Where is the monument to Jeanne Darc. Monument to Joan of Arc in Paris
Every year in the last week of May, young girls cover the Seine with flowers in memory of their national heroine, the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc. The Norman city of Rouen has been asking for forgiveness before the whole world for several centuries for the death that occurred in 1431 on the Old Market Square. It was there that the young patriot Joan of Arc was burned alive. According to one of the legends, the flame that engulfed the Virgin of Orleans could not overcome the girl's heart. The French believed in her holiness long before the brave girl was canonized by the Catholic Church.
Today, Rouen is a kind of museum dedicated to Joan of Arc. Squares, streets, bridges and even cafes - these places carefully keep the memory of the national heroine. There is also a famous tower in Rouen, in which the captured Jeanne was waiting for her death. The brave girl, thanks to whom the siege of Orleans was lifted, with whose help the French army believed in their strength, was accused first of heresy, and later of witchcraft. In the heart of the Old Market Square, the great French heroine was executed - this place is marked with a cross laid out of five stones.
Panoramic walk through the streets near the Church of Joan of Arc
The name of Joan of Arc is the church built on the site of the execution. It was erected in 1979 on the ruins of the Church of St. Vincent, which was destroyed after the events of the Second World War. Louis Arrech worked on the project.
Every tourist who finds himself next to the majestic building is overwhelmed by a sea of emotions from what he sees. No one can tell for sure by looking at the asymmetric forms of the church what it looks like. To many, the church of Joan of Arc resembles an inverted ship - this is the most common version. From a bird's eye view, someone sees a huge slope in this structure, and the long tail is especially clearly visible. The building, symbolizing courage, valor and patriotism, never ceases to amaze and delight.
The Church of Joan of Arc is a large architectural complex, which includes the building of the cult and the market, after which the square itself is named. The first thing that catches your eye when you find yourself at the place of worship of the ascetic of the French land is a huge dome, reminiscent of a fire, on which the great martyr burned in the fire of hatred. What makes this building special is its scale-like covering - so it is somewhat similar to a huge crocodile with a long tail.
Why does the church of Joan of Arc resemble an inverted ship to many? Once inside, you will be surprised. Look at the ceiling of the church - it actually looks like the deck of a ship, which is propped up by huge, massive columns. The marine theme is complemented by images of fish on the wall. According to one of the hypotheses common in France, the church in the form of a ship was erected to recall the importance of the sea and the Seine River.
Church of Joan of Arc on the map
The decoration of the church of Joan of Arc is rightfully considered a stained glass wall, assembled from the remains of a stained glass window of the predecessor church, which was bombed during the war. Shimmering in the night light, this magnificent composition tells the story of Jesus Christ. The Church is always ready to open significant pages of history, to lift the veils of secrets to everyone.
Inside the building is a sculpture of Joan of Arc herself. It always glows from hundreds of candles, which are placed here by caring parishioners, thanks to the great Frenchwoman for her courage and courage.
More than 6 and a half centuries have passed since the execution of Joan of Arc. Much has changed in the world since that time. Heretics remained in the distant past, and witchcraft is not punishable by death. The Virgin of Orleans proudly and, at the same time, calmly contemplates the life of Rouen, silently answers the questions of tourists and once again repeats to the whole world: honor and valor have no statute of limitations...
Among the many architectural and historical monuments of Paris, the Pyramid Square is mentioned in passing, and in tourist routes it is rarely indicated. However, almost everyone who travels in Paris visits this place due to its convenient location. Lovers of antiquities, park architecture and shopaholics walk along a small rectangular square.
Place Pyramids is located between the three most placed objects of the capital of France. Rivoli Street, the Tuileries Garden and the Pyramid Street of the same name overlook it.
Despite its small size, the area of the Pyramids, like most historical sites, has its own history, legends and sights.
History of Pyramid Square
Pyramid Square
The history of any place in Paris spans many centuries from the founding of the city to the present day. A lot of events are connected with a small square in the center of Paris.
What happened here if you go down the historical stairs?
1. France is famous for its patriotism, and most of the topographic names in the country are associated with historical events. Pyramid Square was created in 1802 and got its name in honor of Napoleon's victorious campaign in Egypt in 1798, during which the French defeated the Mamluk troops at the pyramids. The nearby Rivoli Street also bears its name in memory of the victory over the Austrian troops in 1797.
