Facts About France - Page 2

Le savais-tu?.........
Did you know?.......

1.  One of the most important dates in France is the 14 July.  This is known as Bastille Day and it is a national holiday. 
In France it is called La Fête Nationale.  It is a celebration of the storming of the prison in Paris called Bastille Saint-Antoine on 14 July 1789.  The storming of the Bastille is called La Prise de la Bastille in French.
  
                        (Image from Wikimedia Commons.)

On that day, angry peasants invaded the prison, released the prisoners and seized the weapons stored there. This was the beginning of the French Revolution.
The poor people hated the Bastille because so many had been imprisoned there without having a fair trial.  
Nowadays, on 14 July, there is a big parade in Paris, the French flag flies from L'Arc de Triomphe and there are celebrations and fireworks all over France.
 
To read about Bastille Day, click HERE.

2. Le Musée du Louvre in Paris is the most visited museum and art gallery in the world.   Inside, there are around 35,000 works of art and over 380,000 objects.  The famous painting Mona Lisa is exhibited there. 

The building of the Louvre commenced in 1190 as a castle to defend Paris against enemy attacks. 
In 1989, an enormous glass pyramid was completed as part of a new entrance to the building.
The foundations of the original castle lie underneath today's building.

(Image from Wikimedia Commons, author Benh Lieu Song.)

To read more about Le Musée du Louvre,
click HERE.

3.  La Tour Eiffel.
The Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel) was designed by architect Stephen Sauvestre and built by the construction company of Gustave Eiffel between 1887 and 1889.  
It is an iron tower standing over 300 metres high beside the River Seine in Paris.   Until 1930, it was the tallest building in the world.  Today, it is the tallest building in Paris. 
It has a total weight of 10,100 tons. 

(Image from Wikimedia Commons, author Tognopop.)

It was originally built as a 'temporary gateway' to L'Exposition Universelle: - a fair to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution.   A competition had been held to find the best design for the special event and it was La Tour Eiffel that was the winner!  In fact, the tower had permission to remain standing for no longer than twenty years, so it was designed to be easily dismantled.

To read more about La Tour Eiffel, click HERE.

4.  L'Arc de Triomphe is a very large monument in Paris to honour soldiers who have fought and died for France.  It was designed by Jean Chalgrin in 1808 but its construction took a very long time and it was completed in 1836.  


It is an arch standing just over 50 metres high and 45 metres wide.  It stands in the centre of a huge roundabout known as the 'star' because it has twelve roads running out from the centre, making it look like a 12-pointed star.
  Beneath the arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior from the First World War. 

To read more about L'Arc de Triomphe, click HERE.


5.  In 1624, King Louis XIII built a hunting lodge in the village of Versailles, outside Paris.  This building was enlarged by the next king - Louis XIV - who turned it into the magnificent palace we see today.  In French, this palace is called Le Château de Versailles.  The gardens of the palace are amongst the most famous gardens in the world.


(Image from Wikimedia Commons, by Jean-Christophe Benoist)

To read about Le Château de Versailles, click HERE.

Return to the French Zone