1.
Labyrinth of the Reims Cathedral
–
The Labyrinth of the Reims Cathedral was a church labyrinth installed on the floor of the nave of the Cathedral of Reims. The labyrinth was the shape of a square with cut corners. The paths were 27.94 centimetres wide, separated by lines of blue stone from Ardennes of a width of 11.43 centimetres. The labyrinth was made of stone that wore out beneath the feet of pilgrims. This stone was of the kind as Pierre Libergiers tombstone that is now exhibit in the cathedral. A distinctive aspect of the labyrinth was the inclusion within it of depictions of the masons of the cathedral. In other churches and cathedrals, they are unknown and anonymous, indeed, the identities of these master masons are precisely known, because a survey of the labyrinth was drawn in 1640 by Canon Cocquault and in 1779, just before its destruction, by Robin and Havé. These surveys also contained dates and descriptions of the masons works, the people in the corners of the labyrinth are successive master masons of the cathedral, Jean Orbais made the plans of the cathedral and began the apse. Gaucher de Reims began the arches and portals on the western façade, bernard de Soissons made five vaults of the nave and the great rosace. Bernard de Soissons was in charge during the inauguration of the labyrinth, there is no trace of the fifth contractor, Robert de Coucy, who was in charge from 1290 to 1311 and who oversaw the carpentry and the roof. The masons are represented hard at work, with their tools in hand, for example, Jean dOrbais appears to draw a map on the floor. There were also two other silhouettes on each side of the entrance of the labyrinth, however, these could not be identified because they were already almost completely eroded, the church labyrinths were polychrome pavements symbolizing the rise of Christ at Calvary. Christian people followed them on their knees as a pilgrimage or to win indulgences The labyrinth was inaugurated at the coronation of Philippe le Bel on 6 January 1286. It covered the part of the nave at the third. The labyrinth was destroyed in 1779 by the Canons, who were disturbed by children playing on the labyrinth during ceremonies, a plan to rebuild the labyrinth ran into technical and administrative difficulties. Instead, a choice was made to undertake a reversible and nondamaging reconstruction and this took the form of a light projection on the ground that plays only in the evening, during cultural events. It was inaugurated on 19 September 2009, the labyrinth has been chosen as the national logo for French historical monuments. This logo depicts the labyrinth without people, rotated by 45°, le labyrinthe de la cathédrale de Reims
Labyrinth of the Reims Cathedral
–
The labyrinth with its drawing of people.
Labyrinth of the Reims Cathedral
–
The labyrinth at its place in the nave.
Labyrinth of the Reims Cathedral
–
Enlightenment of the labyrinth at its place in the nave.
2.
National heritage site
–
A national heritage site is a heritage site having a value that has been registered by a governmental agency as being of national importance to the cultural heritage or history of that country. Usually such sites are listed in a register that is open to the public. Usually such a heritage register list is split by type of feature, in many cases a country may maintain more than one register, there are also registers for entities that span more than one country. Each country has its own national heritage list and naming conventions, sites can be added to a list, and are occasionally removed and even destroyed for economic or other reasons. Many countries acknowledge under UNESCO their designation of objects considered to be worthy of having importance to the world or world heritage. These listings also acknowledge the need for a separate list of objects judged part of their own cultural heritage. The concept of a heritage site can be split into many types. Two major types of heritage are immoveable and moveable objects. Immoveable objects are buildings, locations such as gardens or areas such as city districts. Small moveable objects may include old books or artworks, large moveable objects may include automobiles, aircraft, most countries have passed laws to protect national heritage sites, with various classifications for owners. In Europe, many countries uphold the Venice Charter of 1964 though each countrys name and criteria for protection, the UNESCO keeps a list of heritage sites per country that are considered internationally important. These sites are almost always also on the heritage register of the sites country. Cultural heritage List of heritage registers
National heritage site
–
Emblem of the
International Committee of the Blue Shield that uses the protection logo of the
Hague Convention of 1954.
3.
France
–
France, officially the French Republic, is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European, or metropolitan, area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. France spans 643,801 square kilometres and had a population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017. It is a unitary republic with the capital in Paris. Other major urban centres include Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Nice, Toulouse, during the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome, which held Gaul until 486, France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages, with its victory in the Hundred Years War strengthening state-building and political centralisation. During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a colonial empire was established. The 16th century was dominated by civil wars between Catholics and Protestants. France became Europes dominant cultural, political, and military power under Louis XIV, in the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire, whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War, the Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains to this day. Algeria and nearly all the colonies became independent in the 1960s with minimal controversy and typically retained close economic. France has long been a centre of art, science. It hosts Europes fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually, France is a developed country with the worlds sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, France remains a great power in the world, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a member state of the European Union and the Eurozone. It is also a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, originally applied to the whole Frankish Empire, the name France comes from the Latin Francia, or country of the Franks
France
–
One of the
Lascaux paintings: a horse –
Dordogne, approximately 18,000 BC
France
–
Flag
France
–
The
Maison Carrée was a temple of the
Gallo-Roman city of Nemausus (present-day
Nîmes) and is one of the best preserved vestiges of the
Roman Empire.
France
–
With
Clovis ' conversion to Catholicism in 498, the
Frankish monarchy,
elective and
secular until then, became
hereditary and of
divine right.
4.
