Less than a kilometer separates the Louvre with its once throne rooms from the Greve Square, which for many centuries served as a frontal place.
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And this almost kilometer is literally overflowing not just historically significant buildings, but entire neighborhoods, more or less known to the Russian reader from French fiction …
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Palais Royal is known from the events of the novel “Ten Years Later”, when Anne of Austria and her son, the future Louis XIV, lived here. “Palais” means “palace” and “Royal” means “royal.” It was at this time that Mazarini built his palace next door to be closer to the Queen. Under Louis XIV, following Mazarini, other noblemen built their quarters around it.
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In the neighboring street lived Molière, who created the Comedie-Francaise (Comedie-Francaise), whose building still adjoins the Palais Royal today. In the XVIII century, the Orleans, the younger branch of the Bourbons, who own the Palais Royal, created a complex of majestic buildings here, where the most expensive Parisian apartments for rent are located. All the color of the Parisian aristocracy of the XVIII century. can be found here walking along the colonnades and fountains, sitting in fashionable tea rooms and restaurants. The aristocracy is replaced by the revolutionaries, and they are replaced by the Directory. Here is Napoleon’s favorite restaurant, the store where Charlotte Corday bought a knife to kill Marat. Who only did not walk and sit here!
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Place de Victoires. One of the five royal squares of Paris. It was once home to magicians and alchemists. Today, the buildings built by Mansard (creator of Versailles and Place Vendôme) house boutiques. In the middle of the square is an equestrian statue of the king. The palace of Louis XIV’s son looks onto the square, with the palace of Mazarini next to it.
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The Womb of Paris (Les Halles). This is the name of the largest, central Parisian market, which appeared in the XIII century. By the XIX century, it occupied a huge area where 24 hours a day you could buy everything that exists in the world. Around it were located the famous Courtyards of Miracles – the dens of the Parisian bottom, in front of which, returning in the evening from work, the blind saw, straightened hunchbacked, cured lepers … And in the morning they return to their ugly appearance and find themselves in the same place, begging for alms. There were also restaurants with love rooms….
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In the 60s, a beautiful public garden was laid out here, and under it they created a multi-story underground store – with streets, a movie theater, a swimming pool, greenhouses, a gymnasium and a parking lot. Underneath all this huge city – the largest underground road interchange in Paris, urban and suburban subway. In the square – a unique modern sculpture, the church of St. Eustache (Sainte-Eustache) – the place of the first communion of the Sun King, the most original in Paris sundial, the remains of the palace, where Catherine de Medici moved from the Louvre, the former Exchange, built by Napoleon.
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There is also the Montorgueil quarter (Montorgueil) – a real village in the center of Paris, with streets where cars do not drive, with restaurants that retain the signs of the XIX century… Centre national d’art et de culture Georges-Pompidou (Centre national d’art et de culture Georges-Pompidou) – one of the most controversial buildings in Paris. It looks more like an oil refinery. But inside – a gallery of art of the XX century, magnificent views of Paris, a huge library, a very good restaurant. In front of the building there are magicians and jugglers. A unique fountain with surreal, moving figures – characters of Stravinsky’s children’s operas.
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Grève Square (Place de Grève) – from century to century executions took place here. Now the square has changed. It is decorated with one of the most beautiful buildings in Paris – the City Hall. Its buildings have replaced each other over the centuries, symbolizing the confrontation between the people and the king. A confrontation in which, after centuries of struggle, the Republic won the…
