Paris

These facts and photographs were researched by members of the French Club and Class 10

Eiffel Tower		The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel, after whom the tower is named. It stands 320 metres high and is made from iron. Tourists can climb to the first two levels by stairs then take a lift to the very top of the tower. For forty years it was the world's tallest building.
Arc De Triomphe		The Arc De Triomphe is a 16 storey-high war memorial built between 1810 and 1836. For a small fee, members of the public can climb to the top to get a great view of the city. It stands at the centre of a busy roundabout. Beneath the Arc is the tomb of the unknown soldier which represents all those who died in battle.
Notre Dame		Notre Dame, (pronounced not ruh dahm), is a famous cathedral in Paris. It is dedicated to Virgin Mary and the name means 'Our Lady'. It stands on the Ile de la Cite, a small island in the Seine River, in the centre of Paris. Building work started in 1160 and it took 200 years to complete.
Louvre		The Louvre is a famous museum in Paris and it was once a royal palace. The building houses many treasures, including 'The Mona Lisa' and the sculpture 'Venus de Milo'. A modern glass pyramid was erected in front of the building a few years ago and it caused some concern from those who did not like the new structure in front of the grand old building.
Mona Lisa		'The Mona Lisa', painted by Leonardo De Vinci in the early 1500s, is perhaps the most famous painting in the world. In 1911 someone stole it from the Louvre. Interestingly, although the painting was stolen on a Monday morning, it was not until the Tuesday afternoon that it was discovered missing! Find out if it was recovered at http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/mona_lisa/mmain.html
River Seine		The Seine (pronounced Sayn) is the name of the river which runs through the heart of Paris. It is approximately 475 miles long (764 kilometres) and it runs into the English Channel near a town called Le Havre.
Champs Elysées		The Champs-Elysées (pronounced shons-ai lee-say) is one of the most famous avenues in Paris. It contains many shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. The Arc De Triomphe is at the top of this wide, tree-lined avenue.
Sacré Coeur		*The Sacré Coeur is a famous church completed in 1914. It is pronounced sacra cur* which means Sacred Heart. You can get amazing views of Paris on the steps of the church.**
Mini Statue of Liberty		The Statue of Liberty in New York was a gift to America from the people of France. To commemorate this, a small replica was built and can be seen in Paris. Gustave Eiffel was one of the engineers involved in building the original statue.

Click on the flag below to hear the French National Anthem and to see the words displayed in English.

Tricolore is the name of the French flag, so called because of its three (tri) colours. It is a combination of the royal white with the Parisian red and blue.

In the 18th century, kings and queens ruled France. However, many ordinary people were very angry with the decisions made by them. The Bastille was a prison in Paris where royalty locked up the people that did not agree with their decisions.

One day in 1789, the ordinary people made a huge protest and demonstration. It began by the storming of the Bastille. From them on, a government was set up to rule over France in place of the monarchy (kings and queens). You can find out more about how and why the French still celebrate this event today by clicking onto http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~rdale/bastille.htm

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