Paris the city of the XXXIII Olympic Games [Top Travel Destinations, Travel with music]

a [Music] the capital of the Arts the city of light universally recognized as one one of the world's most beautiful cities Paris possesses an enormous cultural richness which it owes not only to its history but also to its formidable Heritage with its monuments and museums its great buildings and libraries and its famous characters Paris never ceases to transport us through time and [Music] space Paris is a River Town ever since the first human settlements from prehistoric days and the village of the parisel tribes the river sen has played both a defensive and economic role the city's many bridges over the river s may be elegant romantic or Monumental in style but many also have a long and interesting history if the bridge is on either side of the city and the one which connects that island with the eel St Louis accounted there are 37 Bridges within the city limits of Paris one of the most relaxing and convenient ways to view the historical sites of the city in all their Grandeur has long been from the glass covered decks of the batt Mo those unique long boats which leisurely ply the same [Music] in the center of Paris on the right Bank of the sen the hotel DeVille or city hall is close to the Cathedral of nraam the history of paris's City Hall can be traced back to the time of the water Merchants who transported their goods by river and used this building as the home of their trade Guild Paris has long been known for the Splendor and magnificence of its architecture as France is capital city it's a land of man-made architectural marbles with its modern buildings representing an evolution from the historical ones paris's architecture and design represents various periods of construction and a range of corresponding styles in 1246 the first municipality was created when the Parisian trade gills elected Alderman as Representatives towards the king in 1553 King Francis I decided to build a dedicated City Hall that first hotel devil designed in the Renaissance style was only fully completed in 1628 a revolting commune which had occupied the hotel for months set the building on fire in May 1871 destroying the building as well as the valuable City archives The Architects Theodore Balo and eduward de paath won the rebuilding contract with their proposition to reconstruct the hotel deil in its original style the building is decorated with 108 statues representing famous parisians 30 other statues represent French cities walking along the banks of the sen is also the best way to see Paris with its elegant boulevards colorful neighborhoods and Majestic buildings the city's leading historians link the beauty of Paris to its harmonious architecture the product of a powerful tradition of classical design stretching from the Renaissance to the 20th [Music] century the banks of the S offer some of the greatest Urban scenery in the world the city's panoramas can be discovered through a walk on The Pedestrian Keys lining the Left Bank or on a river cruise on Sunday the streets along the S normally clogged with cars are reserved for pedestrians [Music] the Pont nraam is located at one of the oldest historical Crossing points on the S in ancient times a structure called Grand Pond occupied the site of the present bridge on the large branch of the s in the axis of the present day Ru St Martin to improve the flow of the river and satisfy River users the three middle arches were replaced by a single metal Arch the new bridge Ponto shange which we see today was projected in the mid 19th century because of the pressures of houseman's urban development program [Music] the ensembl must be regarded as a geographic and historic entity today it constitutes a remarkable example of urban Riverside architecture where the strata of History are harmoniously superimposed the islands have coherent architectural ensembles with highly significant examples of Parisian construction of the 17th and the 18th [Music] centuries Paris began as a Roman city called luticia it was established on what is now known as the eel de laite and eventually expanded to the reev gsh or Left Bank of the s River it was the largest city in Europe but when the Roman Empire collapsed in the 5th Century ad so did luticia during the medieval period Paris became cluttered disorganized and claustrophobic this chaos was the result of organic growth there was no layout plan for the city and people simply erected buildings where they wished Paris was mazike with narrow curving unplanned streets during the architectural period of the medieval city the two types of buildings emerged the gabled house and the hotel in the early 1600s Paris still hadn't developed its own style of [Music] architecture sitting on the eel the center of Old Paris the pal de justice has its roots in the Roman period when the governor's Palace was there on the [Music] island the palet Deus and the Magnificent medieval Church of San Chappelle stand on one of paris's two natural Islands the eel deite the tour the Lord L or Clock Tower dates from 1334 with reliefs from the late 16 Century to stroll along the Left Bank close to nraam Cathedral is also to prominade through one of the most beautiful of all cityscapes and the biggest open air book shop in the world they salvaged books from raids on Aristocrats libraries during the French Revolution and hid resistance material during the Nazi occupation Paris is bookinist the hundreds of book sellers whose open air stalls along the river sen carry UNESCO world heritage status have survived four centuries of censorship floods and political