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Happy New Year: Plans for 2018

2018 is here!

It’s going to be a busy year at Versailles Century headquarters.

The most exciting news for me, and hopefully you, dear reader, is that I’m going to spend Easter in France.  I haven’t yet decided how to divide my time between Paris and Versailles — 50-50? 60-40? 70-30? — but I do know that I will have to spend at least 2 days in Versailles.  As you may have realized, I try as much as possible to use my own photographs to illustrate this blog, and I use ONLY my own photographs for the Instagram gallery (@versailles_century).  I’ve already used more than 80% of the photo archive from my 2016 visit to Versailles, so it’s high time to go and take more.

Gardens of Versailles from the roof.  Credit: Wikipedia.

I’d like to spend several days in Paris, where I’ve never actually stayed for more than 2 nights in a row.  My particular focus for this will be on places and things from the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI.  Already on the itinerary: the Musée Cognacq-Jay, the Musée Nissim de Camondo, Bagatelle, the École Militaire, the Palais Royal, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and the Place Vendôme.  What else should I see?

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January 4, 2018by David Gemeinhardt
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Place des Vosges

The Place des Vosges does not strictly speaking fall within the Versailles Century time period (1682-1789), as it was built between 1605 and 1612.  In other words, construction started in the reign of Henri IV and finished early in the reign of Louis XIII.  The connection to the latter king, however, is enough of a justification to write about it here, I feel, since Louis XIII actually built the original chateau at Versailles.

In fact, according to French Wikipedia (from which I get most of my information for posts of this type), the square was inaugurated with a carrousel (ie. a large-scale equestrian performance) in honour of Louis XIII’s wedding to Anne of Austria, who, despite her name, was a Spanish princess.  In 1639, a statue of Louis XIII was put up in the centre of the square.  It was pulled down during the Revolution, but a new one by the sculptors Dupaty and Cortot was erected in 1825.  It’s still there.

Monument to Louis XIII in the Place des Vosges.

Monument to Louis XIII in the Place des Vosges.

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March 21, 2017by David Gemeinhardt
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Architecture, Historical Events, Museums, Places, Travel

Rue du Bac: The Paris Foreign Mission (MEP)

The Rue du Bac is a narrow but fascinating street in Paris to wander along.  Lined with antique shops, boutiques, restaurants, and cafes, it stretches from the quai opposite the Louvre deep into the heart of the Left Bank.

Rue du Bac in Paris.

Rue du Bac in Paris.

It’s also home to the Paris Foreign Missions Society, usually abbreviated as MEP using the French initials (Missions Étrangères de Paris).  The unassuming street entrance to the MEP complex is shown below.

The entrance to the MEP complex at 254 Rue du Bac.

The entrance to the MEP complex at 128 Rue du Bac.

This venerable organization, still active today, was responsible for the Catholic evangelization of North America and much of East and Southeast Asia.

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February 7, 2017by David Gemeinhardt
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Arts, Decorative Arts, Museums, Travel

VC Museum Visits: The Escalier de Luynes at the Musee Carnavalet

In the wake of this week’s closing of the Carnavalet Museum for a 3-year program of renovations, I’ve decided to devote this and the next several posts to highlights of the museum’s collections.  Today we inspect the Escalier de Luynes, or the Luynes staircase, which was once in the now-disappeared Hôtel de Luynes, townhouse of the dukes of Luynes.*

Marble steps of the Escalier de Luynes in the Carnavalet Museum.

Marble steps of the Escalier de Luynes in the Carnavalet Museum.

One of the things that makes the Carnavalet Museum so special is that it showcases complete rooms and architectural elements from buildings that no longer exist, or whose interiors have been completely altered.  In other words, the minds behind the museum were farsighted early preservationists who already in the late 19th century were salvaging priceless treasures of Paris’s built heritage that would otherwise have been lost forever.