2. Before the reign of Napoleon, the surrounding areas were occupied by tangled streets with original names - Erased Coins, Dishonest Words. All these slums were destroyed by Bonaparte as sources of all kinds of dangers, and in their place straight avenues with beautiful houses of the same type were created.
3. Even earlier, at the end of the 16th century, on the site where today the Pyramid Square is located, there was an Academy for teaching horseback riding, founded by a royal groom who faithfully served the three kings.
4. According to semi-historical, semi-legendary information, troops besieging Paris stood on this spot in 1429, Joan of Arc fought and was wounded.
Monument to Joan of Arc
Monument to Joan of Arc in Paris
The central place in the square is occupied by an equestrian statue of the legendary French maiden. The monument was erected in 1874, when the country was hardly recovering from the defeat in the war with Prussia and the defeat of the Second Empire. In order to console national pride, the French government turned to the heroic pages of history. In 1870, the sculptor received an order to create a monument. Emmanuelle Fremier. To cope with the patriotic task, he used all the tricks. Therefore, the peasant girl Zhanna is depicted standing in stirrups on a hot war horse, in knightly armor, with a proudly flying banner. For greater solemnity, all this is covered with a thick layer of gilding. The choice of the area was associated with the alleged place of the wound of Joan of Arc.
If you carefully examine the monument, it is noticeable that the sculptor paid more attention to the figure of the horse, while the rider was created somewhat schematically and even clumsily. The facial expression of the legendary warrior is so rude that it is impossible to determine and describe her feelings.
During the creation of the monument, the sculptor tried several times to overcome the visual effect, according to which the proportions are violated, and the horse seems to the audience to be much larger than the rider. For this, the figure of the heroine had to be enlarged several times during production. And yet, after the installation of the monument, 2 years later, Fremier replaced the horse statue with a smaller copy, which he made by order of one of the provincial cities.
The history of the monument did not end there. Another page was written by the Germans who occupied Paris during World War II. They restored and once again gilded the entire sculpture. Historians attribute this action to two different reasons. On the one hand, Lorraine (the province where Joan of Arc was born) went to Germany, and the Germans have the right to consider the heroine their compatriot. On the other hand, this step was taken as a kind of apology to the occupied country, as if “gilding the pill”.
The French still do not bypass the monument. At its foot, patriotic demonstrations and protests take place. Every year on May 1, representatives of the National Front gather here, advocating for France for the French.
The Parisians themselves admit that the artistic value of the sculpture is minimal, but they treat it carefully and with due respect, like any historical monument.
As a reminder to the tourist: it is better to photograph the statue in cloudy weather, as the glare of the sun on the gilding will spoil any picture.
Parisian pyramids
The famous "pyramids"
The name of the Pyramid Square turned out to be prophetic: after more than a hundred years, the pyramids really arose here.
In 1989 an American architect Yo Ming Pei born in China, creates structures in Europe, the form of which was conceived in Africa.
The idea of the emergence of the pyramids is associated with the date of the celebration by France of two hundred years from the beginning of the French Revolution. By this date, it was decided to transform the Louvre into a museum: new buildings were added to it, disturbing and moving even the Ministry of Finance.
But such a difficulty interfered with the constant queues of visitors that arose at the entrance to the museum premises. It was necessary to reconstruct the museum buildings in order to expand their possibilities and capacity.
The greatest number of controversies was caused by the idea of creating a building in the form of a high-tech glass pyramid on the square. But this project still won, because it combined a whole range of advantages:
Unique functionality accommodation of various services and visitors;
The glass construction does not block the historical buildings of the palaces;
Includes such traditional elements as fountains and pools;
At night, it illuminates the square and buildings;
Maximizes the use of underground space, leaving free areas adjacent to the Louvre.
Pyramid Square
Getting to the Pyramid Square, tourists see a complex in front of them, consisting of a large transparent glass pyramid surrounded by pools with murmuring fountains. The height of the main building is about 22 m. There are also 3 small pyramids around. The combination of glass and water makes all structures light, not cluttering up the space, so the dissonance between palace and ultra-modern architecture is largely mitigated.
From a practical point of view, the pyramidal structure is the entrance to museum complex Louvre. In the underground levels there are technical rooms, cafes, shops, cloakrooms, transitions and other services. There is also an exhibition on the history of the museum. Thanks to the glass dome trick, while underground, visitors have a constant view of the sky. The architect proclaimed the unity of earth and sky as the main idea of his construction, so the effect of heaven under the earth is emphasized in the design of the premises.
