Paris1972-Versailles2003

I like to tell you about a wonderful monument that is worth the detour to see even if still in the off the beaten path trail for most, I found me a picture in my cd rom vault that made me do this post for you and me,, I happened to visit on a private group event , and I guess only took the picture from outside. Therefore, let me tell you about the Monnaie de Paris in Paris !!! . Hope you enjoy the post as I

The Monnaie de Paris is the oldest French institution and one of the oldest companies in the world. It provides a public service mission of minting the euro currency for France and also produces foreign currency. The first factory established in Paris, it is now the last in operation. The Pessac factory (Gironde 33) has been responsible for the production of these coins since 1973, from blank cutting to final packaging. Ithe Monnaie de Paris operates at two sites: the Paris Mint (55% of the workforce) and the Pessac mint (45%).  It is the historic manufacturer of official decorations and major orders, such as the Legion of Honor and the National Order of Merit. It is the last art foundry still in operation in Paris, perpetuating a tradition and expertise passed down for centuries by artisans.

The Monnaie de Paris Mint was created on June 25, 864, during the reign of Charles II by the Edict of Pîtres. It is one of the oldest companies in the world and the oldest French institution still in operation. The Mint’s archives date back to 1225. In 1770, the institution acquired a new headquarters in Paris, both a general management office and a factory. The Hôtel de la Monnaie spans 114 meters and covers an area of ​​12,000 m² on Quai de Conti. At the end of September 2017, the Paris Mint reopened after renovation work: 80% of the 1.2 ha of buildings is now accessible to the public. A 1950s basketball court, which was located under the roof of one wing, was razed to better respect the symmetry of the premises. 2,000 pieces (from the reserves which total 170,000 objects), never before exhibited (rare medals and coins, ingots recovered from a wreck, etc.), are presented in the museum dedicated to the know-how of the Institution.

The Hôtel de la Monnaie, located on Quai de Conti in the 6éme arrondissement of Paris, is an 18C building. It still houses the Monnaie de Paris Mint and the Paris Mint Museum. This site is served by the Pont-Neuf metro station on line 7, The building is divided into two parts: a building on the quayside, used as offices and apartments, and, along the axis of the composition, the minting workshops, organized around several courtyards and aligned along Rue Guénégaud. The vestibule opens onto a central courtyard, known as the public courtyard, originally planned to be round and instead shaped like a horseshoe. At the far end, along the axis of the composition, is the former minting workshop, housing the pendulum room. This workshop is isolated from the rest of the building, so as not to cause any disturbances, by four courtyards:du Monnayage (mining), du Blanchiment (whitening), du Dépôt(depot),and Travaux (Works). Only the last one has remained substantially in its original state, with its obelisk-shaped solar clock. Set diagonally, you have the Hôtel de L’Averdy ,a former small Hôtel de Conti. The attic overlooking the Seine bears figures of Prudence , Abundance, Justice, Peace and Commerce. At the back of the public courtyard, the pediment bears Experience and Vigilance. In the balance room, a niche houses another figure of Abundance, while the façade on rue Guénégaud is decorated with allegories of the Elements: Earth and Fire, Water and Air.

The first workshops of the Paris Mint were established successively in the Royal Palace on the Île de la Cité, on rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie where King Saint-Louis installed the convent of Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie on this site in 1258, then on rue de la Vieille-Monnaie (now boulevard de Sébastopol, between rue de Rivoli and rue des Lombards). The workshop was then transferred from the 14C to old houses on rue de la Monnaie. The Paris Mint remained there for four centuries. In 1765, construction of this new neoclassical style building. on the site of the former Grand Hôtel de Conti, which had been bought on behalf of the City of Paris to build a new City/town hall, a project which was abandoned. The first stone was laid by Abbé Terray on April 30, 1771. The facade on the quay, 117 meters long, was completed in 1773 and the main work, as well as most of the decoration, in 1775.

The official Monnaie de Paris : https://www.monnaiedeparis.fr/fr

The Paris tourist office on the Monnaie de Paris : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/culture/la-monnaie-de-paris-p3523

The Île de France region tourist office on the Monnaie de Paris : https://www.visitparisregion.com/en/monnaie-de-paris

There you go folks, this is worth the detour for the museum and visit/see this wonderful institution right in Paris,  Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Monnaie de Paris in Paris !!! as I.

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