Cultural heritage
–
Cultural heritage includes tangible culture, intangible culture, and natural heritage. Objects are a part of the study of history because they provide a concrete basis for ideas. Their preservation demonstrates a recognition of the necessity of the past, in The Past is a Foreign Country, David Lowenthal observes that preserved objects also validate memories. This unfortunately poses a danger as places and things are damaged by the hands of tourists, the required to display them. Similarly changing is the value each generation may place on the past, classical civilizations, and especially the Indian, have attributed supreme importance to the preservation of tradition. Its central idea was that institutions, scientific knowledge and technological applications need to use a heritage as a resource. Using contemporary language, we could say that ancient Indians considered, as social resources, ethics considered that what had been inherited should not be consumed, but should be handed over, possibly enriched, to successive generations. This was an imperative for all, except in the final life stage of sannyasa. What one generation considers cultural heritage may be rejected by the next generation, Cultural property includes the physical, or tangible cultural heritage, such as artworks. These are generally split into two groups of movable and immovable heritage, immovable heritage includes buildings, large industrial installations or other historic places and monuments. Moveable heritage includes books, documents, moveable artworks, machines, clothing, and other artifacts and these include objects significant to the archaeology, architecture, science or technology of a specified culture. The concept includes the ways and means of behavior in a society, and these include social values and traditions, customs and practices, aesthetic and spiritual beliefs, artistic expression, language and other aspects of human activity. The significance of artifacts can be interpreted against the backdrop of socioeconomic, political, ethnic, religious. Naturally, intangible heritage is more difficult to preserve than physical objects. These kind of heritage sites often serve as an important component in a countrys tourist industry, Heritage can also include cultural landscapes. As of 2011, there are 936 World Heritage Sites,725 cultural,183 natural, each of these sites is considered important to the international community. The underwater cultural heritage is protected by the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage and this convention is a legal instrument helping states parties to improve the protection of their underwater cultural heritage. In additional, UNESCO has begun designating masterpieces of the Oral, international Institute for Conservation Much of heritage preservation work is done at the national, regional, or local levels of society
Cultural heritage
–
Roman ruins with a prophet, by
Giovanni Pannini, 1751. The artistic cultural heritage of the
Roman Empire served as a foundation for later
Western culture, particularly via the
Renaissance and
Neoclassicism (as exemplified here).
Cultural heritage
–
Classical Ruins by
Hubert Robert, 1798. Elements of tangible culture depicted include the ruins of the obelisk (foreground) and the pyramids (background).
Cultural heritage
–
The Grandfather tells a story, by
Albert Anker, ca. 1884.
Cultural heritage
–
Plaque stating the designation of
Carthage as a World Heritage Site.
5.
Aix-en-Provence
–
Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a city-commune in the south of France, about 30 km north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur, in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône, the population of Aix numbers approximately 143,000. Its inhabitants are called Aixois or, less commonly, Aquisextains, Aix was founded in 123 BC by the Roman consul Sextius Calvinus, who gave his name to its springs, following the destruction of the nearby Gallic oppidum at Entremont. In the 4th century AD it became the metropolis of Narbonensis Secunda and it was occupied by the Visigoths in 477. In the succeeding century, the town was plundered by the Franks and Lombards. Aix passed to the crown of France with the rest of Provence in 1487, and in 1501 Louis XII established there the parliament of Provence, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the town was the seat of the Intendance of Provence. Current archeological excavations in the Ville des Tours, a suburb of Aix, have unearthed the remains of a Roman amphitheatre. The city slopes gently north to south and the Montagne Sainte-Victoire can easily be seen to the east. Aixs position in the south of France gives it a warm climate and it has an average January temperature of 5 °C and a July average of 23 °C. It has an average of 300 days of sunshine and only 91 days of rain, while it is partially protected from the Mistral, Aix still occasionally experiences the cooler and gusty conditions it brings. Unlike most of France which has a climate, Aix-en-Provence has a Mediterranean climate. The Cours Mirabeau is a thoroughfare, planted with double rows of plane-trees, bordered by fine houses. It follows the line of the old city wall and divides the town into two sections. The new town extends to the south and west, the old town, with its narrow, along this avenue, which is lined on one side with banks and on the other with cafés, is the Deux Garçons, the most famous brasserie in Aix. Built in 1792, it has been frequented by the likes of Paul Cézanne, Émile Zola, the Cathedral of the Holy Saviour is situated to the north in the medieval part of Aix. The archbishops palace and a Romanesque cloister adjoin the cathedral on its south side, the Archbishopric of Aix is now shared with Arles. Among its other public institutions, Aix also has the second most important Appeal Court outside of Paris, the Hôtel de Ville, a building in the classical style of the middle of the 17th century, looks onto a picturesque square. It contains some fine woodwork and tapestries, at its side rises a handsome clock-tower erected in 1510
Aix-en-Provence
–
The Round Fountain, or Three Graces, built in 1860
Aix-en-Provence
–
Rue Espariat in Aix-en-Provence.
Aix-en-Provence
–
Les Deux Garçons
Aix-en-Provence
–
Place de l'Hotel de Ville
6.
Alphonse de Lamartine
–
Lamartine was born in Mâcon, Burgundy, on 21 October 1790. His family were members of the French provincial nobility, and he spent his youth at the family estate. Lamartine is famous for his partly autobiographical poem, Le lac, Lamartine was masterly in his use of French poetic forms. Raised a devout Catholic, Lamartine became a pantheist, writing Jocelyn and he wrote Histoire des Girondins in 1847 in praise of the Girondists. Lamartine made his entrance into the field of poetry by a masterpiece, Les Méditations Poétiques and he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1825. He worked for the French embassy in Italy from 1825 to 1828, in 1829, he was elected a member of the Académie française. He was elected a deputy in 1833, from then on he confined himself to prose. He was briefly in charge of the government during the turbulence of 1848 and he was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 24 February 1848 to 11 May 1848. Due to his age, Jacques-Charles Dupont de lEure, Chairman of the Provisional Government. He was then a member of the Executive Commission, the body which served as Frances joint Head of State. Lamartine himself was chosen to declare the Republic in traditional form in the balcony of the Hôtel de Ville, on 25 February 1848 Lamartine said about the Tricoulored Flag, I spoke as a citizen earlier, well. Now listen to me, your Foreign Minister, if I remove the tricolor, know it, you will remove me half the external force of France. Because Europe knows the flag of his defeats and of our victories in the flag of the Republic, by seeing the red flag, theyll see the flag of a party. This is the flag of France, it is the flag of our victorious armies, France and the tricolor is the same thought, the same prestige, even terror, if necessary, for our enemies. Consider how much blood you would have to make for another flag fame, citizens, for me, the red flag, I am not adopting it, and Ill tell you why Im against with all the strength of my patriotism. Its that the tricolor has toured the world with the Republic and the Empire with your freedoms and your glory, a political idealist who supported democracy and pacifism, his moderate stance on most issues caused many of his followers to desert him. He was a candidate in the presidential election of 10 December 1848. He subsequently retired from politics and dedicated himself to literature, Lamartine ended his life in poverty, publishing monthly installments of the Cours familier de littérature to support himself
Alphonse de Lamartine
–
Lamartine, by
Henri Decaisne c. 1839 (Musée de Mâcon).