Three small pyramids perform not so much a decorative function as they serve as sources of natural light in the underground galleries between the buildings.
Inside, there is a fifth, inverted, or descending pyramid that brings daylight into the rooms below.
Various unique technologies were used in the construction of the pyramids, including:
Glass that will not turn yellow or cloud over time, but will retain its transparency;
Economical lighting, giving the effect of a cold glow;
Modern escalators, artificial climate, etc.
Parisian "pyramids"
Designed for such prosaic purposes as dispersing the flow of visitors, the pyramid has now become one of the sightseeing objects of the Louvre. Particularly active pilgrimage began after the release of the book and film " The Da Vinci Code».
Reminder to the tourist: in order to get to the Louvre through the Pyramid, it is also necessary to stand in line, so it is better to use other, less popular entrances, and already exit the museum to the Pyramid Square.
Buildings surrounding the historical monument
The Pyramid Square is one of the smaller squares in Paris. It looks closed due to the fact that it is surrounded by identical buildings on several sides. They are characterized by European architecture with narrow windows, multi-level attics, traditional blinds. A feature of the buildings on the square and Rivoli street are deep arcades, which are not often found in urban architecture. Thanks to them, you can walk around the square and visit shops, cafes and shops in any weather. Buildings form an integral architectural ensemble.
One of the buildings located in Pyramid Square is a hotel Regina Paris. This operating hotel is a historical monument. Its opening was timed to coincide with the passage in Paris world exhibition in 1900. Inside the building is decorated in accordance with the traditions of past centuries. The interior combines pieces of antique furniture, carved wooden panels and doors, twisted figured cast-iron gratings. This style is called beautiful era". To admire the hotel, it is not necessary to settle in it, you can simply enter the hall.
Regina Paris Hotel
You can relax after walking around the city here, stepping straight from the square into the Tuileries Garden, which is so loved by Parisians. Right in the center of the capital of France, there are 28 hectares filled not with houses, but with trees, sculptures, pools.
Tuileries Garden in Paris
Pyramid Square is a small fragment of Paris, but many are associated with it. memorable places and historical events.
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Early in the morning we left Honfleur, planning to see ancient Rouen during the day, and in the evening to visit the Claude Monet house-museum in Giverny. I planned 4 hours to visit Rouen. Basically, you can spend the whole day there. But we didn’t want to go to museums, we didn’t want to see all the sights, our desire was to get acquainted with the architecture, feel the atmosphere of one of the key cities in France and move on.
| Very typical Rouen |
The plans were not fully realized, but more on that later.
In France, rich in historical events and outstanding cities, Rouen occupies an important place.
Rouen originated in the time of the ancient Romans near the stone bridge built across the Seine. The fact is that only in this place it was technologically possible to build a bridge connecting the banks of the river. Constant tides made it possible to reach here even heavy ships, which contributed to the economic and cultural development of the city.
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During the Middle Ages, Rouen was one of the largest and most prosperous centers in Europe. The city was one of the capitals of the powerful Anglo-Norman dynasty, which ruled both England and most of modern France for four whole centuries - from the 11th to the 15th century. In Rouen, William the Conqueror died in 1087, in Rouen, Joan of Arc, idolized by the French, was burned at the stake in 1431.
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| Jeanne at Notre Dame. Rouen |
Today Rouen is the historical capital of Normandy and the fifth largest port in France. Just like in Paris, the Seine divides the city into two parts: Rive Gauche (left bank) and Rive Droit (right bank). Old city is located on the right bank. We parked on the promenade on the left bank where free parking was allowed.
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| Rouen. Seine |
My impression of Rouen - from complete rejection - a lot of clochards and "come in large numbers", some miserable modern houses, a wild flea, reminiscent of the sale of rubbish to the poor, to complete delight - huge quarters of medieval half-timbered houses, or bourgeois streets and squares, cathedrals of amazing beauty. A very ambiguous city.
In Rouen, one of the best cathedrals I have seen in my life is Notre Dame. Photos do not convey its airiness and delicacy. It's a pity. This is the case when you need to see. The same Impressionists painted the cathedral endlessly. During the war, stained glass windows were badly damaged. Too sorry. Very.
