Paris1972-Versailles2003

This one is a delight for me to tell you again and glad found me more pictures in my cd rom vault to share in my blog for you and me, This is one of the nostalgic parks of my eternal Paris. The parc Monceau is a treasure in Paris, not the biggest, not the prettiest maybe, but a wonderful collection of follies, great architecture in and out on the mansions that surrounded it and two good museums. I have come to name in my top 3 parks of Paris! Therefore, this is my take zgain on the Parc Monceau of Paris , part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

We have come by car parking at Villiers and walked but believe once by metro on Monceau Line 2. The unique entrance with crested entourage done by Héctor Guimard is located on this line direction Porte Dauphine-Nation at Boulevard de Courcelles on the edge of the Parc Monceau. The park is in neighborhood or quartier Europe in the 8éme arrondissement or district of Paris. The single entrance with shield surround is located on Line 2 (Porte Dauphine-Nation) Boulevard de Courcelles Paris 8éme and 17éme, on the edge of Parc Monceau. The station owes its name to the village of Monceau which was a small town in the 15C.

The Parc Monceau with an area of 8.25 hectares  whose main entrance is near the Rotunda (see post) by Boulevard de Courcelles, an exotic garden English style park, Inaugurated on  August  13 1861 by emperor  Napoleon III. The park is a kilometer in circumference , a  full tour of the park measures precisely  1 107 meters (bypassing the children’s playground, it takes 990 meters). The current Parc Monceau garden has entrances on boulevard Malesherbes and Avenue Hoche as well. There are other lesser entrances without grille gates such as Avenue Ruysdaël, Rue Rembrandt,Allée de la Comtesse de Ségur; Avenue de Valois and Avenue de Velazquez. 

You see here the Naumachie, an oval basin bordered by a Corinthian colonnade that comes from the Valois rotunda, the funerary monument designed by Catherine de Medici in 1559 for her husband as an addition to the Basilica of Saint-Denis and destroyed in 1719; the columns were recovered and installed by Carmontelle to decorate the basin , This was the name given to the place where, in ancient Rome, a naval battle was reenacted for the amusement of the public. All inside a wonderful pretty pond.

At the bend in the path, small pyramids! Of course, reconstructed, they date from the park before its development during the Second Empire (Napoléon III). This Ancient Egyptian-style building is one of the few survivors of the first park, “La Folie de Chartres.” It has Freemason symbolism, as the Duke of Orleans was the Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France. The best is the Egyptian pyramid built between 1769 and 1773, In front of it is the monument to Charles Gounod done in 1902 by sculptor Antonin Mercie, The monument is surrounded by three female figures over clouds evoquing the 3 most popular operas of Gounod;Marguerite (Faust) , Juliette (Romeo et Juliette), and Sapho;musical instruments around it you see an organ.

The little Italian marble bridge with its air of the Rialto of Venice, Small, completely artificial stream, it flows into the highlight of the Naumachia basin, with its beautiful colonnade. This is the lowest point. From there, the water is collected and pumped back to the top of the rock.

Nearby, stands a large Renaissance arcade style, relic of the City Hall of Paris burned in 1871 (there are also fragments of columns) The Old City/Town Hall came about because François Ier in the 16C, ordered a new building for the city of Paris. This illustrious building no longer exists today. However, the St John or Boccador’s gate of the old City/Town Hall was preserved. It was located near the Naumachia. The southern part of the monument can be dated to the 16C, under the reigns of Francis I and Henry II. The remaining part was rebuilt in the early 17C, under the leadership of Henry IV, and completed during the reign of Louis XIII.

The Parc Monceau is surrounded by many marble statues of writers and musicians found at the corner of the groves. They represent Maupassant,  Verlet, Chopin, Gounod and Musset, Ambroise Thomas or Édouard Pailleron . Claude Monet painted six pictures of the park, three in 1876 and three in 1878, The Parc Monceau is open every day from 7h to 22h in summer, but also 20h in winter and 21h the rest of the time,

The Paris Tourist office on the Parc Monceau: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/culture/parc-monceau-p3553

The City of Paris on the Parc Monceau:  https://www.paris.fr/lieux/parc-monceau-1804

This is one of the great parks of Paris, and you would do well to visit it. I have come to love it over the years and even passed by to see here each time in the city at least. The tranquil time amongt beautiful buildings and a great garden park of indeed beautiful Paris. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the parc Monceau of Paris, part II !!! as I.

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