The Eiffel Tower - an enormous structure of exposed latticework supports made of iron, was constructed for the Paris Exposition of 1889. The Prince of Wales officiated at the ceremonial opening. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, one was collectively chosen, a radical conception from the French structural engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who was assisted in the design by engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre.
The Eiffel Tower was admired by Rousseau, Utrillo, Chagall, and Delaunay. It was almost dismantled in 1909 at the termination of its 20-year lease, but was saved because of its antenna - used for telegraphy at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part of the International Time Service. French radio and French television have also made use of its stature. In the 1960s, it was the subject of a wonderful study by semiologist Roland Barthes.
Built to commemorate the science and engineering achievements of its age, soaring 300m / 984 ft. and weighing 7000 tons, the structure is made up of two visibly distinct parts - a base composed of a platform resting on four separate supports and, above this, a slender tower created as the bents taper upward, rising above a second platform to come together in a unified column.
This unparalleled work, the tallest structure in the world until the Empire State Building was built about 40 years later, had several previous circumstances. Among them were the iron-supported railway viaducts designed by Eiffel, an arch bridge over the Douro River in Portugal with a span of 160 m, and a design for a circular, iron-frame tower proposed by the American engineers Clarke and Reeves for the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Eiffel acknowledged this influence publicly; as he was no stranger to the United States, having designed the wrought-iron pylon inside Frederic Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty in 1885. Later in the same year, he had also begun work on the cupola of the Nice observatory.
In the basements of the eastern and western pillars, one can visit the gigantic 1899 machinery which powers the elevators. From the Tower’s three platforms -especially the topmost - the view of Paris is superb. It is generally agreed that one hour before sunset, the panorama is at its best. The camera should not be forgotten to capture a dazzling sunset on the Seine.
There are other magnificent views, especially when the Trocadéro fountains are in full force; one gets free show from the dancers and acrobats who perform around the Palais de Chaillot. The vast green boulevard beneath the tower is the Parc du Champs-de-Mars, which extends all the way to the 18th-century Ecole Militaire, at its southeast end. This formal lawn was once a parade ground for French troops.
The Eiffel Tower at night is one of the grand sights of Paris and shouldn’t be missed. The gold lighting highlights the delicacy of the steelwork in a way that is missed in daylight.
The Eiffel Tower is a real crowd pleaser. At the crossroads of the entire world, 180 million visitors have come since its construction. It’s not surprising when one considers that the Eiffel Tower is the monument that best symbolizes Europe. It’s also the one tourists prefer.
While the seventh arrondissement is located on the Seine River's Left Bank and the eighth arrondissement is on its Right Bank, they are more closely related to one other than they are to their neighbors on the same side of the river. These arrondissements are major employment and tourist centers, posh residential areas, and home to the French National Assembly, the Palais Bourbon.
The Eiffel Tower is perhaps Paris's best-known landmark, recognized all over the world. This structure, once the world's tallest and still the most visited, attracts over six million paying visitors a year. It was erected between 1887 and 1889 for a World's Fair marking the centennial of the French Revolution. Supposedly the French writer Guy de Maupassant ate lunch there every day, because it was the only Paris location where he couldn't see the tower.
The Hotel Matignon, completed in 1725, is one of Paris's most elegant mansions. During World War II it was a headquarters of the collaborationist government. General de Gaulle convened the government there in 1944 and once again in 1958.
The Champ de Mars was once used for military training. It was the site of both a festival and a bloody massacre during the French Revolution. The Ecole Militaire was founded by Louis XV to enable poor boys to become cadet officers. Napoleon Bonaparte is its best-known graduate. The Invalides complex, first built as a retirement home for war veterans, now includes a soldiers' hospital, war monuments, and war museums. Napoleon Bonaparte and his family are buried there. For a change of pace visit the Rodin Museum which displays many of his works as well as masterpieces by Van Gogh, Claudel, and others.
The Paris Institute of Political Studies is one of France's greatest educational institutions. Many French leaders such as Chirac and Mitterand, thirteen former prime ministers and a whole slew of world leaders are former students, teachers or both.
L'Eglise de la Madeleine church was constructed in honor of Napoleon's army. Its organ is top of the line; the famous composers Camille Saint-Saens and Gabriel Faure were church organists. I am told that this is THE place to have your wedding and funeral.
The Elysee Palace is the President of the French Republic's official residence and holds meetings of the Council of Ministers. The gardens host a presidential party on July 14th. The Arc de Triomphe monument honoring French soldiers sits in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle at the western end of the Champs-Elysees. It is the second tallest such monument in the world. The nearby traffic circle serves twelve very busy avenues. I have heard that you can find a replica at the Paris Las Vegas resort but don't plan a visit to confirm.
You'll find the Art Nouveau Theatre des Champs-Elysees a few several blocks from that avenue. In 1913 its initial performance of Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring quickly degenerated into a full-scale riot. The Grand Palace is a large glass Art Deco exhibition hall built for the Paris Exhibition of 1900. The Little Palace across the street is home to an art museum, the Musee des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris.
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