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Notre-Dame Cathedral (La Cathedrale Notre-Dame) was built in the 12th century; in its choir part, the heart of Richard the Lionheart, King of England and Duke of Normandy, is buried. This is the cathedral with the tallest spire in all of France. This fact is funny - on the south side of the Church of Notre Dame is the Oil Tower. It was named so because funds received from grateful citizens who were allowed to eat butter during fasting were invested in its construction. Like this.
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And on the square in front of the cathedral there is a building from the windows of which Claude Monet painted canvases of his famous series “Rouen Cathedral”. Now here is the office of tourism.
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Not far from the cathedral is the Church of Saint-Maclou (Eglise Saint-Maclou), also a very beautiful building. Unfortunately, the facade did not "fit" into the camera.
Built since 1437, the saint's church is a masterpiece of flamboyant gothic style. The doors of the 16th-century main entrance are decorated with biblical carvings. The Church of Saint Maclou is located next to the antique dealers' quarter, where some of the most beautiful half-timbered houses of Rouen are located. By the way, pay attention, As a rule, the upper floors of half-timbered houses are slightly wider than the lower ones. This is done so that rainwater does not spoil the beams at the base of the house.
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| Rouen. Fachwerk part |
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Behind the temple is a garden (gardens of the Hotel de Ville). Very symbolically, cherry blossoms accompanied us all the way. Whole 2 weeks! And that night, all the cherry blossoms fell. And so the pink snow lay in the garden behind the Saint-Ouen church, hinting to us that all good things come to an end, and soon home ...
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| Rouen. pink snow sakura |
And the street is here, in this district with the "right" houses.
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The symbol of the city is also the Le Gros-Horloge tower with a clock tower, the clock mechanism of which, by the way, worked without a single breakdown from the 14th century until 1928. This is the second tower clock in the world. The first ones were installed in English city Salisbury. And another curious fact: the clock has only an hour hand. Minutes during the Middle Ages were of no particular interest to anyone. Good times! Currently, the clock is powered by an electric motor. But all internal and external parts remained the same.
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| Rouen. Le Gros-Horloge. Bottom view |
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| Rouen. Church of Joan of Arc |
Continuing the theme of Jeanne d "Arc, there is also a tower where Jeanne was kept in captivity. Surprisingly, she survived. Nearby is a monument to those who died in the war. Flowers, an eternal flame ...
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| Rouen. In the museum. |
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| Here it is, the territory of the museum. |
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What struck me the most about Rouen was the already mentioned mixture of beauty and slovenliness. My husband did not like the city. I was fascinated. Even the "new" part of the right bank is good, right! look
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| Rouen. Part almost new, bourgeois |
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| Very, very modern Rouen |
Rouen has two metro lines and three TEOR (Transport Est-Ouest Rouennais) lines - T1, T2, T3, which connect the city center with suburban areas on both banks of the Seine. We didn't use them.
And here is a map of the central part of the city, quite detailed, use:
Rouen map:
| Map of Rouen from www.orangesmile.com |
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Nearest hotels: | at 20 meters | Hotel Regina | from | 220 € * | |
| at 110 meters | Hotel Louvre Montana | from | 142 € * | |||
| at 130 meters | Hotel du Lion d'Or Louvre | from | 135 € * | |||
| * minimum room rate for two in low season | ||||||
| Nearest metro: | at 170 meters | Tuileries (Tuileries) | line | |||
Monument to Joan of Arc
Where the streets of Rivoli (named after the Napoleonic battle in Piedmont) and Pyramids (in honor of his battles in Egypt) intersect, a wonderful monument stands in a small square, blinding with sun glare on a bright day. This is a monument to a girl who lived a short and amazing life six centuries ago - Joan of Arc
After the humiliating defeat of Bismarck in 1870 and the loss of territories (and the defeat was really heavy: the Parisians, accustomed to meeting the enemy breaking into the city, sitting in cafes and brasseries and discussing the bad taste in the uniforms of the occupying cavalrymen, this time severely starved after a long Prussian siege )…
... the government, having killed the Communards and licked its wounds, realized an acute shortage in some kind of uplifting story that would inspire the people to reconquista.
At this moment, agitprop dusts off the materials of the Joan of Arc case and begins to promote the image (everything worked out very well, because she was born in Lorraine, part of which has now gone to the Germans). In the squares of almost all cities in France, monuments to Jeanne the Virgin, as she called herself, appear, and with her canonization in 1920, churches fill the monuments.
