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A quiet moment on a rainy winter evening, by this usually very busy intersection of the Latin Quarter. Here is some history regarding this ancient corner location in Paris:
Cafe Le Buci is on an ancient intersection that has seen centuries of history in Paris. Porte de Buci -- one of the early gates in the Wall of Philippe II Auguste that encircled the medieval city of Paris was very close by -- when the old Louvre palace was still a fortress and Paris was inside its first walls. Buci is named after a count who owned property right next to the ancient gate. He was also the first president of the parlement (ancient court) of Paris that convened in 1341.
Initially, there were only five gates on the Left Bank of which Porte Buci was the western most. First named Porte Saint-Germain it was renamed Porte de Buci in 1352, and was located on rue Saint-Andre-des-Arts near the Rue Dauphine.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_of_Philip_II_Augustus
The Wall of Philip Augustus is the oldest city wall of Paris (France) whose plan is accurately known. Partially integrated into buildings, more traces of it remain than of the later fortifications which were destroyed and replaced by the Grands Boulevards.
I was looking at architect Frank Gehry's projects and saw that he had a couple in Paris, so I swung by one of them whilst I was there in order to grab a photo of it.
This is the Cinémathèque Française, completed in 1994, and located a short walk from the Bercy station on the Metro.
It's another slightly challenging location as the building is surrounded by trees, and in order to get close enough not to have the trees in the way requires a wide angle tilt shift lens in order to fit everything into a single frame. Fortunately I'd brought my TS-E 17mm f/4L lens with me which did the trick :)
It's almost like a Cubist painting in architectural form, and I like the way it's made from the same kind of stone that all the more historical buildings of Paris seem to be constructed from ...
One of the interesting buildings I saw from the viewing balcony at the top of the Sacre Coeur.
A quick Googling tells me it was designed by no other than Renzo Piano (of Pompidou Centre and The Shard fame) and was opened in 2018 ...
What can I say? I love love love rain for what it does for the photographer and this evening was no exception. And bicycles just sitting there waiting patiently for their persons.
Le Buci is on an ancient intersection that has seen so much history in Paris. One of the early gates to the medieval city of Paris was right near here, when the old Louvre palace was still a very fortified place and Paris was inside its first walls.
Below is a link to a map of Paris in 1210, when Buci was one of the gates to the city. Buci is named after a count who owned property right next to the ancient gate. He was also the first president of the parlement (court) of Paris that convened in 1341. And the name has endured over the centuries. Here is a map that shows the location which I found on the website of Laperouse, another famously interesting Paris landmark that is just a few steps away: www.restaurantlaperouse.com/acces.php
Wonderful old etching of a map of medieval Paris: fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enceinte_de_Philippe_Auguste
And history on the medieval wall of Philippe Auguste, built between 1190 and 1220:
It was the last light of day on a cold winter evening, and cheerful chairs were waiting patiently for the evening's party to begin in this old cafe of the Marais district of Paris. :-)
CAFE CONCERTS: were traditionally a unique type of cafe, where music was offered. In the late 19th century when the cafes so typical of Paris were popping up everywhere, there were dozens of "Cafe Concert" where one could enjoy food and drink, and music. Only a very few of these historic places have continued the tradition in modern times.
This cafe concert has endured over the years, and is situated near what used to be the historic wholesale marketplace of Paris, Les Halles, dating from the 1100's and later to become the site of the beautiful glass and wrought iron pavillions designed by Pierre-Louis Baltard. See wonderful HISTORIC PHOTOS OF LES HALLES BALTARD: paris1900.lartnouveau.com/cartes_postales_anciennes/les_h.... This fantastic old market - the heart of Paris - was torn down and the Pompidou Center built in its place in the early 1970's. The farmers now go to Rungis - on the outskirts of Paris - to set up their stalls.
The Forum des Halles is now scheduled to undergo a big renovation. Here's a link to the site with maps, videos and information about this transformation right in the heart of the Marais: www.parisleshalles.fr/ .
LOUIS-PIERRE BALTARD was the architect of the famous beautiful pavillions that served as the main market of Paris. Here's this from Wikipedia:
Louis-Pierre Baltard (July 9, 1764 — January 22, 1846) was a French architect and engraver. Born in Paris. He was originally a landscape painter, but in his travels through Italy was struck with the beauty of the Italian buildings, and changed his profession, devoting himself to architecture.
