Carol Pio Pedro, Autor em 30 Jours à Paris

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Les Invalides

1 de February de 2016 — by Carol Pio Pedro — 0

Crossing the Pont Alexandre III, in the opposite direction from Grand Palais and Petit Palais, we come across Hotel des Invalides and the golden dome of its church.. A must-see place, even for those who are not into war stories.

Until the XVII century there was not a specific place to house invalid soldiers of the French army. In 1670, Louis XIV ordered the creation of Les Invalides to house the veterans of his wars. The first residents settled there during its construction in 1674.

Over the years the large complex had included hospital, hospice, convent and even small factories. It was a real city ruled by the military system supported by Church. Thirty years after the start of its construction, Les Invalides was already home to 4,000 residents. Those were supervised by their officers, divided by military unit. The most skilled ones stood guard, mainly at the Bastille. The other ones worked in footwear, upholstery and lighting workshops.

In 1840, Napoleon Bonaparte reorganized the institution and transformed the Church of St. Louis in the national military pantheon, turning it into a Cathedral, now called Cathédrale Saint-Louis des Invalides. This was the tallest monument in Paris until the construction of Eiffel Tower. Right there, under its great dome, is the tomb of the Emperor, with the remains of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Les Invalides is listed as a historic monument and known as an important center of national memory.

Nowadays Les Invalides continues with its activities, among them the operation of the Military Hospital and the following museums: Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération (Order established by General De Gaulle), Musée des Plans-Reliefs (collection of historic models) and the most famous, Musée de l’Armée (Army Museum), and the Cathédrale Saint-Louis des Invalides.

Where: Les Invalides – 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris
How much: € 11 (full price) – access to 3 museums + church. To visit the gardens and main courtyard the admission is free.
When: open daily
Access: Metro Invalides – lines 8 and 13 | RER C – Invalides station

Bisous

Carol

Explore

Garden of Petit Palais – secret oasis!

15 de December de 2015 — by Carol Pio Pedro — 0

My tip of the day is one of my favorite and hidden places in Paris! Those who follow 30 Jours à Paris on instagram have already noticed that I’m a huge fan of this spot and whenever I can I share new angles of this secret oasis that garden of Petit Palais is!

Although little known by tourists, it is located in one of the most visited areas in the city, between Les Invalides and Champs-Élysées, just a few steps from Pont Alexandre III, nearby Grand Palais.

The entrance to visit the permanent collection of art is free but not less important than other museums. It holds works by Rodin, Delacroix, among others, arranged along wide corridors and galleries.

But the architecture and decoration are worth to notice too! Petit Palais was built in 1900, along with Grand Palais and Pont Alexandre III, for the Universal Exhibition in Paris. The lobby is quite impressive and imposing! But the masterpiece, in my opinion, is the internal garden located in the middle of the palace with beautiful landscaping and sculptures, surrounded by large columns and a stunning mosaic floor! For those who have a thing with mosaic floors I strongly advise not to miss it!

Stunning mosaic floor surrounding the internal garden.

The internal garden counts with a charming cafe with good options for breakfast and lunch. It’s a good alternative to escape from the crowds and to discover an unique and peaceful place that Paris reveals!

Where: Petit Palais – Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris
How much: free admission
Metro: Champs-Elysees Clemenceau station (lines 1 et 13)
Hours: TUE to SUN from 10am to 6pm

Bisous

Carol

Photoshoot at Champ de Mars

3 de December de 2015 — by Carol Pio Pedro — 0

Dear Autumn,
Now that you are almost gone and I’m watching these pics from last trip, I’d like to tell you how nice it was meeting you! Didn’t know how you were going to treat me when I first got there for 10 more days in town and I confess I was expecting nothing else than cold weather and cloudy days…

But thankfully you went above and beyond to surprise and delight all of your October guests and I must say that I’ve never seen Paris more beautiful than it looked those days!

Looking forward to see you again next year! Bisous

These pics were taken by the talented photographer, Fabiana Maruno. She lives in town and gives us a fantastic photographic experience and wonderful memories to last forever! If you want more info about her beautiful work let me know! 30joursaparis@gmail.com

Carol

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