upheaval after hundreds of years of controversy the bukinist finally became a permanent fixture as we know them today in 1891 on the key voler and have grown to nearly 250 on both the right bank and Left Bank constructed on a site of the eel deite which has been considered sacred since the Roman era nraam Cathedral with its amazing display of intricate details is considered a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture built between 1163 and 1330 it was restored during the 19th century by V luk who performed similar work on many of front finest historic buildings the facade of the cathedral is an imposing simple and harmonious Mass whose strength and sober Grandeur is based on the interplay between vertical and horizontal lines its sculptures and stained glass show the heavy influence of naturalism giving them a more secular look that was lacking from earlier Romanesque designs its dimensions are impressive 41 M wide 43 M high up to the base of the towers 63 M up to the top of the [Music] towers on the lower level under the gallery of Kings there are three large portals which are not completely identical the central one depicted the last judgment the right portal is called the portal of St Anne and the left portal is the portal of the Virgin the finest of the three these portals are decorated with a multitude of characters and surrounded by the jams featuring large statues which were restored in the 19th century by Vi la duuk [Music] nraam is the most popular monument in Paris and indeed in all of France with 13 million visitors each year beating even the Eiffel Tower but the famous Cathedral is also an active Catholic Church a place of pilgrimage the focal point of French Catholicism and the site of the country's most important religious events to appreciate the features of NRA Cathedral approach it from the park behind the cathedral for an impressive view of the structure and a look at the Magnificent flying buttresses that make the immense roof [Music] possible French history is littered with stories of women who led inspired and influenced their GIC fellows with the same Gusto and courage as any male Heroes of the day in homage to Genevieve's role as protector against Germanic Invaders a tiller among others this graceful janav faces East ever on the lookout for her beloved City [Music] [Applause] [Music] the coner is an important vestage of the Palace of the capan and a remarkable example of 14th century civil architecture the conciergerie already had an unpleasant reputation before it became internationally famous as the antichamber to the guillotine during the reign of terror the bloodiest phase of the French Revolution in the center of the palace's facade a high RW Iron Gate from the late 18th century leads into the May Courtyard the work of Architects Antoine and Amazon [Music] the construction of this triangular pza on the E de was part of Henry I for's Urban Development efforts which began in 16007 the Square PL doine was named in honor of Henry IV's son LED off in the future King Louis the 13th from this park it's possible to see the back of the Justice Palace [Music] ironically the oldest of the new Bridges is the Pont n whose first stone was laid in 1578 by honry III in the presence of the Queen Mother Katherine dadish Pont Nerf or new bridge is in many respects the first of the modern bridges in Paris and the most famous its design marks the end of the Middle Ages [Music] [Music] [Music] in the center of the square stands the Obelisk of luur a pink Granite monolith that was given to the French by the Vice Roy of Egypt mamed Ali in 1829 [Music] a [Music] Rising above the Treetops of a little Park alongside the Rudi is the beautiful Gothic Tower of s Shak with its two slender gargoyles at each of its Four Corners seemingly so fragile one wonders how they could support their weight this Tower is all that is left of the Church of Sak labari so called because its patrons were the wholesale butchers of the nearby Lal market for centuries Paris has been known as a gathering point for pilgrims on the way of St James the pilgrimage route to Santiago de compostella the sa sh Tower which contains a relic of the saint welcomed pilgrims setting out on the pilgrimage to [Music] [Applause] Spain unesco's decision to protect the zone between Pond duli and pond Deana is based on the age-old distinction between Paris upstream and Paris Downstream Upstream Paris is the port and River Transport Town Downstream is the Royal and subsequently aristocratic Paris which had only limited commercial activity at the turn of the 19th century two large Railway stations were built in Paris the G de Leon and the g d the g d had the most prominent site Rising on the banks of the same opposite the Lu since 1986 the railway station housed in the superb B edif is now home to the m dors with its collection of art from between 1848 and 1915 the building itself is the Museum's first work of art and its renovation provides a splendid venue for a collection that includes magnificent works of art by artists including Monet duga Renoir and vanov [Music] one of the city's best known sites is the Lou Museum the Lou in its successive architectural metamorphosis has dominated Central Paris since the late 12th century when it was built it stood on the city's Western Edge though the original structure was gradually engulfed as the city grew with its marked hum back the Royal Bridge remains with the new bridge one of the three oldest bridges in Paris and is situated near the [Music] Lou made of cut stone the Lou is a masterpiece of the French Renaissance in the 16th century architect Pierre