Have you read? then let's continue.
Breaking away from the imposed images, we will try to calmly figure everything out. The life story of this girl is one of the most documented biographies of that time (early 15th century), especially considering that she was a simple peasant woman. At the age of 17, Jeanne comes to the head of the garrison of the town of Vaucouleurs and says that she will save France - she is escorted out. A year later, after thinking, she again returns there, and now she is taken more seriously. They send her to the Dauphin (the future King Charles VII) and after a series of humiliating tests, she is appointed commander-in-chief (!). But that's not all, the army wins battle after battle (!). After, of course, betrayal and hostile trial of this child and at the same time the captive commander in chief. The consideration of the case lasts more than 3 months (!) ...
... and all interrogations are fully documented (3 copies of the translation of the case materials into Latin have been preserved (one in the library of the French Assembly), certified by the seal of the president of the court). This is 600 years ago!
The Maid of Orleans was burned at Rouen on May 30, 1431, a year after her capture. She was 19. The Hundred Years' War lasted another 23 years and ended with a century and a half delaying the end of the Valois dynasty. It is impossible not to admit, even with allowances for propaganda exaggerations, that this story is amazing and somewhere even fantastic.
Let's go back to the Pyramid Square. Rumor has it that somewhere here Joan was wounded in a battle in 1429, but there is no evidence for this. The order for the monument was received by the animal sculptor Emmanuel Frémier. He found a suitable maiden, a horse, in Lorraine, and in 1874 the monument took its place.
In those years, copies of the monument of different sizes quickly dispersed throughout the provinces, and Frémiet was always tormented by something ... he walks along the rue de Rivoli - the hoof seems big, walks along the rue de Pyramides - the croup weighs ... not for nothing that the person is an animalist.
In general, in 1899, the sculptor changed the old big horse for a smaller copy, the one he made for the city of Nancy, which caused a storm of indignation among patriots and royalists. Now the royalists have been replaced by fellows from the "National Front" Jean-Marie Le Pen and her daughter, demanding to expel foreigners and rushing to the gilded Jeanne every May 1.
The French especially love to sing of their national heroes. The gilded statue of Joan of Arc in Paris is a vivid proof of this. Glittering in the sun or under the light of evening lanterns, this statue reminds passing onlookers of an equally bright but tragic fate young Frenchwoman of the 15th century. Although there are various monuments to Joan of Arc in Paris and many other cities in France, the statue in the Place des Pyramides near the Louvre is the most famous and impressive.
The life and death of a famous Frenchwoman
It is believed that Joan of Arc was born in 1412 in the village of Domremy during the Hundred Years War between England and France. At the age of 17, Jeanne became the leader of the French army. In April 1429, the military detachment of Joan of Arc liberated Orleans, for which she received the nickname of the Maid of Orleans. Over the following months, the troops under her command scored numerous victories against the British.
In May 1430, as a result of a betrayal, she was captured by the British. A year later, Joan of Arc was convicted of heresy and wearing male clothes and sentenced to be burned at the stake in Rouen. A few decades later, her trial was declared illegal, and in 1920 the Catholic Church canonized the Frenchwoman as a saint.
History of the statue in the Pyramid Square
An equestrian statue of Joan of Arc was placed in the Place des Pyramides in 1874. This place was not chosen by chance, since it is believed that Jeanne was seriously wounded here in the battle for Paris. Emanuel Framier, a well-known sculptor of that time, worked on the creation of the statue. The pedestal was designed by the architect Paul Abadi.
As a model, the sculptor chose Aimee Girod, a girl from the village of Domremy, the birthplace of Joan of Arc. The master sought to convey in his work the extraordinary determination and fearlessness of the national heroine.
But, it is obvious that the sculptor was not quite familiar with the laws of optical perception. Since the figure of the rider seemed too small to the observer from below in relation to the horse. In this regard, the bronze "Jeanne" was subsequently made larger.
Some critics believe that this monument is not the best depiction of the Maid of Orleans. But the most popular. Thanks to its convenient location near the Louvre and its golden radiance, the statue on the Pyramid Square is a favorite attraction for thousands of visitors to Paris. And various political movements annually organize patriotic rallies near the monument.
How to get there
Address: 4 Place des Pyramides, Paris 75001Metro: Tuileries, pyramides
Bus: Pyramides / Tuileries, Pyramides - Saint-Honore
Updated: 06.11.2018