This is a quick reminder that I missed it!! I have participated in several of the Heritage Days of France or Journées du Patrimoine as it allows you to go into places usually or never allowed by the general public, and even some with little time for those like me member friends of many of them. I came back from a nice vacation in Madrid and taking over the job backup and the house really so sad to tell you no time to see any this year. However , for the memory to allow planning for next year here is some of the highlights for me .Hope you enjoy it and plan ahead too ::)
Sometimes I post something that has passed already because of its impact for a future visit. This time will post a whole series of event that happened every year in my belle France. It is the big celebration of heritage, or Journées du Patrimoine that were held this past Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22,2019. Despite the disturbances of strikes and politics as usual. The Palais du Luxembourg (where the Senate of France is located at the Jardin du Luxembourg) is the building that attracted the most visitors this year. Overall, in these two days, 12 million visits were recorded on 17,000 different places!
The “Golden Palm” of attendance goes to the Senate(Palais du Luxembourg), with 22,499 visitors. The Palais de l’Elysée palace (home of the President of France), for its part, welcomed 20,000 visitors. The President had gone the day before with Brigitte Macron (his wife) and Stéphane Bern (great promoter of heritage in France) in the house workshop of Rosa Bonheur, 12 Rue Rosa Bonheur, 77810 Thomery in Seine et Marne (dept. 77) ,but the President did not appear on the steps and in the gardens, Saturday. No doubt he judged that the social situation did not allow this moment of conviviality. Indeed.
According to a partial assessment of the Ministry of Culture, the Journée du Patrimoine or Heritage Days was, as every year, pulled it out well. The abbey of Mont Saint Michel (12,600 visitors), the Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie (23,000) Château de Vincennes (10,100), the Banque de France (15,500), the Château de Ducs de Bretagne in Nantes (6,500), the university library of Strasbourg (8,500) or the Grand Theater of Bordeaux (6,500) . The Ministry of Culture, building at rue de Valois ,Paris, seduced 4,000 persons by exposing several fragments of Notre Dame Cathedral, including the rooster, formerly located at the top of the missing arrow. During the fire, the rooster dropped and was found in the rubble two days later!!.
Many middle schools, high schools, and universities were opened their doors to the general public. Walk in the corridors of the Sorbonne. Founded in 1257, the Sorbonne now houses a part of the activities of several universities, including Paris 1, Paris 3 and Paris 4. This year, a new space, the gallery of 7 portraits of famous women requested by the rectorate to the artist Christian Guémy, aka C215, famous stencil artist, is added to the tour. Also, given the theme of this year, the Sorbonne will open its spaces for the first time to the students of the Academy of Paris, who will deliver various artistic performances. 5-47 rue des Ecoles, 5éme. Metro: Cluny-La Sorbonne
Located behind the Pantheon, the Lycée Henri IV occupies the former abbey of Sainte Geneviève, which overlooks the mountain of the same name. The establishment is considered one of the best high schools in France according to several rankings. Located at 23 rue Clovis, 5éme. Metro: Cardinal Lemoine
Since 1809, the former Royal Abbey of Saint-Denis, which adjoins the famous Basilica, houses the House of Education of the Legion of Honor. Common point of the students: they are girls, granddaughters or great granddaughters of members of the Legion of Honor, the military medal or the National Order of Merit. Located at 1 rue de la République, 93000, Saint-Denis. Metro: Basilica de Saint-Denis
The National School of Fine Arts, under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and member of the Paris University Sciences and Letters (PSL), is in the district of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its 650 students occupy two hectares of buildings built between the 17C and 20C. Located at 14 rue Bonaparte,6éme. Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Paris attracts students from all over the world. To verify this, go to the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris (Ciup). The campus, similar to those of American universities, welcomes 12,000 students of 140 nationalities. Forty of them have their own pavilion. Built between 1925 and 1969, they reflect the different architectural trends of the 20C. Located at 17 boulevard Jourdan, 14éme. RER: Cité Universitaire
It is here that was created in 1929 the first national vocational school (ENP) of young girls. Its vocation? To lead them towards emancipation by providing them with training in the field of domestic arts, sewing or secretarial work. The historic building built in the 19C belongs to the neoclassical style. Located at 108 rue Baffier, 18000 Bourges
The Hôtel Vendôme , which houses the Mines ParisTech engineering school, was built in 1707 by architect Le Blond for the Carthusians. It is one of the few engineering schools still located in Paris intramural. Visitors will have access to its gardens, home to one of the most beautiful mineralogy museums in the world, and a library, whose décor reflects the different architectural trends of the 19C. The École des Mines ParisTech is still one of the top three engineering schools in France. It is located at 60, boulevard Saint Michel 6éme Paris/Metro Notre Dame des Champs or RER B
The école militaire built under the rule of king Louis XV and located at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, brings together all organizations of higher military education in France. Among them: the School of War, the Institute of Advanced National Defense Studies (IHEDN) or the National Institute of Higher Studies of Security and Justice (INHESJ). Equestrian demonstrations, recitals, armored displays were on the program. Located at 1 place Joffre, 7éme Paris. Metro: école militaire.
Max Linder Panorama;a cinema. Venetian stucco balconies and nearly 500 velvet armchairs overlook the immense hall of this exceptional cinema. Acquired in 1919 by the burlesque actor Max Linder before being recovered by the Pathé cinema in 1932, the institution is one of the last places to be moved by a panoramic screen of 107 m². Located at 24, bd Poissonnière 9éme.
The Grand Rex; a cinema. It is one of the largest halls in Europe, with 2,700 seats. Its Art Deco façade from 1932 that can be seen from afar on the Grands Boulevards. Inside, a starry vault and Baroque or Mediterranean decorations make it a place apart, a sort of palace of the cinema. Its museum, Les Étoiles du Rex, which revolves around the cinema and its history. Archive images, reconstructed sets, projection booth, transparent panoramic elevator behind the big screen, special effects … 1, bd Poissonnière 2éme. Paris.
The Cinémathèque Française. Located in the gardens of Bercy, it preserves the cinematographic heritage. The building was designed by the American-Canadian architect Frank Gehry, also a designer of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (Spain). Curves and counter-curves dress this mastodon of concrete. Do not miss it. Here, everything is related to the 7th art: objects, documents, films. Great names of cinema to (re) discover and architecture of the site to admire. Located at 51, rue de Bercy 12éme.
And of course the Château de Versailles : visit the most beautiful spaces of the north wing of Versailles in music ,the Palais de marbre, salles des Croisades, salles Louis XIV, Chapelle Royale . Free admission by the cour de l’Opéra Royal!!!
The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte in Mauncy, Seine-et-Marne dept 77 ; opens the doors of its 7 artistic domains with the program, a treasure hunt and unpublished visits on the garden of Le Nôtre, guided tours behind the scenes of filming Marie-Antoinette to James Bond through the man in the mask of iron, concerts-readings with representations mixing the texts of Jean de La Fontaine with the baroque music and an immersive soundtrack plunging the visitor in the History of France with an adult course “The affair Fouquet” and a youth course “The fabulous history of Vaux”!
The Musée de la Grande Guerre at Meaux, Seine et Marne dept 77 .Offers tours of the museum’s reserves , flash tours of the permanent collections and the temporary exhibition “Behind the Scenes of Peace”!!!
There you these are just a sample of those dear to me that I would have love to visit some myself, but they are so many. Do plan ahead, and be here on those days usually are about the same end of September. Enjoy the post and keep it for the future!!
Official Ministry of Culture of France. Translation to English upper right hand FR turn to English : https://journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr/
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 