lcor was one of the first to apply pure classical ideas in France and his design for a new Wing at the Lou defined its future development originally a Royal Palace the Lou became a public museum at the end of the 18th century [Music] home to one of the most famous collections of Fine Art in the world including the Priceless Greek statue known as the Venus Deo and the portrait of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci the LOF museum is the most important of France's national museums and art galleries the LOF collection covers Western Art from the medieval period to 1848 formative works from the civilizations of the ancient world as well as works of Islamic Art The Collection is grouped into eight departments each shaped and defined by the activities of its curators collectors and donors visitors to the lou now number 9 million every year making the most popular art museum in the world [Music] the Lou takes up the south side of the rud deoli and on the other side runs an arcade more than 1.6 km long the rud der Rivoli marked a transitional compromise between an urbanism composed of prestigious monuments and aristocratic squares and the forms of a modern town [Music] the passage rishu links the core Napoleon with the ruoli the street is a mix of traditionalism with its monuments and squares and modernism with its buildings of contemporary design the houses lining the street all have identical facades leaving the impression of an endless row of houses [Music] key volta's extraordinary location in the heart of historic Paris is a link between the left and right Banks [Music] the austerity of the East facade with its Central pediment and end Pavilions is often associated with peral's architectural ideas in the 17th century architect Claude perro collaborated in the final design of the colonade a massive row of paired columns that rise above the unadorned first story and dominate The Majestic East facade of the Lou the simple character of the ground floor basement sets off the paired Corinthian columns modeled strictly according to vrus against a shadowed void with Pavilions at both ends the facade divided into five parts is a solution which is typical of French classicism [Music] n [Music] [Music] in the direction of the Torell is paris's most Sumptuous Bridge the pond Alexander III open just in time for the universal exposition of 1900 aligned with the esplanad Des invalid the pond Alexander III connects the Grand and Petty palet on the right bank with the Hotel Des invalid on the Left Bank the bridge is lavishly decorated with lamposts and sculptures of cherubs and nymphs on each end of the Pont Alexander III stand large gilded statues on granite pillars 17 m is high each of the ornaments on the bridge was created by a different [Music] artist the bridge is made of steel and stone in the art Novo style it was opened by the last Russian Zar Nicholas II who also laid the foundation stone in 1900 to celebrate the franor Russian Alliance it was named in memory of the Zar father [Music] critics of the time explains the heterogenous character of the exhibition bridge by the fact that there were as many artists as there were ornaments amongst the decoration are four 17 M high corner pillars bearing the four gilded bronze equestrian groups which represent Pegasus held by [Music] Fame the Alex the third bridge is paris's most elegant Bridge ornamented with fine sculpture work adding its own charm to an already beautiful site it also owes its Fame to the technical prowess which went into its construction slightly a skew it has a 107 M long metal arch with three joints four girders in cast steel and two masonry viaducts on the banks very large abutment foundations were needed because the Arches had to be very low they were built using compressed air [Music] kons another boat present on the S is the ble bus batter buses are stubby glass enclosed trimarans that operate a river boat shutle service on a circular route along the S stopping at eight points along the way five on the Left Bank and three on the right [Music] n [Music] the grand pet is one of paris's most recognizable landmarks thanks to its magnificent glass domed roof the grand pet is a large glass exhibition Hall that was built for the Paris exposition of 1900 the exterior of this massive Palace combines an imposing classical facad with a riot of art Nuvo iron work this Palace with the Bello style Pinnacle boasts 9,400 tons of steel framework 15,000 M of glass and about 5,000 sare m of galvanized iron zinc roofing with the petty p and the pond Alexander II the grand pet served as one of the main focuses of the international exposition of 1900 and helped solidify the position of France as world leader in the ants for more than 100 years the grand pet has served as a public exhibition Hall and host to a variety of grand [Music] events directly across the street from the grand pet stands a smaller version of the same building the petty pal origin Ally meant to be just a temporary structure to host a large exposition of French art This Magnificent bow art style building designed by Char girro became a favorite with Paris residents who refused to tear it down and it still stands today ionic columns line the front of the rather classical facade of petty P like many Bo Art buildings it combines Greek and Roman forms but also includes plenty of ornamentation making it rather eclectic in style an essential feature of giro's Decor the Sumptuous iron work is dazzling one need only admire the golden entrance Gates a masterpiece of Ornamental Iron Work and the banisters at the Magnificent interior staircases in the two