Alphonse de Lamartine
–
Signature
Alphonse de Lamartine
–
Albumin photograph by
Nadar, 1856.
Alphonse de Lamartine
–
Lamartine in front of the
Hôtel de Ville of
Paris, on February 25, 1848, by
Félix Philippoteaux.
7.
Auvers-sur-Oise
–
Auvers-sur-Oise is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 27.2 km from the centre of Paris and it is associated with several famous artists, the most prominent being Vincent van Gogh. Daubignys house is now a museum where one can see paintings by the artist, his family, if you walk along the river from Auvers toward Pontoise you can see a number of views which figured in the paintings of Pissarro. During the 20th century artists continued to frequent Auvers, including Henri Rousseau, Otto Freundlich, the COBRA artist Corneille spent his last years in the village and is buried a few meters from Vincent van Gogh. On 1 August 1948, 17% of the territory of Auvers-sur-Oise was detached, Dr. Paul Gachet lived in Auvers-sur-Oise. He was acquainted with the artists of the time. Through this connection, Vincent van Gogh moved to Auvers to be treated by him, Gachet befriended Van Gogh and was the subject of two portraits, one of which, Portrait of Dr. Gachet, was sold at auction for over $80m in 1990. Van Gogh died by a gunshot to the chest, the room on the upper floor of the Auberge Ravoux where he died has been preserved, although no furniture remains. Auvers-sur-Oise is the resting place of both Vincent and his brother Theo van Gogh, who died six months later. Auvers-sur-Oise in art Auvers-sur-Oise is served by two stations on the Transilien Paris – Nord suburban rail line, Chaponval and Auvers-sur-Oise. Communes of the Val-dOise department Auvers during the time of Vincent van Gogh INSEE Association of Mayors of the Val d’Oise Official website The Complete Works of Vincent van Gogh
Auvers-sur-Oise
–
The Château de Leyrit, built in the 17th and 18th centuries
Auvers-sur-Oise
–
L’Auberge Ravoux, where Vincent van Gogh spent his final months and where he died. It is now a restaurant.
Auvers-sur-Oise
–
View from the staircase leading up to Van Gogh's room in L'Auberge Ravoux
Auvers-sur-Oise
–
Vincent and Theo van Gogh's graves in Auvers-sur-Oise.
8.
Vincent van Gogh
–
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings and his suicide at 37 followed years of mental illness and poverty. Born into a family, Van Gogh drew as a child and was serious, quiet. As a young man he worked as an art dealer, often travelling and he turned to religion, and spent time as a Protestant missionary in southern Belgium. He drifted in ill health and solitude before taking up painting in 1881 and his younger brother Theo supported him financially, and the two kept up a long correspondence by letter. His early works, mostly still lifes and depictions of peasant labourers, in 1886 he moved to Paris, where he met members of the avant-garde, including Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, who were reacting against the Impressionist sensibility. As his work developed he created a new approach to still lifes and his paintings grew brighter in colour as he developed a style that became fully realised during his stay in Arles in the south of France in 1888. During this period he broadened his subject matter to include trees, cypresses, wheat fields. Van Gogh suffered from episodes and delusions and though he worried about his mental stability, he often neglected his physical health, did not eat properly. His friendship with Gauguin ended after a confrontation with a razor and he spent time in psychiatric hospitals, including a period at Saint-Rémy. After he discharged himself and moved to the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris and his depression continued and on 27 July 1890, Van Gogh shot himself in the chest with a revolver. He died from his injuries two days later, Van Gogh was unsuccessful during his lifetime, and was considered a madman and a failure. He became famous after his suicide, and exists in the imagination as the quintessential misunderstood genius. His reputation began to grow in the early 20th century as elements of his style came to be incorporated by the Fauves. The most comprehensive source on Van Gogh is the correspondence between him and his younger brother, Theo. Their lifelong friendship, and most of what is known of Vincents thoughts, Theo van Gogh was an art dealer and provided his brother with financial and emotional support, and access to influential people on the contemporary art scene. Theo kept all of Vincents letters to him, Vincent kept few of the letters he received, after both had died, Theos widow Johanna arranged for the publication of some of their letters. A few appeared in 1906 and 1913, the majority were published in 1914, Vincents letters are eloquent and expressive and have been described as having a diary-like intimacy, and read in parts like autobiography
Vincent van Gogh
–
Self-Portrait, Spring 1887, Oil on pasteboard, 42 × 33.7 cm.,
Art Institute of Chicago (F 345)
Vincent van Gogh
–
Vincent c. 1871-1872 aged 18. This photograph was taken at the time when he was working at the branch of
Goupil & Cie 's gallery in
The Hague.
Vincent van Gogh
–
Vincent c. 1866, approx. age 13
Vincent van Gogh
–
Van Gogh's drawing of
87 Hackford Road
9.
