Colonne Vendôme, Paris
The centrepiece of a magnificent 8-sided square first laid out in 1699 to show off an equestrian statue of the Sun King, Louis XIV.
The centrepiece of a magnificent 8-sided square first laid out in 1699 to show off an equestrian statue of the Sun King, Louis XIV. The statue was removed amidst Revolutionary fervor in 1792 and replaced in 1806 with the Colonne de la Grande Armée. This was modeled on Trajan's column in Rome and decorated with Napoleon's military exploits. The present column is a replica, however, as the original was pulled down during the 1871 Paris Commune. Place Vendôme represents the best of well-heeled Paris, being home to an abundance of exclusive boutiques, jewelers and fashion labels - Cartier, Boucheron, Trussardi, van Cleef & Arpels - several banks, the French Ministry of Justice and the Ritz Hotel.
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About Colonne Vendôme
Colonne Vendôme, 75001 Paris, France
Colonne Vendôme and Nearby Sights on Map
Place Vendome
Jardin des Tuileries
Originally adjoining the now-disappeared royal palace of the Tuileries, these gardens lying immediately west of the Louvre offer a central open space for Parisians and visitors with semi-formal gardens (an outdoor gallery for modern sculpture), various cafés, ice-cream and crépe stalls and a summer fun fair
Jeu de Paume
Built during the First Empire, in imitation of the Orangerie this small building is used by the Galerie Nationale to mount shows dedicated to lesser known, but nonetheless interesting artists, or (sometimes) the lesser known works of the Great Masters
Palais Garnier - Opera National de Paris
The Palais Garnier is a grand 19th century opera house that is famous around the world as the setting for The Phantom of the Opera
Musee des Arts Decoratifs
Around the corner from the Musée du Louvre at Rue de Rivoli 107 - this monument to the French art de vivre, housed in a 19th-century wing of the Louvre that has been restored to Beaux-Arts splendor, its galleries and period rooms showcasing eight centuries of Gallic taste in interior decoration
Seine River
The Seine River is the lifeline of Paris
Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris, with an area of 8
Musee d'Orsay
Housed in a former Beaux-Arts railway station (completed in 1900 for the Exposition Universelle, later saved from demolition and converted to its present use), the rambling, open-plan museum is home to the works of the great artists of the 19th century (1848-1914) - Impressionists, post-Impressionists, and the rest - that were formerly displayed in the Louvre
Musee de l'Orangerie
Recently reopened after extensive renovations, this small museum near the Louvre houses the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume Collection, sold to the French Republic on very generous terms and displaying 143 paintings from the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century (15 Cézannes, 24 Renoirs, 10 Matisses, 12 Picassos, 28 Derains, 22 Soutines)
La Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Richelieu
The National Library, intended to be the repository of all that is published in France, preserves collections of historic documents of both French and international origin