The City of Paris
By Andrew Hadley
Map of Paris
A brief history of Paris
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
Paris is the capital of France and is a beautiful and well-planned
city. It was made the capital by the Capetians in 987. In 1200,
Philippe ll built the Louvre as a stronghold to protect Paris. On July
14, 1789, the fall of the Bastille marked the beginning of the French
Revolution. In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor
of France. After years of fighting the English, he was defeated at
Waterloo in 1815. In 1889, the Eiffel Tower was completed for the
Paris Exhibition. The Treaty of Versailles was signed in Paris at the
end of World War l. Paris was occupied by German forces in the
Second World War and was liberated by the Allies on August 26,
1944.
Paris has always been a cultural city and has been the home of
many famous artists and composers. Shopping, museums and
cathedrals are the major tourist attractions in the city. Many believe
Paris to be the most beautiful city in the world.
Sacre Coeur
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The Basilica of the Sacred
Hearts is a beautiful
cathedral built on
Montmarte hill (Mount of
Martyrs). It was built in
1880 as a monument of
hope and contrition for the
sins of Paris after the
defeat of the French by
the Prussia in 1870. It
was designed by Paul
Aradie and took seven
years to build.
Avenue des Champs-Elysees

The Avenue des ChampsElysees is probably the most
famous avenue in the world. It
stretches from the Place de la
Concorde to the Place Charles
de Gaulle, the site of the Arc
de Triomphe. It is used for all
the major celebrations in
Paris, including New Year’s
Eve celebrations, military
parades and the victory
celebration of the Liberation at
the end of World War ll.
Cimitiere du Pere-Lachaise
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This is one of Paris’ most
beautiful cemeteries.
Many famous people,
including Frederic Chopin,
the composer, and Jim
Morrison, an American
rock and roll star, are
buried there. These are
their graves.
Versailles
Versailles was once the
residence of French kings
and is now one of the
largest tourist attractions in
Europe. The palace was
built from 1661-1710 by
King Louis XIV on the site
of a small hunting lodge
built in 1631 for King Louis
XIII. The Treaty of
Versailles was signed in
the Hall of Mirrors on June
28, 1919 at the end of
World War I.
Arc de Triomphe
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The Arch of Triumph was
commissioned by Napoleon in
1806 to commemorate his
victories. It was finished in
1836 during the reign of LouisPhilippe. It is engraved with
the names of all the generals
who commanded French
troops during Napoleon’s
regime. It stands at the end of
the Champs-Elysees and is
one of the most famous
landmarks in Paris.
Hotel des Invalides

The Hotel des Invalides
was founded as a home
for disabled soldiers in
1671 by Louis XIV.
Napoleon’s tomb was
installed here in 1840
under the golden dome. It
is one of the most
magnificent buildings in
Paris.
Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was built in
1889 for the World Exhibition,
celebrating the one hundredth
anniversary of the French
Revolution in 1789. It was
built by Gustave Eiffel, a
bridge builder. It stands 300
meters tall and, at the time,
was the tallest building in the
world. It was only meant to
last for the duration of the
exhibition, but it is now one of
the most famous landmarks in
Paris.
My grandfather in Paris in 1989 on the 100th
anniversary of the Eiffel Tower.
Notre Dame
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The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris was begun in 1163
and extended over 150 years. It has a variety of
architectural styles including Gothic and Romanesque.
Notre Dame is famous for its stained glass and the North
rose window is the most photographed window in the
world.
Palais de Chaillot
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The Palais de Chaillot was
built in 1937 on the site of
the old Palais du
Trocadero. It stands on
ground high above the
Seine River. It was used
as the entrance to the
1937 Exhibition and has
spectacular views of the
Eiffel Tower. It currently
houses four museums.
Place de la Bastille
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On the site of the Bastille,
a famous French prison
that was stormed by angry
French citizens on July 14,
1789, and later
demolished, stands the
Colonne de Julliet, a
statue commemorating the
Republicans killed during
the July Revolution of
1830.
Moulin Rouge
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The Moulin Rouge is
the most famous
cabaret in Paris,
located on the
Boulevard de Clinchy.
Beaubourg (Centre Pompidou)
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The Beaubourg is a
modern building, built
in 1977 as a cultural
museum in Paris. It is
most known for its
“glass caterpillar”.
Hotel d’Orsay
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Built for the Paris
Exhibition of 1900 on
the banks of the Seine
River, the Hotel
d’Orsay now houses
the Musee d’Orsay.
Famous artists such
as Monet, Van Gogh
and Degas have their
work exhibited here.
Louvre
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The Louvre is one of the
largest and most famous
museums in the world. This
palace was begun in the
1200’s as a fortress, and was
rebuilt in 1546. Many
additions were built over the
years, but the most unusual
was a glass pyramid entrance
built by I.M. Pei in 1989. The
Louvre holds many world
famous works of art including
the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da
Vinci and the Venus de Milo.
Luxembourg Gardens and Palace
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The Jardin du
Luxembourg and the
Palais du Luxembourg are
two of the most beautiful
sites in Paris. They were
built in the 17th century.
Luxembourg Gardens is
Paris’ best known park.
The palace is the seat of
the French senate. Only
parts of the palace are
open to the public.
Paris shopping
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Paris is considered the
shopping capital of the
world, especially for
the rich and famous.
Designers from
France and around the
world gather in Paris
to sell their famous
clothing, shoes and
accessories.
The Seine River
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The Seine River is
approximately 480 miles
long and flows through the
center of Paris. At one
time it was a main
transportation route for
trade in the city of Paris.
Now it is used mostly for
sightseeing in BateauxMouches, or “fly boats”.
These boats were
specially built to operate in
the shallow waters of the
Seine River.
Tuileries
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The Tuileries is one of the
largest and best known
parks in Paris. The palace
and the gardens were built
by Catherine de Medicis in
1563. It was named after
the tileworks that had
previously been on that
site. Throughout the park
are beautiful sculptures
and statues, as well as a
ferris wheel.