Rachel Morgan

11/2/05

French III

The Tuileries Quarter

            The Tuileries Quarter is located in the center of the city. It is a place where kings have resided and kept some of their palaces. Now, it is a place of fashion and visiting. In the Tuileries Quarter you will find many famous spots, including: Palais Royal, Musee du Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries, Comdie Fancaise, Rue de Rivoli, Place Vendome, Louvre des Antiquaires, the Ritz Hotel, Place de la Concorde, and Jeu de Paume.

            The Ritz Hotel has quite a fascinating history. In 1898 it was opened by Cesar Ritz who had a dream that one of the most beautiful hotels should be there when he saw the beautiful place. In 1915, the hotel converted its Cambon wing for a military hospital for the Allies. In 1918 Cesar Ritz died. 1930, the Hotel becomes a national monument. In 1934, Coco Chanel makes Ritz her home, it remains her home for over 30 years. 1940, the Ritz Hotel is occupied by high-ranking officials of the German government. This is could just go on and on when the history of the hotel. Even today, numerous happenings are occurring here.

            The Louvre was built originally to be a fortress by Phillipe Auguste in 1190. It was built to the west of the city on the banks of the Seine. This fortress was to protect against the Norman-Anglo threat. In the mid 14th century, the city surrounded the fortress and the fortress lost its defensive ability. In 1364, Charles V had the Louvre be transformed from fortess into a grand royal residence. Francois I had the Louvre transformed from the medival look to a Renaissance palace in1527. 1692, Louis called for a gallery of antique sculpture in the Salle des Caryatides. The Louvre is declared a house of kings, art and sciences in 1791. In 1793, the Museum Central des Arts opened inside the museum. When war broke out in 1939, the museum closed and all the artifacts were moved except for the heaviest ones to different places. The pieces were constantly moved to keep from being confiscated. In 1964, a moat was built around the Louvre. September 26, 1981, the Louvre is now completely a museum. The ministry of Finance is moved to a different building. 1983, the construction of the pyramid begins. March 30, 1989, the pyramid is inaugurated. The Louvre has several different galleries of type, the have art work from Iran, Egypt, Greek, Assyrian, and even more places.

            Comédie Français forms the southwest wing of Palais Royal. It was originally built in 1786 to 1790 by Victor Louis. In 1900, a part of the building was destroyed. It was later rebuilt by Gaudet. The theater company that performs here is the Comedia Français. They were the longest running national theater company in the world. The theater was renovated in 1994 and reopened in 1995.

            The Jeu de Paume court was built under Louis XIV. On June 20, 1789 there was a major event during the revolution that occurred here. Here the Representatives of the common met and swore that they would not disband until they had a constitution. This was the beginning of the revolution. Jeu de paume is also the name of the game that is a precursor of tennis. In this game, tennis players had to hit the ball with their palms back and forth.

            Place de la Concorde is a big square in the middle of Paris that was built by Louis XIV. Construction began in 1754 and was finished in 1763. It was a shape of an octagon and had moats surrounding it.  Then it was called, Place Louis XIV. When the revolution occurred it was called Place Revolution. In 1829, the viceroy of Egypt gave an obelisk to France. It was the Obelisk of Luxor. It is more than 3,300 years old! Then eventually it was called Place de la Concorde. It is the largest public square in Paris.

            The Tuileries Garden was created by Andre Le Notre in 1664. It was commissioned by Catherine de Medicis in the mid-sixteenth century. In 1783 the Montgolfier brothers launched their first successful hot-air balloon here. The garden covers about 60 acres. It is between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. It is named after the medieval warren of tile makers that once occupied the spot.

            In Place Vendome you will find the Ritz Hotel, several elite jewelry stores, banks, and other elite fashion areas. Place Vendome is was a typical royal square in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was designed by Jules-Hardouin-Mansart. Place Vendome was inaugurated in 1699. When it was inaugurated it had only fake walls. The real buildings did not come until1702 to 1720. When it was first created the very wealthy Parisians lived here.

            Rue de Rivoli is one of the most fashionable streets in the world. It has some of the most fashionable names of stores there. Napoleon built the street through the heart of Paris. It went from the Louvre to the Tuileries gardens. King Charles V and Louise-Phillipe extended the street. Then Emperor Napoleon extended it for the last time. It is named after one of Napoleon's early victories against the Austrian army. It has famous arcades that extend for over a mile.

            The Tuileries quarter is a place of elegance and harsh history. It is a place of rebels and of fashion. It is a place of history and the future. The Tuileries quarter is a place of its own. It is a place where kings have dwelt. It is a place where the poor have rebelled. It is a place for everyone.