rotondas Concord Square is the most beautiful Piaza in Paris with a surface of 84,000 square m several decades after its construction this Square was to serve as a focal point for the bloodiest political upheaval in the history of France the French Revolution twin buildings with fine colonades were built on the side of the square the hotel of the Navy seat of the state major of the French navy and the hotel of Cleon one of the most luxurious and sought after hotels [Music] a bronze Fountain called La the May was added to the square designed by the TF [Music] n [Music] [Music] la [Music] [Music] n [Music] [Music] located on the border of paris's first and forth Aris M the pass to CH sits on the right B of the river it provides both the comp point and the convenient entry point into the city [Music] the art the trium the world's largest triumphal Arch forms the backdrop to an impressive Urban ensemble in Paris the monument surmounts the hill of sh at the center of a star-shaped configuration of 12 radiating [Music] Avenues in 1806 Napoleon the conceived a triumphal Arch patented after those of ancient Rome and dedicated to the glory of his Imperial armies at the bases of the pillars are four huge relief sculptures commemorating the Triumph by C resistance and Peace by and the departure of the volunteers more commonly known as laas barud engraved around the top of the arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods [Music] since 1920 the tomb of France's Unknown Soldier has been sheltered underneath the arch its Eternal Flame commemorates the dead of the two world wars and is rekindled every evening at 6:30 [Music] The aena Bridge links the Eiffel Tower on the Left Bank to the Trocadero District on the right Bank the Eiffel Tower the iconic symbol of the City of Paris is a Marvel of design and structure and an impressive site worth getting to know up close the world famous Paris tower is a mass of iron designed by Gustav eel for the universal Exposition in 18 1989 and was the tallest structure in the world until 1930 when it was surpassed by New York's Chrysler [Music] Building the Eiffel Tower is a monument composed of extraordinary records its deepest foundations lie 15 M underground its total weight is over 10,000 tons it's illuminated by 3 36,000 projector lamps 2 and 1/2 million rivets hold it together and since it was opened in 1889 until 2009 more than 240 million persons have come to Paris to visit The Iron Lady the Eiffel Tower is covered in paint in order to protect its iron frame the stylish lady's attentiveness to color coordination has resulted in the need for three different shades of paint to go with the Hues of the Parisian sky with the darkest at the bottom and the lightest at the top 50 tons of paint are used every 5 years to repaint the [Music] structure for the universal exhibition of 1889 a date that marked the Centenary of the French Revolution the joural official launched a major competition to study the possibility of directing an iron tower on the shamp dear the project proposed by eel engineers kosan anier and architect sestra was chosen out of a total of [Music] 107 Born In 1832 in Dion gustavel was an exceptionally gifted engineer and Builder who graduated from the prestigious Echo Central de Pari his extraordinary career was marked by the construction of the Maria Pier bridge in Portugal then by the garabit viaduct in France and Budapest station in Hungary the construction of the Eiffel Tower in 1889 was his crowning achievement his career as an entrepreneur would come to an end with the failure of the Panama Canal project as is the case with many major architectural project projects the tower has suffered the slings and arrows of detractors during construction several personalities protested violently in 1887 the journal Leon published a Manifesto signed by personalities from the world of arts and letters railing against the construction of a 300 M tower on the Esplanade a number of people did later change their point of view and make amends since the opening of the Eiffel Tower visitors have been able to visit the different floors of the monument via elevators a formidable technical feat for the period as never before had Engineers tackled such constraints of height and elevator loads [Music] [Music] the third level at 27613 M offers exceptional panoramic views of Paris and its surroundings day or night [Music] from the Eiffel Tower there's an incredible view of the Trocadero area the pet de Sho currently houses two museums an anthropology and prehistory Museum dedicated to the life and history of human civilization in France and a museum displaying a collection of 17th century Naval objects the style of the palet de Sho was typical of the time when it was built in 1937 [Music] known as the pet D Trocadero it was a large concert hall with two wings and two towers at the foot of the Terrace of the pet de Shor lie the Trocadero Gardens the 10 Hector wide Gardens are laid out around a large rectangular pond [Music] visiting Paris means taking a plunge into history vestages of the ancient Roman city of luticia great medieval abies Gothic Splendor classic architecture Napoleonic collections Housman manian views an exceptional concentration of artistic and cultural wealth [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the [Music] [Applause] [Music] the [Music] [Music] n n [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] n [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the [Music] oh e [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] n n [Music] [Music] n [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music]