French Revolution
–
Through the Revolutionary Wars, it unleashed a wave of global conflicts that extended from the Caribbean to the Middle East. Historians widely regard the Revolution as one of the most important events in human history, the causes of the French Revolution are complex and are still debated among historians. Following the Seven Years War and the American Revolutionary War, the French government was deeply in debt, Years of bad harvests leading up to the Revolution also inflamed popular resentment of the privileges enjoyed by the clergy and the aristocracy. Demands for change were formulated in terms of Enlightenment ideals and contributed to the convocation of the Estates-General in May 1789, a central event of the first stage, in August 1789, was the abolition of feudalism and the old rules and privileges left over from the Ancien Régime. The next few years featured political struggles between various liberal assemblies and right-wing supporters of the intent on thwarting major reforms. The Republic was proclaimed in September 1792 after the French victory at Valmy, in a momentous event that led to international condemnation, Louis XVI was executed in January 1793. External threats closely shaped the course of the Revolution, internally, popular agitation radicalised the Revolution significantly, culminating in the rise of Maximilien Robespierre and the Jacobins. Large numbers of civilians were executed by revolutionary tribunals during the Terror, after the Thermidorian Reaction, an executive council known as the Directory assumed control of the French state in 1795. The rule of the Directory was characterised by suspended elections, debt repudiations, financial instability, persecutions against the Catholic clergy, dogged by charges of corruption, the Directory collapsed in a coup led by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799. The modern era has unfolded in the shadow of the French Revolution, almost all future revolutionary movements looked back to the Revolution as their predecessor. The values and institutions of the Revolution dominate French politics to this day, the French Revolution differed from other revolutions in being not merely national, for it aimed at benefiting all humanity. Globally, the Revolution accelerated the rise of republics and democracies and it became the focal point for the development of all modern political ideologies, leading to the spread of liberalism, radicalism, nationalism, socialism, feminism, and secularism, among many others. The Revolution also witnessed the birth of total war by organising the resources of France, historians have pointed to many events and factors within the Ancien Régime that led to the Revolution. Over the course of the 18th century, there emerged what the philosopher Jürgen Habermas called the idea of the sphere in France. A perfect example would be the Palace of Versailles which was meant to overwhelm the senses of the visitor and convince one of the greatness of the French state and Louis XIV. Starting in the early 18th century saw the appearance of the sphere which was critical in that both sides were active. In France, the emergence of the public sphere outside of the control of the saw the shift from Versailles to Paris as the cultural capital of France. In the 1750s, during the querelle des bouffons over the question of the quality of Italian vs, in 1782, Louis-Sébastien Mercier wrote, The word court no longer inspires awe amongst us as in the time of Louis XIV
French Revolution
–
The
August Insurrection in 1792 precipitated the last days of the monarchy.
French Revolution
–
The French government faced a fiscal crisis in the 1780s, and King Louis XVI was blamed for mishandling these affairs.
French Revolution
–
Caricature of the Third Estate carrying the First Estate (clergy) and the Second Estate (nobility) on its back.
French Revolution
–
The meeting of the Estates General on 5 May 1789 at Versailles.
10.
Alexandre Lenoir
–
Marie Alexandre Lenoir was a French archaeologist. Self-taught and devoted to saving Frances historic monuments, sculptures and tombs from the ravages of the French Revolution, notably those of Saint-Denis, the ravages of the Revolution caused the birth of the Musée des monuments français. Thanks to support from Jean Sylvain Bailly, Alexandre Lenoir successfully demanded that all art objects from state properties be gathered together in this museum and these objects were confiscated at different religious houses and stored in a single place to avoid their dispersal and destruction. On 1 August 1793, the National Convention decreed that the tombs of former kings should be destroyed, Alexandre Lenoir witnessed the destruction of the royal tombs, with the bones thrown into a ditch. He struggled against revolutionary vandalism and managed to save statues and loot which he stored at the couvent des Petits-Augustins, in 1795, he opened the Musée des monuments français to the public — he was its administrator for 30 years. In 1816, under the Bourbon Restoration, he had to return the majority of his collections to their former public and his wife, Adélaïde Binart, exhibited at the Salons under the name Adélaïde Lenoir. 1878-1887 Froissart, Jean-Luc, Alexandre, Albert et Angéline Lenoir, Une dynastie en A majeur, Paris, 1789-1799, Robert Laffont, Bouquins collection, Paris,1987
Alexandre Lenoir
–
Alexandre Lenoir by
Jacques-Louis David (1815-1817), Paris
musée du Louvre.
Alexandre Lenoir
–
Alexandre Lenoir by Marie-Geneviève Bouliard 1796.
Alexandre Lenoir
–
Napoleon and
Joséphine visiting the Musée des monuments français with Alexandre Lenoir.
Alexandre Lenoir
–
Alexandre Lenoir by
Pierre-Maximilien Delafontaine. Alexandre Lenoir holding the urn containing the ashes of
Molière in front of the tomb of
Francis I of France on show at the Musée.
11.
Reims Cathedral
–
Notre-Dame de Reims is a Roman Catholic church in Reims, France. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Reims, where the kings of France were crowned. The cathedral replaced a church, destroyed by fire in 1211. That original structure had itself been erected on the site of some Roman baths, a major tourism destination, the cathedral receives about one million visitors annually. Excavations have shown that the present building occupies roughly the site as the original cathedral. That church was rebuilt during the Carolingian period and further extended in the 12th century, on 19 May 1051, King Henry I of France and Anne of Kiev were married in the cathedral. Whilst conducting the Council of Reims in 1131, Pope Innocent II anointed and crowned the future Louis VII in the cathedral, on May 6,1210 the cathedral was damaged by fire and reconstruction started shortly after, beginning at the eastern end. In 1233 a long-running dispute between the chapter and the townsfolk boiled over into open revolt. Several clerics were killed or injured during the violence and the entire cathedral chapter fled the city. Work on the new cathedral was suspended for three years, only resuming in 1236 after the clergy returned to the city and the interdict was lifted following mediation by the King and the Pope. The area from the crossing eastwards was in use by 1241, work on the west facade took place in several phases, which is reflected in the very different styles of some of the sculptures. The upper parts of the facade were completed in the 14th century, unusually the names of the cathedrals original architects are known. The labyrinth itself was destroyed in 1779 but its details and inscriptions are known from 18th century drawings, the clear association here between a labyrinth and master masons adds weight to the argument that such patterns were an allusion to the emerging status of the architect. The cathedral also contains evidence of the rising status of the architect in the tomb of Hugues Libergier. Not only is he given the honor of a slab, he is shown holding a miniature model of his church. The towers,81 m tall, were designed to rise 120 m. The south tower holds just two great bells, one of them, named “Charlotte” by Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine in 1570, following the death of the infant King John I, his uncle Philip would be hurriedly crowned at Reims,9 January 1317. During the Hundred Years War the cathedral and city were under siege by the English from 1359 to 1360, but the siege failed
Reims Cathedral
–
Façade of the Notre-Dame de Reims
Reims Cathedral
–
Reims Cathedral, view from north-east
Reims Cathedral
–
Coronation of
Charles VII in 1429.
Reims Cathedral
–
Exterior view of the
chevet.
12.