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October 4, 2016by David Gemeinhardt
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Architecture, Arts, Decorative Arts, Museums, Travel

Carnavalet Museum Closed for Renovations

It’s a sad day for museum lovers and Versailles Century enthusiasts.  As of today, 3 October, 2016, the Carnavalet Museum in Paris is closed for a massive 3-year program of renovations.  If all goes well, it should re-open in the autumn of 2019.

A facade in the main courtyard of the Carnavalet Museum.

A facade in the main courtyard of the Carnavalet Museum.

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October 3, 2016by David Gemeinhardt
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 Rainy Palais Royal on Easter Monday. #paris#iloveparis#parismonamour#parisintherain#palaisroyal#orleans#architecture#columns#baroque#traveler#sightseeing#france#history#histoire#historia#geschichte#patrimoine#patrimonio#heritage  There was occasionally a bit of sun in Paris at Easter. #paris#iloveparis#parismonamour#luxembourg#jardinsdeluxembourg#palaisduluxembourg#garden#jardin#gardens#flowers#spring#springtime#traveler#sightseeing#france#jardinsduluxembourg#bluesky  Hotel Carnavalet. It was the Paris home of Mme de Sevigne, who died 322 years ago today. Though she never wrote a book, her collected letters have assured her lasting fame as an author. Did you know that I run a feature called 'On This Day in the Versailles Century (1682-1789)' on the Versailles Century facebook page? It's not quite daily, but nuggets such as the above appear several times a week. Please 'like' and follow on fb to get regular updates. #versailles#paris#author#onthisday#todayinhistory#history#histoire#historia#geschichte#traveler#museecarnavalet#architecture#mmedesevigne#marais  18th century men's style -- updated! #dandy#mensfashion#menstyle#18thcentury#louisvuitton#placevendome#paris#iloveparis#shopping#shoppinginparis#menswear#18thcenturyfashion#frockcoat#fashionhistory#historyoffashion#history#histoire#traveler  Part 3.1 of A Childhood at Versailles, my ongoing translation of the early chapters of the memoirs of Mme de Boigne (1781-1866) is now live on the Versailles Century blog. Click on the weblink in the bio to read it. In this part, the author relates how, as the only non-royal child at Court, she was spoiled by members of the royal family, including Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Pictured: The salon in the Petit Trianon, last week. #versailles#achildhoodatversailles#versaillescentury#chateaudeversailles#palaceofversailles#trianon#petittrianon#mmedeboigne#memoirs#memoir#bookstagram#reading#author#childhood#louisxvi#marieantoinette#history#historia#histoire#geschichte#royal  Fontainebleau. #fontainebleau#chateaudefontainebleau#chateau#palace#palacio#palazzo#schloss#staircase#decor#interiors#marble#history#histoire#historia#geschichte#baroque#france#royal#traveler#sightseeing  Found this guy outside a shop in the Palais Royal. I'm not well versed in uniforms. What is he, a grenadier? #paris#iloveparis#parisinthespring#palaisroyal#soldier#grenadier#uniform#army#history#histoire#historia#geschichte#armee#armeeduroi#ancienregime#costume#historiccostume#traveling#sightseeing#uniforme#tricorne#threecorneredhat#musket #musketeers  Pavillon Francais. It wasn't open, but I got some shots through the window. I think it may be my favourite building in all of the Trianon domain. #versailles#chateaudeversailles#chateau#versaillespalace#palace#palazzo#palacio#schloss#trianon#domainedetrianon#petittrianon#pavillonfrancais#pavillon#pavilion#architecture#interiordesign#interiors#deco#decor#decoration#rococo#louisxv#historia#histoire#history#geschichte#traveler#sightseeing

“France, indeed, had at that time an empire over mankind such as even the Roman Republic never attained: for, when Rome was politically dominant, she was in arts and letters the humble servant of Greece. France had over the surrounding countries at once the ascendancy which Rome had over Greece and the ascendancy which Greece had over Rome.” -- Lord Macaulay


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