Paris France City Facts
For the year of 1965 I lived in this magnificent city. Then on numerous
repeat visits I have the same view. The typical reaction by Americans is that
they do not like France. Well, not me. I love France. It is one fantastic place.
Just because the leaders of the country have a different approach to the world
view than many, including me, I even differ with leaders in my own country from
time to time. So I say to anyone who thinks poorly of France, consider the
source and get over it.
The movie, "The Art of Love" was filmed in Paris when I was there.
If you ever see it listed on television, watch it. It is not available on VHS
video at this time.
Now on to a little history of this magnificent city. SOURCE
Paris is more than 2,000 years
old. Gauls of the Parisii tribe settled there between 250 and 200 BC and founded
a fishing village on an island in the river that is the present-day Ile de la
Cité -- the center around which Paris developed.
 Known
as Lutetia (Lutece) in ancient times, Paris was conquered by Julius Caesar in 52
BC, and existed as a regional center under the Romans and in the early Middle
Ages. In 987, HUGH CAPET, Count of Paris, became king of France, and under his
successors, the CAPETIANS, the city's position as the nation's capital became
established. Often characterized as spirited and rebellious, the people of Paris
first declared themselves an independent commune under the leadership of Etienne
Marcel in 1355-58. The storming of the Bastille in 1789 was the first of a
series of key actions by the Parisian people during the FRENCH REVOLUTION. Paris
also played a major role in the revolutions of 1830 and 1848. In 1871, during
the FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR , the city was besieged for four months until France
surrendered.  After
German troops withdrew, French radicals briefly established the COMMUNE OF
PARIS. During World War I the Germans were prevented from reaching Paris, but
they occupied the city during World War II from 1940 to 1944. Paris was again
the scene of violence during the student riots of 1968.
Paris today maintains its
importance, character, and charm, though its appearance is being transformed by
structures such as the BEAUBOURG and by the ambitious grands projets
building program carried out under the presidency of François Mitterrand. In
addition to the La Défense arch and the Bastille Opéra, Mitterrand's projects
have included the renovation of the Louvre by architect I. M. Pei, the La
Villette complex on the northeastern edge of the city, and, in the southeast,
the Bibliothèque de France, a great computer-age library.
Planning for Paris and the
Paris Basin region includes consideration of large land areas in the Seine River
valley all the way to the mouth of the river. New towns, parks, industrial
locations, and expanded functions of existing towns are contemplated for this
corridor on both sides of the Seine.
Lawrence M. Sommers
Source: The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, Release #8, ©1996
Bibliography: Chelminski, Rudolph, Paris (1977); Couperie, Pierre, Paris
through the Ages, trans. by Marilyn Low (1971); Evenson, Norma, Paris (1979);
Flanner, Janet, Paris Journal, 2 vols. (1966-71) and Paris Was Yesterday,
1925-39 (1972); Roche, Daniel, The People of Paris (1987); Seigel, Jerrold,
Bohemian Paris (1987); Thomson, David, Renaissance Paris (1984).
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"An
absorbing and intimate history of the City of Lights.
Carefully tracing the evolution of the metropolis,
Willms demonstrates how political, economic, and
cultural currents converged to make Paris the
"capital of Europe."
-- KIRKUS
REVIEWS
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by
Johannes Willms, Eveline L. Kanes (Translator)
List: $40.00
Our Price: $40.00
(this
title is not discounted)
Availability: On order; usually ships within 1-2 weeks.
Hardcover
Published by Holmes & Meier, Publishers, Inc.
Publication date: March 1997
ISBN: 0841912459
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More
recommended reading:
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The
Great Cat Massacre
and Other
Episodes in French Cultural History
by Robert Darnton, 1984, Basic Books, Inc., published by Random
House, Inc., New York.
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Napoleon
and Paris
30 Years of
History
by Maurice Guerrini, translated by Mardery Weiner, 1970, Cassell
& Co. Ltd., London, printed by Ebenezer Baylis & Son,
Ltd., The Trinity Press, Worcester and London, England
(out-of-print).
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The
National Geographic Traveler - France
by Rosemary
Bailey, 1999, National Geographic Society, printed by R.R.
Donnelley & Sons, Willard, Ohio.
Exploding with National Geographic's signature photography, this
book is one in a lush new series of guides from the folks whose
magazines have instilled wanderlust in multiple generations of
travelers. The France guide features insightful essays on
history, culture, and contemporary life in France, as well as
walking and driving tours. For serious explorers, there are
detailed floor-plan sketches of important sites such as Notre
Dame and Versailles. Other user-friendly touches range from
color-coded regional sections to quick-reference visitor
information (hours, fees, telephone, etc.) listed in side
columns with keys to associated maps.
