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Hôtel Corona Opéra - hotel Paris
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Opera Garnier  |
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Constructed in 1862 by the young architect Charles Garnier in the style of the Second Empire, the Opera was completed in 1875 in the first days of the Third Republic.
It was the largest opera house in the world. An interesting point is that this massive edifice is built on an underground river, which continues to fill a subterranean lake.
Legend has it that the Phantom of the Opera, created by Gaston Leroux, continues to carry out his hair-raising activities.
An absolute must: The great staircase, of which the first ten steps form a magnificent elevator cage, the ceiling frescos in vivid colors created by Marc Chagall in 1964 and the immense crystal chandelier weighing six tons.
Tickets for ballet performances at the Opera are hard to come by. However, if you are unable to obtain some, you must try to experience the gold and velvet ambiance of the building itself (the main entrance hall is open from 11 am to 4.30 pm). |
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La Bourse De Paris |
Exhibits illustrating the French Stock Market activity, past and present, are displayed in a suite of rooms on the first floor of the stock exchange building the Palais Brongniart.
The visit starts with a look at the construction of the Palais and its architect Alexandre Théodore Brongniart and continues through the offices of the ancient members of the Compagnie des Agents de Change.
It moves on to a description of the ceilings of the great hall and the placing of the Corbeille, dismantled on July 10, 1987.
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Sacré-cœur |
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Built on the Montmartre hill the Roman-Byzantine Basilica of the Sacred Heart dominates Paris.
It was constructed in devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus after the 1870 disaster; the capture of Paris by the Prussians and the civil war, which steeped the capital in blood. In 1872 the archbishop of Paris gave his approval to a Parisian, Mr. Legentil, to build a sanctuary dedicated to the heart of Jesus-Christ, "true God and real man", present in the Holy Sacrament on display day and night. Therefore he chose the site where Saint Denis was beheaded because of his faith in late 3rd century.
In 1873 the Assemblee Nationale voted a law declaring the building of public interest. Every parish in France financed the basilica's construction.
Work began in 1875, but unfortunately, with the breakout of the First World War, the consecration planned for 1914 had to be postponed until after the war.
The subterranean galleries of the gypsum quarry which had existed since Gallo-Roman times in the Montmartre hill, made the foundation laying even more difficult. Deeper than planned, the foundations required a system of piles formed of eighty four pillars which would lead us to say that it is the Basilica which supports Montmartre rather than the inverse. |
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Passage Jouffroy |
Inaugurated en 1847, the Passage Jouffroy is one of the last Parisian malls.
Its architecture demonstrates the technological progress made in the use of glass and cast iron, where it was possible to make the glass area larger and let in even more light.
It was also the first mall to have under-floor heating. |
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