The Church of the Sacre Coeur was started in 1870 after the
Franco Prussian War, but not completed until 1914 and not dedicated until 1919,
after the First World War. It is built in the Romano-Byzantine style and
contains the largest mosaics in the world, depicting Christ with outstretched
arms. The nearby bell tower contains the ``Savoyarde'' bell. Cast in Annecy
in 1895, it is one of the worlds heaviest at 19 tons. From the top of the Dome,
there is a panoramic view in all directions extending over 30 kilometers.
The Pantheon
The Paris Pantheon, with its neoclassical dome, was designed
to be a church. However, events of the French Revolution caught up with the
project and in 1790 it was designated as a “temple of reason.” It is the final
resting place of many of the great people of France,
including Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo, Zola, and Pierre and Marie Curie.
Eiffel Tower
When the Eiffel Tower
was first being built in the 19th Century, fist fights broke out
over it. Many people thought it an eye sore. But today, no one can imagine Paris
without it. It is a thousand and fifty feet high and has three levels,
accessible by elevator or by stairs. The view from the third level is nothing
more than spectacular. The restaurant, Le Jules Vernes, on the second level is
highly recommended.
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon soon after
his victory at Austerlitz but was
not finished until 1836. There are four huge relief sculptures at the bases of
the four pillars. These commemorateThe Triumph of 1810,Resistance,Peace, and The Departure of the Volunteers, more
commonly known by the name La Marseillaise. Engraved around the
top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary
and Napoleonic periods. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the etranl flame
commemorating the dead of the two world wars are beneath the arch. The Arc de
Triomphe is at one end of the Champs Elysees, considered
one of the most beautiful boulevards in the world.