LE FORT CASSO
Discovery of an underground city equipped to support 173 men in ...Read more
THE ANTIQUE THEATER
A Roman theater steeped in history, converted into housing for refugees ...Read more
THE EIFFEL TOWER
The emblematic monument and the highest in the world until 1931, the Eiffel ...Read more
ROYAL CASTLE OF AMBOISE
Castle being the first royal residence in France, houses the Chapel of ...Read more
CASTLE AND GARDENS OF VILLANDRY
Renaissance castle, on a platform surrounded by a moat, with gardens with ...Read more
THE CASTLE OF FONTAINEBLEAU
The château is the only monument to bear continuous witness to the history ...Read more
PONT DU GARD
Listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, this architectural jewel offers an ...Read more
LA CITÉ MÉDIÉVALE DE CARCASSONNE
Take a tour of one of Europe's largest fortified towns! On the program: the ...Read more
POPE'S PALACE
The Palais des Papes sits at the gateway to Provence, where the Rhône ...Read more
CHAMBORD CASTLE
This castle is a jewel of architecture and nature, born from the dream of ...Read more
OPÉRA NATIONAL DE PARIS – PALAIS GARNIER
Paris's temple of lyrical art and classical dance, whose museum recounts ...Read more
ARLES ARENA (AMPHITHEATRE)
Arenas inspired by the Colosseum in Rome, a remarkable temple of games, a ...Read more
LA FORTERESSE DE SALSES
A true specimen of the transition between medieval castle and modern ...Read more
PONT ALEXANDRE-III
The Pont Alexandre-III, one of the most prestigious Parisian landmarks of ...Read more
LE PANTHÉON
Read moreChurch of Sainte-Geneviève until the Revolution, the Panthéon was built at the same time as the neighboring Ecole de Droit (Sorbonne Law School). It is located on the eponymous square, which was laid out around 1770 on land once owned by the abbey of Sainte-Geneviève. The square was subsequently redeveloped in the 19th century, notably following the construction of the Sainte-Geneviève library. Commissioned by King Louis XV as a tribute to Saint Geneviève, construction of the Pantheon began in 1755. It was directed by Jacques-Germain Soufflot from 1758, then by Maximilien Brébion and Jean-Baptiste Rondelet. They were completed in 1793. From the outset, they revealed the presence of Gallo-Roman clay extraction shafts nestling some 25 m below ground level. The building, 110 m long and 84 m wide, takes the form of a Greek cross with four naves topped by a dome at their intersection, a bold elevation - in reality a triple dome - under which Louis XV had wished to display the reliquary of Saint Geneviève. Today, the exterior may seem austere, but in the 18th century, the facades were filled with some forty bays, and two 40 m-high bell towers. At that time, two other churches were located on Mont Sainte-Geneviève (the former 12th-century abbey church on what is now Rue Clovis, and the 15th-century church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont). This configuration, among others, motivated the transformation of Louis XV's church into a republican temple to house the tombs of "génovéfains (regular canons of the Order of Sainte-Geneviève) and Frenchmen illustrious for their talents, virtues and services to the fatherland". The first great man to enter was Victor Hugo. Among the personalities laid to rest in the crypt are Voltaire, Rousseau, Jean Moulin, Pierre and Marie Curie, Simone Veil, Josephine Baker... The wall of the monument and the staircase leading to the crypt also feature inscriptions and plaques honoring personalities who have also left their mark on French history: General Delestraint, Alain-Fournier, Charles Péguy, Victor Segalen, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Henri Bergson, François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture and the Justes de France. The decor is also well worth a visit, with works by Puvis de Chavannes, Gros and Cabanel... This place of collective memory is well worth a visit, reflecting the architectural and artistic know-how of different eras, as well as the ups and downs of a turbulent history.
THE FORT DE BELLEGARDE
Fort located on the hill of Bellegarde, offering an exceptional panorama ...Read more
CHATEAUX DE TRIANON
Castles, including the first Grand Trianon with a main pavilion and 4 other ...Read more
CHÂTEAU ROYAL - NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM
Renaissance style castle, home to the National Archaeology Museum and ...Read more
CASTLE OF VAUX-LE-VICOMTE
Château built in 1656 by Nicolas Fouquet, which dazzled Louis XIV and ...Read more