Opéra - Grands Magasins
The Garnier Opera takes pride of place among the flow of traffic which pours down the Grands Boulevards. It is surrounded by large avenues lined with luxurious facades and, slightly further away, the Church of the Madeleine with its austere columns. Magnificently Parisian, the Opéra district is intimidatingly opulent, but it is also packed with the simple to-ing and fro-ing of office workers, the comings and goings of shopaholics and the leisurely pace of show goers.
On the Grands Boulevards, two Parisian monuments
In the 17th century, the ramparts stretching from Bastille to the Church of the Madeleine were demolished giving rise to floral promenades, which, with growing urbanisation, became the Grands Boulevards. From the 19th century, they became a centre for leisure where theatres flourished; today, still, they are home to numerous cinemas and auditoriums. More working-class in character around Place de la République, the boulevards around Opéra, reflect a wholly Napoleon-style pomp.
Sumptuous, eclectic, Baroque and extravagant: the Opera built by Charles Garnier proudly displays the Napoleon III style colours which were created for it. The marble interior and painted ceilings add to the magnificence of this major venue for French lyrical arts. Inaugurated in 1865, the Garnier Opera is one of the capital’s main monuments.
Another major monument is “la Madeleine”, the name given by Parisians to the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine with its tormented history. Built and then destroyed twice since 1764, the church comprises 52 twenty metre high Corinthian columns and bears a resemblance to a Parisian temple.
From Place de l’Opéra, all around…
In the 17th century, the ramparts stretching from Bastille to the Church of the Madeleine were demolished giving rise to floral promenades, which, with growing urbanisation, became the Grands Boulevards. From the 19th century, they became a centre for leisure where theatres flourished; today, still, they are home to numerous cinemas and auditoriums. More working-class in character around Place de la République, the boulevards around Opéra, reflect a wholly Napoleon-style pomp.
Sumptuous, eclectic, Baroque and extravagant: the Opera built by Charles Garnier proudly displays the Napoleon III style colours which were created for it. The marble interior and painted ceilings add to the magnificence of this major venue for French lyrical arts. Inaugurated in 1865, the Garnier Opera is one of the capital’s main monuments.
Another major monument is “la Madeleine”, the name given by Parisians to the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine with its tormented history. Built and then destroyed twice since 1764, the church comprises 52 twenty metre high Corinthian columns and bears a resemblance to a Parisian temple.
… to the Palais-Royal
Place de l’Opéra also opens out on to the very famous Rue de la Paix, the most expensive street on the French Monopoly board. Among other things, it is home to some major jewellers (Cartier, Boucheron, etc.) and offers a taste of the pomp of Place Vendôme, which lies to the south. Rectangular and surrounded by pilasters, Place Vendôme is a symbol of French classical architecture. Its central column used to carry Royal and Imperial statues over the years, but was destroyed during the Commune. Today, it is Napoleon I who takes pride of place there.
It is possible to reach the Palais-Royal via Avenue de l’Opéra or the Rue Saint-Honoré, with its shops so reminiscent of times past. This former palace of the Kings of France is, today, home to several large administrations and, above all, the Palais-Royal is visited for its elegant gardens. Private and well-tended, protected from the hustle and bustle of the main avenues, the gardens of the Palais-Royal offer a haven of peace in the heart of Paris.