Paris1972-Versailles2003

Let me tell you an overview on historical terms of the wonderful Chaillot palace or Palais de Chaillot in my eternal Paris. There have been some new opening and like to update this older post with new text and links on the museums here and especially the National Marine Museum of Paris, Therefore, here is my new take on the beautiful architecturally stunning Palais de Chaillot  and its museums of Paris !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Palais de Chaillot is located on the hill of Chaillot in the 16éme arrondissement or district of Paris. Right in the location of the Place du Trocadéro- and Place 11 novembre. It was realized at the Universal Exhibition of 1937 by the architects and Grand Prix of Rome Léon Azéma, Jacques Carlu and Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, at the site of the old Palais du Trocadéro. It is a great spot to see full view of the Eiffel tower! The Palais de Chaillot houses several museums including the major cultural institutions: the City of Architecture and Heritage, the National Maritime Museum (17 Place de Trocadéro) , the Museum of Man, and Chaillot – National Dance Theater.

The Musée National de la Marine will re open from 17 November 2023 at 11h ,after 6 years of renovations ! It was created by king Louis XV in the 18C telling us the story of the Royal, Imperial, and last National Marine, All the pieces in the museum were retired, clean renovated updated and shown as they were originally, The new exposition covers 2900 m2 showing about a thousand items, It has a temporary expo space of about 900 m2, A space of about 100 m2 give current events There will be an area telling about storms and naufrages where the SNSM will be shown (Societé Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer),  The National Marine Museum will have three thematic galleries, The Commerce routes, Storms and naufrages ,and France,the naval power, There are ,also, stages with showing of the royal model of the Saint Louis ,5 meters long done to exact details , this boat was sent to sea in Brest in 1759 to train officers of the Royal Marine,it had 124 cannons, Also, the sculptures of the Réale, the name of the most important vessel of the Royal Marine in the times of king Louis XV,it shows the course of the sun personage of Apolo, Also, a series of harbors of France with 15 portraits,They were ordered in 1753 by the Marquis de Marigny showing the principals ports of France such as Marseille, Toulon, Bayonne,etc  The National Maritime Museum comes from a collection offered to King Louis XV The museum’s permanent collection has been on display since 1943 in the Passy wing of the Palais de Chaillot. The museum has one of the most beautiful and oldest collections in the world, tracing more than 300 years of maritime and naval adventures. It is at the same time a museum of art and history, of science and technology, of human adventures and popular traditions. The museum’s collections invite the visitor to dream and adventure: evocation of the galleys of the 17C , streamlined clippers for racing, liners, submarines, aircraft carriers and the latest oceanographic vessels. Monumental figureheads, galley ornaments, stern decorations in gilded wood rub shoulders with knots, fairings, sextants and beacons Awesome !!!

A bit of history I like tell us that several buildings and architectural projects have succeeded in the site where the Palais du Trocadéro rose. A building, the Hermitage or Maison de Beauregard, was acquired in 1583 by Catherine de Medici who plans to build a pleasure house that was to be inspired by the ancient villas. The castle was acquired in 1651 by the nuns of the Convent of the Visitation Sainte-Marie on the initiative of Henriette d’Angleterre, and will be buried there. This convent abandoned at the beginning of the French revolution was destroyed in 1794 by the explosion of the powdery of Grenelle. In 1811, Emperor Napoleon Ier decided to build on the site a palace of the King of Rome, a building designed to be the residence of his son (a month before the birth of the latter). The name Trocadéro originates from the Fort of Trocadéro, which defended the Spanish port of Cadiz. Indeed, in 1823, it was captured by the French Expeditionary Corps commanded by the Duke of Angoulême, who had been sent by his uncle, the king of France Louis XVIII to reinstate King Fernando VII on the Spanish throne. Therefore, the site of the Trocadéro referred to a French military victory.

Several projects were thought of for the space but nothing solid came about over the years After doing a 3-meters flush and leveling of the hill of Chaillot for the Universal Exhibition of 1867 and then creation of a square and a staircase, the sunken grounds at the site of the current Trocadéro gardens remained unused until 1876. The place which is then again called Place du roi de Rome is connected to the Pont d’Iéna by a granite staircase. The Palais du Trocadéro was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1878 on the plans of Moorish and neo-Byzantine inspirations. During its existence, it hosted the French Museum of monuments created in 1879 and the first Parisian Museum of ethnography ancestor of the Musée de l’homme. The gardens of the Trocadéro were designed by Jean-Charles Alphand. From 1880, a popular observatory, was installed. It was finally demolished and replaced by the Palais de Chaillot built for the specialized exhibition of 1937.

The style of the new Chaillot Palace is neo-classical monumental. The area of the new palace is increased to 41 000 m2, compared to 17 000 before; the new esplanade is open on 125 meters by 60 meters wide. The United Nations, which had just been established in 1946, held two sessions in the Palais de Chaillot at its General Assembly, the 3rd (September-December 1948) and the 6th (November 1951-February 1952), as almost all UN institutions had no definitive sites yet. The General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948. The palace also welcomes, between 1952 and 1959, the NATO headquarters, which is then moved to the Nato Palace (current centre universitaire Dauphine). In 1954 takes place at the Chaillot Palace the signing of the Protocol of Accession of West Germany to NATO; On this occasion is created the Union of Western Europe, installed in part of the building, opposite the Paris wing. Which later got the name European Union.

This site is served by the metro station Trocadéro line 6 and 9. Bus lines no 22,30,32,63,72, and 82 passes by here too. The 72 and 82 are great recommended and see Paris above ground.

The official Musée National de la Marine Paris : https://www.musee-marine.fr/paris/

The Paris tourist office on the National Marine Museum : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/culture/musee-national-de-la-marine-p3482

The Paris tourist office on the Palais de Chaillot : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/culture/palais-de-chaillot-p1655

There you go folks, this is a grand part of Paris that needs to be walk by all, especially on the Trocadéro area, and of course the 16éme arrondissement or district of Paris is my favorite Again, hope you enjoy this updated post on the Palais de Chaillot and its museums of Paris !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!