World Heritage Site
–
A World Heritage Site is a landmark which has been officially recognized by the United Nations, specifically by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Sites are selected on the basis of having cultural, historical, scientific or some form of significance. UNESCO regards these sites as being important to the interests of humanity. The programme catalogues, names, and conserves sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common culture, under certain conditions, listed sites can obtain funds from the World Heritage Fund. The program was founded with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the Worlds Cultural and Natural Heritage, since then,192 state parties have ratified the convention, making it one of the most adhered to international instruments. As of July 2016,1052 sites are listed,814 cultural,203 natural, in 1959, the governments of Egypt and Sudan requested UNESCO to assist their countries to protect and rescue the endangered monuments and sites. In 1960, the Director-General of UNESCO launched an appeal to the Member States for an International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia, the campaign, which ended in 1980, was considered a success. The project cost $80 million, about $40 million of which was collected from 50 countries, the projects success led to other safeguarding campaigns, saving Venice and its lagoon in Italy, the ruins of Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan, and the Borobodur Temple Compounds in Indonesia. UNESCO then initiated, with the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the United States initiated the idea of cultural conservation with nature conservation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature developed similar proposals in 1968, the Convention came into force on 17 December 1975. As of June 2016, it has been ratified by 192 states, including 188 UN member states plus the Cook Islands, the Holy See, Niue, a country must first list its significant cultural and natural sites, the result is called the Tentative List. A country may not nominate sites that have not been first included on the Tentative List, next, it can place sites selected from that list into a Nomination File. The Nomination File is evaluated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and these bodies then make their recommendations to the World Heritage Committee. There are ten selection criteria – a site must meet at least one of them to be included on the list, up to 2004, there were six criteria for cultural heritage and four criteria for natural heritage. In 2005, this was modified so there is now only one set of ten criteria. Nominated sites must be of outstanding value and meet at least one of the ten criteria. Thus, the Geneva Convention treaty promulgates, Article 53, PROTECTION OF CULTURAL OBJECTS AND OF PLACES OF WORSHIP. There are 1,052 World Heritage Sites located in 165 States Party, of these,814 are cultural,203 are natural and 35 are mixed properties
World Heritage Site
–
Site #252:
Taj Mahal, an example of cultural heritage site
World Heritage Site
–
Logo of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
World Heritage Committee
World Heritage Site
–
Site #156:
Serengeti National Park, an example of natural heritage site
World Heritage Site
–
Site #274:
Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, an example of mixed heritage site
13.
Eiffel Tower
–
The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed, the Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world,6.91 million people ascended it in 2015. The tower is 324 metres tall, about the height as an 81-storey building. Its base is square, measuring 125 metres on each side, due to the addition of a broadcasting aerial at the top of the tower in 1957, it is now taller than the Chrysler Building by 5.2 metres. Excluding transmitters, the Eiffel Tower is the second-tallest structure in France after the Millau Viaduct, the tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second levels. The top levels upper platform is 276 m above the ground – the highest observation deck accessible to the public in the European Union, tickets can be purchased to ascend by stairs or lift to the first and second levels. The climb from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, although there is a staircase to the top level, it is usually only accessible by lift. Eiffel openly acknowledged that inspiration for a tower came from the Latting Observatory built in New York City in 1853, sauvestre added decorative arches to the base of the tower, a glass pavilion to the first level, and other embellishments. Little progress was made until 1886, when Jules Grévy was re-elected as president of France and Édouard Lockroy was appointed as minister for trade. On 12 May, a commission was set up to examine Eiffels scheme and its rivals, which, after some debate about the exact location of the tower, a contract was signed on 8 January 1887. Eiffel was to all income from the commercial exploitation of the tower during the exhibition. He later established a company to manage the tower, putting up half the necessary capital himself. The proposed tower had been a subject of controversy, drawing criticism from those who did not believe it was feasible and these objections were an expression of a long-standing debate in France about the relationship between architecture and engineering. And for twenty years … we shall see stretching like a blot of ink the hateful shadow of the column of bolted sheet metal. Gustave Eiffel responded to criticisms by comparing his tower to the Egyptian pyramids. Will it not also be grandiose in its way, and why would something admirable in Egypt become hideous and ridiculous in Paris. Indeed, Garnier was a member of the Tower Commission that had examined the various proposals, some of the protesters changed their minds when the tower was built, others remained unconvinced. Guy de Maupassant supposedly ate lunch in the restaurant every day because it was the one place in Paris where the tower was not visible
Eiffel Tower
–
The Eiffel Tower as seen from the
Champ de Mars
Eiffel Tower
–
First drawing of the Eiffel Tower by Maurice Koechlin including size comparison with other Parisian landmarks such as
Notre Dame de Paris, the
Statue of Liberty and the
Vendôme Column
Eiffel Tower
–
A
calligram by
Guillaume Apollinaire
14.
Louvre
–
The Louvre or the Louvre Museum is the worlds largest museum and a historic monument in Paris, France. A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the citys 1st arrondissement, approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of 72,735 square metres. The Louvre is the second most visited museum after the Palace Museum in China. 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 visible in the basement of the museum. Due to the expansion of the city, the fortress eventually lost its defensive function and. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace, 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 museum to display the nations masterpieces. The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, because of structural problems with the building, the museum was closed in 1796 until 1801. The collection was increased under Napoleon and the museum renamed Musée Napoléon, the collection was further increased during the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, and during the Second French Empire the museum gained 20,000 pieces. Holdings have grown steadily through donations and bequests since the Third Republic, whether this was the first building on that spot is not known, it is possible that Philip modified an existing tower. According to the authoritative Grand Larousse encyclopédique, the name derives from an association with wolf hunting den, in the 7th century, St. Fare, an abbess in Meaux, left part of her Villa called Luvra situated in the region of Paris to a monastery. This territory probably did not correspond exactly to the modern site, the Louvre Palace was altered frequently throughout the Middle Ages. In the 14th century, Charles V converted the building into a residence and in 1546, Francis acquired what would become the nucleus of the Louvres holdings, his acquisitions including Leonardo da Vincis Mona Lisa. After Louis XIV chose Versailles as his residence in 1682, constructions slowed, however, on 14 October 1750, Louis XV agreed and sanctioned a display of 96 pieces from the royal collection, mounted in the Galerie royale de peinture of the Luxembourg Palace. Under Louis XVI, the museum idea became policy. The comte dAngiviller broadened the collection and in 1776 proposed conversion of the Grande Galerie of the Louvre – which contained maps – into the French Museum, many proposals were offered for the Louvres renovation into a museum, however, none was agreed on. Hence the museum remained incomplete until the French Revolution, during the French Revolution the Louvre was transformed into a public museum. In May 1791, the Assembly declared that the Louvre would be a place for bringing together monuments of all the sciences, on 10 August 1792, Louis XVI was imprisoned and the royal collection in the Louvre became national property
Louvre
–
the Richelieu wing (2005)
Louvre
–
The only portion of the medieval Louvre still visible
Louvre
–
Antonio Canova 's
Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss was commissioned in 1787, donated in 1824.
