dive Resort, occupying a major portion of the southwestern cusp of postcard-perfect Sangat Island, was opened in 1994.  It has a 300 m. long white sand beach surrounded by towering limestone cliffs and majestic coconut palms.

Bungalow suites

Bungalow suite

The resort has 14 enchanting and quaint, native-styled ecologically “low-impact” guest accommodations with Western-styled bathrooms and ceiling fans, built with locally-available materials such as hand-woven bamboo wall panels, split-bamboo flooring and cogon grass or nipa palm roofing.

Beachfront cottage

Beachfront cottage

They include beachfront and hillside cottages on stilts, a family-friendly bungalow suite complex, the exclusive Hilltop Chalet and the exquisite tri-level, two bedroom Lambingan Villa which has it’s very own private beach. A special one, dubbed the Robinson Crusoe Cottage, is located on an isolated beach off the southwestern coast of the island.

Sangat Island Bar

Sangat Island Bar

Billiard table at Sangat Island Bar

Billiard table at Sangat Island Bar

The resort also has an open-air, beachfront restaurant facility, two full-service bars (the Sangat Island Bar and the open-air, above water Rock Bar), fitness center and souvenir shop. The Sangat Island Bar has a comfortable conversation lounge and a billiard table.

The open-air, above water Rock Bar

The open-air, above water Rock Bar

The author and friends at the boardwalk leading to the Rock Bar

The author and friends at the boardwalk leading to the Rock Bar

The island’s tropical waters, teeming with colorful aquatic life, is also home to 11 historically important World War II ship wrecks. Ten of them are Japanese warships and supply ships sunk by 24 Curtiss SB2C Helldiver dive bombers and 96 Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter escorts (some carrying bombs) of the U.S. Navy on September 24, 1944.  Eight of these are a scant 5 to 30 min. boat ride from the resort’s beachfront.

The fully-equipped dive shop

The fully-equipped dive shop

Sangat Island Dive Resort has a internationally-renowned, comprehensive on-site water sports (sea kayaking, jetskiing, windsurfing, Hobie Cats, etc.) and scuba diving center dive facility with knowledgeable dive center attendants and licensed on-site PADI and SDI instructors.  They offer a wide range of first-class tanks, wet suits, masks, fins, dive computers, and more, plus an air and Nitrox filling station (powered by dual BAUER K14 compressors) and a brand new LW 280 unit which is combined with a 280 Coltrisub nitrox membrane.

Sea kayaks

Sea kayaks

Jetskis

Jetskis

Sangat Island Dive Resort: Sangat Island, Brgy. Bintuan, 5316 Coron, Palawan. Mobile numbers: (0908) 896-1716 and (0916) 400-8801. Website: www.sangat.com.ph,

How to Get There: Sangat Island is a 45-min. motorized outrigger boat ride from Coron town.

How to Get to Coron: Skyjet Airlines has 4 times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10:30 AM) flights from Manila (NAIA Terminal 4) to Coron (Francisco Reyes Airport).  Travel time is 30 mins.   

Asia Grand View Hotel: Governor’s Ave., Jolo, Brgy. 5, Coron, Palawan.  Tel:(+632) 788-3385. Mobile number: (0999) 881-7848. E-mail: gsd@asiagrandview.com. Manila sales office: Unit 504, Richmonde Plaza, 21 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City.  Tel: (+632) 695-3078 and 531-8380.  Mobile number: (0917) 550-7373 to 75 Fax: (+632) 695-3078.  E-mail: info@asiagrandview.com. Website: www.asiagrandview.com. 

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

Pass Island (Coron, Palawan)

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From Culion Island, we again boarded our motorized outrigger boat for the small Pass Island where we were to have lunch.  While we were away touring Culion town, the fresh fish, squid and chicken that we brought along was grilled on board the boat.

Pass Island

The small, postcard-pretty Pass Island

The clean, quiet and very picturesque Pass Island has probably the best beach you can find in all of Coron, with powdery white sand; warm, crystal clear blue waters, palm trees, mangroves on the other side of the island, and a protected coral reef, with different sea life, you can enjoy snorkeling. The beach has a pretty shallow part, perfect for non-swimmers and children.

We weren't alone .....

We weren’t alone …..

For visitors who pay a reasonable entrance fee (PhP200/boat), they have beachside tents and gazebos (PhP100/table) with plastic tables and chairs to dine in, hammocks where you can relax and chill in for free; and more than decent, immaculate bathrooms, definitely a bargain to have.

Making landfall......

Making landfall……

Upon landing, our group stayed at one gazebo where we partook of the grilled fare with steamed rice and soft drinks.  After lunch, Mike, Lindy and I donned our masks and snorkels to explore the island’s nice coral garden stretched along a line of black buoys. The fantastic variety of coral, with lots of small fishes, kept my attention for a good hour or more. The fish swarm around you, hoping for food, truly a surreal experience.  To find the colony of giant clams, I had to inquire its location from a fellow snorkeler.

The powdery white sand beach dotted with colorful flags

The powdery white sand beach dotted with colorful flags

I would definitely recommend this beautiful, pleasant, postcard-pretty and well-maintained island, a  great photo location, to anyone who wants to see a slice of paradise!  Though its sand is not as white and powdery as that in Boracay, don’t let that stop you as it is still a beautiful and definite quieter place. I can say that it was totally worth it. I wish i had an island like this as I could have stayed there all day.  However, we had to leave the island before 3 PM to avoid the big waves.

There's plenty of shade ......

There’s plenty of shade ……

A popular day trip island, the owner of Pass Island also offers overnight packages in bamboo and thatch huts. However, you will have to bring your own food and potable water as the only things they sell are snacks like chips and soda.  Bring portable lamps and flashlights as the island has no electricity.

Quiet contemplation on Pass Island (photo Ms. Lindy E. Pellicer)

Quiet contemplation on Pass Island (photo Ms. Lindy E. Pellicer)

How to Get There: Pass Island is a 1.5-hour boat ride from Coron.

How to Get to Coron: Skyjet Airlines has 4 times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10:30 AM) flights from Manila (NAIA Terminal 4) to Coron (Francisco Reyes Airport).  Travel time is 30 mins.   

Asia Grand View Hotel: Governor’s Ave., Jolo, Brgy. 5, Coron, Palawan.  Tel:(+632) 788-3385. Mobile number: (0999) 881-7848. E-mail: gsd@asiagrandview.com. Manila sales office: Unit 504, Richmonde Plaza, 21 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City.  Tel: (+632) 695-3078 and 531-8380.  Mobile number: (0917) 550-7373 to 75 Fax: (+632) 695-3078.  E-mail: info@asiagrandview.com. Website: www.asiagrandview.com. 

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.