-- Kathryn True
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Paris
In the Terror:
June 1793 -
July 1794
by Stanley Loomis, 1964, J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia
and New York (out-of-print).
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Paris
In the Third Reich
A History of
the German Occupation, 1940-1944
by David Pryce-Jones, 1981, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York
(out-of-print).
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Paris
Was Yesterday
1925-1939
by Janet Flanner, edited by Irving Drutman, 1972, The Viking
Press, Inc., New York (out-of-print).
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Pleasures
of the Belle Epoque
Entertainment
& Festivity in Turn of the Century France
by Charles Rearick, 1985, Yale University Press, printed by
Murray Printing Co., Westford, Massachusetts.
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The
Women of Montparnasse
by Morrill Cody
with Hugh Ford, ©1984, Rosemont Publishing and Printing Corp.,
printed by Cornwall Books, Cranbury, New Jersey (out-of-print).
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Paris moves
Like all the world's great
capitals, Paris lives at a fast pace, by day, by night and especially at rush
hours. Bear in mind that museums and monuments are often less crowded during the
week.
Paris quarters
Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements
that spiral out like a snail shell from the first, centered around the Louvre,
of which certain quarters (Montmartre, Montparnasse, the Marais)
are real villages within the city. The arrondissement of any Paris address is
indicated at the end of its postal code: 75001 is the first arrondissement,
75006 the sixth.
The traditional separation of Paris into Left
and Right Bank, between the world of business and the world of culture, is no
longer valid. Granted, the Left Bank still groups most of the Universities and
the famous Paris arts cafés at Saint-Germain-des-Prés (Café de
Flore, Les Deux Magots) but today the Right Bank also has many
addresses closely linked to the arts - as proved by the many events and
productions at Bastille, Belleville and Ménilmontant
especially.
Culture capital
Paris, world capital of art and
culture, gathers some of the most famous museums and monuments in the world.
Not to be missed: The Louvre and the Musée
d'Orsay. Visit any of the many others according to your tastes and interests:
the Musée Picasso, Musée Rodin, Musée Carnavalet, Musée Marmottan and the
Arab Institute are just a few.
Essential Paris monuments: the Eiffel Tower,
Notre-Dame cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe or the Grande Arche de la Défense.
"Paris is a real ocean. Wander through
it, describe it as you may, there will always remain an undiscovered place, an
unknown retreat, flowers, pearls, monsters, something unheard of.
With its history and architectural
patrimony, Paris is living, moving and evolving every day.
A historic, economical, architectural,
cultural, artistic and academic capital, Paris understandably remains the
most visited city in the world.
Cleaner air
France is more and more concerned
with environmental issues and fights actively against air pollution. Special
measures are taken on days of peak pollution. On alternating days, only cars
with number plates ending in an odd - or an even - number are allowed to take to
the roads on days with high pollution levels. Public transport is free on these
days and many people move about by bike.
The Paris Ile-de-France
Tourist Information Center,
located in the Carrousel
du Louvre, invites you to discover the capital of France and its surrounding
region - the Ile-de-France, with its beautiful countryside, magnificent châteaux,
river and canal cruises, gastronomic delights...
You will get all the information you need
on transportation, accommodations, museums, tours, leisure activities and
special events. Let us book your hotels and arrange your excursions. You can
also buy transportation tickets and packages, as well as the Carte Musées
Monuments, which gives you free access to 70 museums and monuments in Paris and
the Ile-de-France.
Paris Ile-de-France Tourist
Information Center
"Espace du Tourisme"
Place de la Pyramide Inversée,
Le Carrousel du Louvre
(Postal address: 99 rue de Rivoli)
75001 Paris
Tel: 33 1 44 50 19 98, Fax: 33 1 44 50 19 99
or visit their web site at: www.paris-ile-de-france.com
The Paris Tourist
Office
Wondering how to organize your
stay in Paris? In need of information or a map? Want to make a hotel or theatre
booking? The staff of the Paris Tourist Office are there to help you plan a
successful stay and will answer all your questions. Contact them as soon as you
arrive.
Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Paris
Main Office of the Paris Tourist & Convention Bureau:
127, avenue des Champs Elysées (8th arrondissement)
Métro: Charles-de-Gaulle–Etoile, George V
Tel. 08 36 68 31 12 - Fax 01 49 52 53 00
www.paris-touristoffice.com
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If you eventually do plan to go to Europe, here are some tips I offer to help you have a great time.
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