Louvre
–
The
Venus de Milo was added to the Louvre's collection during the reign of
Louis XVIII.
15.
Palais Garnier
–
The Palais Garnier is a 1, 979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. The Paris Opera now mainly uses the Palais Garnier for ballet, the Palais Garnier has been called probably the most famous opera house in the world, a symbol of Paris like Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, or the Sacré Coeur Basilica. This opinion is far from unanimous however, the 20th-century French architect Le Corbusier once described it as a lying art, the Palais Garnier is a building of exceptional opulence. The style is monumental and considered Second-Empire Beaux-Arts style with axial symmetry in plan and these include very elaborate multicolored marble friezes, columns, and lavish statuary, many of which portray deities of Greek mythology. The principal facade is on the side of the building, overlooking the Place de lOpéra. Fourteen painters, mosaicists and seventy-three sculptors participated in the creation of its ornamentation, the two gilded figural groups, Charles Gumerys LHarmonie and La Poésie, crown the apexes of the principal facades left and right avant-corps. They are both made of gilt copper electrotype, the facade also incorporates other work by Gumery, Alexandre Falguière, and others. On the left and right lateral returns of the front facade are busts of the librettists Eugène Scribe and Philippe Quinault, when the Empire fell, work stopped, leaving unfinished dressed stonework. It is covered by a 13.5 metre diameter dome, two pairs of obelisks marking the entrances of the Rotunda to the north and the south. The interior consists of interweaving corridors, stairwells, alcoves and landings allowing the movement of large numbers of people, rich with velvet, gold leaf, and cherubim and nymphs, the interior is characteristic of Baroque sumptuousness. The building features a ceremonial staircase of white marble with a balustrade of red and green marble. Its design was inspired by Victor Louiss grand staircase for the Théâtre de Bordeaux, the pedestals of the staircase are decorated with female torchères, created by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse. When they were first fixed in two months before the opening of the building it was obvious to Garnier that they were too dark for the space. With the help of two of his students, Pils had to rework the canvases while they were in place overhead on the ceiling and, at the age of 61, he fell ill. His students had to finish the work, which was completed the day before the opening and this hall 18 meters high,154 meters long and 13 meters wide was designed to act as a drawing room for Paris society. Its ceiling was painted by Paul-Jacques-Aimé Baudry and represents various moments in the history of music, the foyer opens into an outside loggia at each end of which are the Salon de la Lune and Salon du Soleil. The auditorium has a traditional Italian horseshoe shape and can seat 1,979, the stage is the largest in Europe and can accommodate as many as 450 artists. The canvas house curtain was painted to represent a draped curtain, complete with tassels, the ceiling area, which surrounds the chandelier, was originally painted by Jules Eugène Lenepveu
Palais Garnier
–
The façade of the Palais Garnier opera house
Palais Garnier
–
Plan of the Palais Garnier
Palais Garnier
–
Gumery 's L'Harmonie (1869), atop the left
avant-corps of the façade, is 7.5 metres (25 ft) of gilt copper electrotype
Palais Garnier
–
Facade of the Palais Garnier with labels indicating the locations of various sculptures
16.
Notre Dame de Paris
–
Notre-Dame de Paris, also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral or simply Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. The naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture, as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame contains the cathedra of the Archbishop of Paris, currently Cardinal André Vingt-Trois. The cathedral treasury contains a reliquary, which some of Catholicisms most important relics, including the purported Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross. In the 1790s, Notre-Dame suffered desecration in the phase of the French Revolution when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. An extensive restoration supervised by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc began in 1845, a project of further restoration and maintenance began in 1991. The Notre-Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress, in response, the cathedrals architects built supports around the outside walls, and later additions continued the pattern. The total surface area is 5,500 m², many small individually crafted statues were placed around the outside to serve as column supports and water spouts. Among these are the famous gargoyles, designed for water run-off, the statues were originally colored as was most of the exterior. The cathedral was complete by 1345. It is possible therefore that the faults with the structure were exaggerated by the Bishop to help justify the rebuilding in a newer style. According to legend, Sully had a vision of a new cathedral for Paris. To begin the construction, the bishop had several houses demolished and had a new road built to transport materials for the rest of the cathedral. Construction began in 1163 during the reign of Louis VII, however, both were at the ceremony. Bishop de Sully went on to devote most of his life, construction of the choir took from 1163 until around 1177 and the new High Altar was consecrated in 1182. By this stage, the facade had also been laid out. Numerous architects worked on the site over the period of construction, between 1210 and 1220, the fourth architect oversaw the construction of the level with the rose window and the great halls beneath the towers. Shortly afterwards Pierre de Montreuil executed a similar scheme on the southern transept,1160 Maurice de Sully orders the original cathedral demolished
Notre Dame de Paris
–
The southern facade of Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris
–
The western facade illuminated at night
Notre Dame de Paris
–
The spire and east side of the cathedral
Notre Dame de Paris
–
The Archaeological Crypt of Notre-Dame de Paris.
17.
