Day 8 - Walk #1
This walk, entitled Paris in Layers: Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergerie, started at the Hotel de Ville, which is the metro stop I take to get to the institute for class and church.
Hotel de Ville is the governmental seat of Paris. It was originally built in the 16th century, but was destroyed during a riot in 1871. It was rebuilt in 1873 and looks almost exactly like the original.
On the square in front of the building, there is an ice-skating rink and a carousel. 
After that, we went to Notre Dame. Since I already posted pictures of that, I won't put more on. On the far side of the square in front of Notre Dame there is a staircase that leads to the Parvis de Notre Dame. The book says: "Nineteenth-century foundations are built over sixteenth-century basements which in turn rest on twelfth-century hearths which are themselves built on stones hewn in the third century. The nice open parvis of today has in the past been covered in buildings dating from Roman times to the nineteenth-century."
This is the oldest clock in Paris. It has been working since 1370! It is weird to think that this clock is way older than our country!
Then we headed to the Conciergerie. The book states: "During the Middle Ages the Conciergerie served as a royal residence. At the time of the revolution, the Conciergerie served as a prison, at times holding over a thousand prisoners awaiting execution. It was here that Marie-Antoinette, Charlotte Corday (Marat's assassin; David made of painting of Marat's death), and the poet Andre Chenier spent their last hours before being led to the guillotine at the Place de la Concorde.
The window in Marie-Antionette's cell. For some reason, I didn't take a picture of the actual room. It wasn't anything special though.
Here is just one of the several wall coverings that lists the names of people who were beheaded at the guillotine. That's a lot of heads. 
Then we hurried over to Sainte-Chapelle. We had to get through security since it is so close to a goverment building, but we finally got inside. We were led to the bottom floor of the cathedral. This is where the peasants would have their services. But I wanted to get to the top floor quickly because I was so excited about it. I've been wanting to see it since we talked about it in Mrs. Hammond's AP Art History class. I was just so excited to view it in its stained glass splendor. However...
I was met with this. So dissapointing. :( They are doing a cleaning/renovation project that they stared in 2008 and it will last until 2013. It has made a big difference, but why, oh why, did that covering have to be there when I went to see the cathedral? Oh well. I'll just have to come back in three years, right? (Courtney took a picture of my sad face and it is on facebook if you want to see it).
I guess the stained glass is still pretty cool, even though I didn't get to see the whole room filled with stained glass :)
The ceiling with the rose window.
Overall, it was a pretty good walk. We were definitely tuckered out by the time it was over!
Hotel de Ville is the governmental seat of Paris. It was originally built in the 16th century, but was destroyed during a riot in 1871. It was rebuilt in 1873 and looks almost exactly like the original.
On the square in front of the building, there is an ice-skating rink and a carousel. 
After that, we went to Notre Dame. Since I already posted pictures of that, I won't put more on. On the far side of the square in front of Notre Dame there is a staircase that leads to the Parvis de Notre Dame. The book says: "Nineteenth-century foundations are built over sixteenth-century basements which in turn rest on twelfth-century hearths which are themselves built on stones hewn in the third century. The nice open parvis of today has in the past been covered in buildings dating from Roman times to the nineteenth-century."
This is the oldest clock in Paris. It has been working since 1370! It is weird to think that this clock is way older than our country!
Then we headed to the Conciergerie. The book states: "During the Middle Ages the Conciergerie served as a royal residence. At the time of the revolution, the Conciergerie served as a prison, at times holding over a thousand prisoners awaiting execution. It was here that Marie-Antoinette, Charlotte Corday (Marat's assassin; David made of painting of Marat's death), and the poet Andre Chenier spent their last hours before being led to the guillotine at the Place de la Concorde.
The window in Marie-Antionette's cell. For some reason, I didn't take a picture of the actual room. It wasn't anything special though.
Here is just one of the several wall coverings that lists the names of people who were beheaded at the guillotine. That's a lot of heads. 
Then we hurried over to Sainte-Chapelle. We had to get through security since it is so close to a goverment building, but we finally got inside. We were led to the bottom floor of the cathedral. This is where the peasants would have their services. But I wanted to get to the top floor quickly because I was so excited about it. I've been wanting to see it since we talked about it in Mrs. Hammond's AP Art History class. I was just so excited to view it in its stained glass splendor. However...
I was met with this. So dissapointing. :( They are doing a cleaning/renovation project that they stared in 2008 and it will last until 2013. It has made a big difference, but why, oh why, did that covering have to be there when I went to see the cathedral? Oh well. I'll just have to come back in three years, right? (Courtney took a picture of my sad face and it is on facebook if you want to see it).
I guess the stained glass is still pretty cool, even though I didn't get to see the whole room filled with stained glass :)
The ceiling with the rose window.Overall, it was a pretty good walk. We were definitely tuckered out by the time it was over!
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