Glory To Gory Back To Glory The Place de la Concorde
Glory To Gory & Back To Glory – The Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde has always been important in the history of France and of Paris. It is one of the most important squares in Paris. The center of the square has been home to some gruesome things that nevertheless tell part of the history of France and Paris.
It was first an octagon, surrounded by a moat, according to the design of Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1755. To its west was the Champs-Élysées, and to its east, the Tuileries Gardens. It was a lovely place, with gardens and fountains, and it was built in the honor of Louis XV, who was the king then, and named after him. It had a statue of the king astride a horse, by Edmé Bouchardon, who died before it was completed, and Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, who took over the sculpture when the former passed away. It also has two lovely stone buildings typical of the architectural style of the time, exactly alike, in the north of the square.
It was renamed Place de la Revolution and the statues torn down, to be replaced by a guillotine, during the French revolution, giving the square a bloody history, as well. The famous executions of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette also took place here.
From December 21, 1833, the square has been home to a historically significant Egyptian obelisk, twenty three meters high. It once stood tall and proud at the gate of the Luxor Temple, and is 3300 years old. The obelisk has hieroglyphics that pay tribute to the pharaoh Ramses II. Two obelisks were given to the French government, but only one could be brought to France with the limited technology available during that time. President Mitterand finally gave back the other obelisk in the nineties.
Paris is known for luxury and how complete can a visit to the city be if you don’t stay at a Luxury hotel in Paris? Packed with tourists throughout the year, the city is not a place to visit without booking your Paris hotel well in advance.
Glory To Gory & Back To Glory – The Place de la Concorde / Author: eMarketingEye
Naveen Marasinghe is an Online Marketing Executive at eMarketingEye which is a search engine marketing company that offers integrated Internet marketing services and specializes in serving the online travel and hospitality industry. (http://www.emarketingeye.com/ )
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