Napoleon I
–
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the French Revolutionary Wars. As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814, Napoleon dominated European and global affairs for more than a decade while leading France against a series of coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars. He won most of these wars and the vast majority of his battles, one of the greatest commanders in history, his wars and campaigns are studied at military schools worldwide. Napoleons political and cultural legacy has ensured his status as one of the most celebrated and he was born Napoleone di Buonaparte in Corsica to a relatively modest family from the minor nobility. When the Revolution broke out in 1789, Napoleon was serving as an officer in the French army. Seizing the new opportunities presented by the Revolution, he rose through the ranks of the military. The Directory eventually gave him command of the Army of Italy after he suppressed a revolt against the government from royalist insurgents, in 1798, he led a military expedition to Egypt that served as a springboard to political power. He engineered a coup in November 1799 and became First Consul of the Republic and his ambition and public approval inspired him to go further, and in 1804 he became the first Emperor of the French. Intractable differences with the British meant that the French were facing a Third Coalition by 1805, in 1806, the Fourth Coalition took up arms against him because Prussia became worried about growing French influence on the continent. Napoleon quickly defeated Prussia at the battles of Jena and Auerstedt, then marched the Grand Army deep into Eastern Europe, France then forced the defeated nations of the Fourth Coalition to sign the Treaties of Tilsit in July 1807, bringing an uneasy peace to the continent. Tilsit signified the high watermark of the French Empire, hoping to extend the Continental System and choke off British trade with the European mainland, Napoleon invaded Iberia and declared his brother Joseph the King of Spain in 1808. The Spanish and the Portuguese revolted with British support, the Peninsular War lasted six years, featured extensive guerrilla warfare, and ended in victory for the Allies. The Continental System caused recurring diplomatic conflicts between France and its client states, especially Russia, unwilling to bear the economic consequences of reduced trade, the Russians routinely violated the Continental System and enticed Napoleon into another war. The French launched an invasion of Russia in the summer of 1812. The resulting campaign witnessed the collapse of the Grand Army, the destruction of Russian cities, in 1813, Prussia and Austria joined Russian forces in a Sixth Coalition against France. A lengthy military campaign culminated in a large Allied army defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, the Allies then invaded France and captured Paris in the spring of 1814, forcing Napoleon to abdicate in April. He was exiled to the island of Elba near Rome and the Bourbons were restored to power, however, Napoleon escaped from Elba in February 1815 and took control of France once again. The Allies responded by forming a Seventh Coalition, which defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in June, the British exiled him to the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, where he died six years later at the age of 51
Napoleon I
–
The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries, by
Jacques-Louis David, 1812
Napoleon I
–
Napoleon's father
Carlo Buonaparte was
Corsica 's representative to the court of
Louis XVI of France.
Napoleon I
–
Napoleon Bonaparte, aged 23, Lieutenant-Colonel of a battalion of Corsican
Republican volunteers
Napoleon I
–
Bonaparte at the
Siege of Toulon
18.
French Basque Country
–
The French Basque Country, or Northern Basque Country is a region lying on the west of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since 1 January 2017, it constitutes the Basque Municipal Community presided over by Jean-René Etchegaray, the population included in the Basque Municipal Community amounts to 295,970 inhabitants distributed in 158 municipalities. Bayonne and Biarritz are its chief towns, included in the Basque Eurocity Bayonne-San Sebastián Euroregion, the present-day territory was inhabited by the Tarbelli and the Sibulates, tribal divisions of the Aquitani. When Caesar conquered Gaul he found all the south and west of the Garonne inhabited by a people known as the Aquitani. In the early Roman times, the region was first known as Aquitania, and later, the County of Vasconia was created extending around the Adour River. In this period northern Basques surely participated in the battles of Roncevaux against the Franks. He became Duke of Vasconia after submitting to Charles the Bald, at this point, Basque language was losing ground to vulgar and written Latin and was increasingly confined to the lands around the Pyrénées. The lands to the south of the Adour became Labourd, encompassing initially a bigger region than the territory around the Nive. In 1020 Gascony ceded its juridsiction over Labourd, then also including Lower Navarre and this monarch made it a Viscounty in 1023. With the end of the Hundred Years War, Labourd and Soule passed to the Crown of France as autonomous provinces. After the conquest of Upper Navarre by Castile in 1512–21, the still independent north-Pyrenean part of Navarre took the lead of the Huguenot party in the French Wars of Religion, in this time the Bible was first translated into the Basque language. Eventually Henry III of Navarre became King of France but kept Navarre as a independent state. After Axulars accomplished book, other Basque writing authors followed suit, especially in Labourd, in 1677 it was translated to Basque by Pierre Etxeberri. However, during the 17 and 18th century that activity saw a decline as the English took over from the Basques. However, eventually the brothers Garat from Labourd voted for the new out of hopes to get a say in future political decisions. The three Basque provinces were then shaken by events after the intervention of the French Convention army during the War of the Pyrenees. It became a matter of concern discussed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Dominique Garat, as of 1814, traditional cross-Pyrenean trade fell conspicuously, starting a period of economic stagnation. Eventually, trade across the Pyrénées border was cut off after the First Carlist War, in Soule, the emigration trend was mitigated by the establishment circa 1864 of a flourishing espadrille industry in Mauleon that attracted workers from Roncal and Aragon too
French Basque Country
–
Bilingual French-Basque language signage in
Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle
French Basque Country
–
Northern Basque Country in green
French Basque Country
–
Basque pelota courts are found in most villages
French Basque Country
–
Stone decoration in
Armendarits, "This house was made by Betiri Echarte and Aimia Iriarte"
19.
List of World Heritage Sites in France
–
This is a list of World Heritage Sites in France with properties of cultural and natural heritage in France as inscribed on UNESCOs World Heritage List or as on the countrys tentative list. Currently, forty-one properties in France are inscribed on the World Heritage List, thirty-seven of these are cultural properties, three are natural properties, and one is mixed. The first was added to the list in 1979 and the latest in 2015, five properties were submitted in 1979. The tentative list of France contains 37 properties, the names in the tables below are the names of the properties as used on the website of UNESCO. There are three different types of possible, cultural, natural, and mixed. Selection criteria i, ii, iii, iv, v, and vi are the criteria, and selection criteria vii, viii, ix. The dates for the properties on the World Heritage List are the dates of inscription, the numbers are the reference numbers as used by UNESCO, and they link directly to the description pages of the properties on the UNESCO website. Property names as submitted by France and year of inscription on Tentative List, translation of site names provided in italics for reference purposes, official translation of site name proposed only once site is put forward for consideration on World Heritage List. Carnac megalithic sites Cathédrale de Saint-Denis,1996, Saint-Denis Cathedral Rouen, ensemble urbain à pans de bois, cathédrale, église Saint-Ouen, église Saint Maclou,1996. Rouen, timber-framed urban area, Rouen Cathedral, Basilica of Saint Ouen, Vaux-le-Vicomte Castle Les villes bastionnées des Pays-Bas du nord-ouest de lEurope,1996. Fortified cities of the Low Countries of north-western Europe Le massif forestier de Fontainebleau,1996, forest of Fontainebleau Montagne Sainte-Victoire et sites cézaniens,1996. Mount Saint Victoire and Paul Cézanne sites Ensemble de grottes à concrétions du Sud de la France,2000, concretion cave complexes in southern France Parc national de la Vanois,2000. Vanois National Park Massif du Mont Blanc,2000, the Camargue Bouches de Bonifacio,2002. Straight of Bonifacio Parc national des Écrins,2002, Écrins National Park Parc national de Port-Cros,2002. Port Cros National Park Marais salants de Guérande,2002, Guérande salt marshes Le rivage méditerranéen des Pyrénées,2002. Mediterranean shore of the Pyrenees Mountains Rade de Marseille,2002, bay of Marseille Les villes antiques de la Narbonnaise et leur territoire, Nîmes, Arles, Glanum, aqueducts, via Domitia,2002. Roman Narbonensian cities and area, Nîmes, Arles, Glanum, aqueducts, Cerdagne railway Office National dÉtudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales, Meudon,2002. National Aerospace Research Centre, Meudon Hangar Y,2002, Hangar Y Ancienne chocolaterie Menier à Noisiel,2002
List of World Heritage Sites in France
List of World Heritage Sites in France
List of World Heritage Sites in France
20.
National Heritage Site
–
A national heritage site is a heritage site having a value that has been registered by a governmental agency as being of national importance to the cultural heritage or history of that country. Usually such sites are listed in a register that is open to the public. Usually such a heritage register list is split by type of feature, in many cases a country may maintain more than one register, there are also registers for entities that span more than one country. Each country has its own national heritage list and naming conventions, sites can be added to a list, and are occasionally removed and even destroyed for economic or other reasons. Many countries acknowledge under UNESCO their designation of objects considered to be worthy of having importance to the world or world heritage. These listings also acknowledge the need for a separate list of objects judged part of their own cultural heritage. The concept of a heritage site can be split into many types. Two major types of heritage are immoveable and moveable objects. Immoveable objects are buildings, locations such as gardens or areas such as city districts. Small moveable objects may include old books or artworks, large moveable objects may include automobiles, aircraft, most countries have passed laws to protect national heritage sites, with various classifications for owners. In Europe, many countries uphold the Venice Charter of 1964 though each countrys name and criteria for protection, the UNESCO keeps a list of heritage sites per country that are considered internationally important. These sites are almost always also on the heritage register of the sites country. Cultural heritage List of heritage registers
National Heritage Site
–
Emblem of the
International Committee of the Blue Shield that uses the protection logo of the
Hague Convention of 1954.
21.
Tourism in France
–
France was visited by 85.7 million foreign tourists in 2013, making it the most popular tourist destination in the world. It is, however, only third, and not also first, 20% more tourists spent less than half as much as they did in the United States. Small and picturesque French villages of quality heritage are promoted through the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, the Remarkable Gardens label is a list of the over two hundred gardens classified by the French Ministry of Culture. This label is intended to protect and promote remarkable gardens and parks, in 2012, travel and tourism directly contributed EUR77.7 billion to French GDP, 30% of which comes from international visitors and 70% from domestic tourism spending. The total contribution of travel and tourism represents 9. 7% of GDP, Tourism contributes significantly to the balance of payments. The Cité des Sciences et de lIndustrie is the biggest science museum in Europe, located in Parc de la Villette in Paris, France, it is at the heart of the Cultural Center of Science, Technology and Industry, a center promoting science and science culture. Near Paris is the Palace of Versailles, the palace of the kings of France. With more than 10 million tourists a year, the French Riviera, in south-eastern France, is the leading tourist destination in the country. Each year the Côte dAzur hosts 50% of the worlds superyacht fleet, a large part of Provence is designed as the 2013 European Capital of Culture. Numerous famous natural sites can be found in the region, as the Gorges du Verdon, the natural park of Camargue, the national park of calanques. Provence hosts dozens of renowned historical sites like the Pont du Gard, several cities also attracts a lot of tourists, like Aix-en-Provence, Marseille or Cassis, on the Mediterranean Sea coastline. France has many cities of cultural interest, some of them are classified as Town of Art, Aix-en-Provence Amiens and its cathedral Annecy with the lake and the mountains Avignon with the Popes palace. Arles, Arles has important remains of Roman times, which have been listed as World Heritage Sites since 1981, notably its amphitheatre, bayeux and its Tapestry Museum, housing the tapestry Bordeaux, Bordeaux is classified Town of Art and History. The city is home to 362 monuments historiques with some dating back to Roman times. Bordeaux has been inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List as an outstanding urban, Bordeaux is home to one of Europes biggest 18th-century architectural urban areas, making it a sought-after destination for tourists and cinema production crews. In its designation, UNESCO cited the testimony to the continuity of urban settlement over more than two millennia on a site of great commercial and strategic significance. Mâcon, well known for its wine and the Rock of Solutre, Metz, Metz possesses one of the largest Urban Conservation Area in France and more than 100 buildings of the city are classified on the Monument Historique list. Because of its historical and cultural background, Metz benefits from its designation as Town of Art, the city features noteworthy buildings such as the Gothic Saint-Stephen Cathedral, the Basilica of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains, its Station Palace, or its Opera House, the oldest one working in France
Tourism in France
–
The
Mont Saint-Michel in
Normandy.
Tourism in France
–
The Eiffel Tower from the
Place du Trocadéro
Tourism in France
–
Saint-Tropez on the Côte d'Azur.
Tourism in France
–
Château de Chenonceau (Loire Valley).