In his new occupation he achieved great success, and was selected to prepare the plans for some of the largest public edifices in Paris. Baltard died in Paris on the 22nd of January 1846.
Two of his children were also architects. Of these the more important was Victor Baltard. (from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Baltard )
One of the many skyscrapers in La Défense area, the Total tower was nicely framed by this archway, and so much easier to capture using the 17mm tilt-shift lens which I didn't yet have back in 2015 when I came here before ...
I am not, in any way, an architectural artist. However, for anyone who has ever been to Paris you know that most its architecture is extremely beautiful. Sometimes you just have to draw it. Even after 44 years since I did this drawing, as a student, I am still impressed with this city’s architecture. However, you will rarely find me sitting outside on a street corner drawing it. These days, I prefer having a friendly cup of coffee served to me inside a specific café and drawing there. For me, so much better!!
Once again I'm reposting for contacts who never saw this image, and because I miss Paris and can't prepare anything new to post this week. Chez Julien is a lovely place (in the Marais district) that was created from two former shops, a bar on the left and a patisserie on the right. In the background is an ancient medieval church, L'Eglise de St. Gervais. This little gem of a place is just off the Pont Louis Philippe, and a little bit to the east of the Hotel de Ville of Paris, near the quais.
It's a beautiful part of town on the Right Bank -- a historic area and originally part of the medieval Paris which was encircled by the historic wall of Philippe Auguste. (Philippe Auguste was the French king who built the original Louvre palace and fort that guarded the west entrance to ancient Paris.) There is another medieval building, the Hotel de Sens, just a few steps away from Eglise St. Gervais and Chez Julien that attests to the fine architecture of the middle ages. Finding this restaurant was like coming upon a little jewel, truly, with the fantastic old church standing grandly in the background. A mysterious, rich, and beautiful scene full of the mood of ancient days!! Behind me was the right quai of the Seine, then on across the river is the tip of the Ile St. Louis, next to that is Notre Dame on the Ile de la Cite. Truly the heart of Old Paris.
Here are links to information and historic maps of Paris ..... the part of Paris shown in this photo and some information about the ancient walls built between 1190 and 1210 around the medieval city.
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enceinte_de_Philippe_Auguste
www.philippe-auguste.com/mur/index.html
Here is a link to a wonderful series of old maps of the historic center of Paris, showing the development around the Ile de la Cite and Ile St. Louis from the 1400's to the 1800's.
Dawn at the Cafe de Flore, Latin Quarter. I had to get up early in the morning to get here in time to take a picture before a lot of cars and traffic blocked the view!! You can see the chairs are still stacked out front. And the blue light of dawn gives the image a soft look.
You can learn more about this lovely place on Google, but in the meantime here's this from www.paris.org:
"Like its celebrated rival Les Deux Magots, Café de Flore can claim to have been the heart of the Existentialist Movement during the early part of this century with Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Camus and others regularly meeting here." www.paris.org/Cafes/flore.html
I read that the name 'Flore' came about because there is a little statue of the Goddess Flore across the street. Modigliani, Picasso and Soutine used to come by regularly.
Meme que c'etait l'aube les voitures commencaient deja a bloquer ma prise de vue alors j'ai du travailler tres rapidement pour faire cette photo. Quel ravissante facade! On reconnait l'atmosphere bleuatre de l'aube. Il parait que le nom de ce cafe celebre vient d'une petite statue de la deesse romaine Flore qui etait place en face a l'autre cote de la rue.
Walking in the neighborhood of the historic Montparnasse cafes (Le Dome, Le Select, La Rotonde, La Coupole) I was looking for certain artists' studios that I had located through my prior art history research. These cafes played an important role as a gathering place during the international modern art movement of the post WWI era. While exploring, I came across this inviting touch of Spring.
What was Montparnasse about in the early 1900's?
Here is a brief essay about an art exhibit honoring the artists of that era: www.parisvoice.com/-archives-97-86/337-exhibition-revisit...
Restaurant Laperouse is an amazing historic treasure dating to 1766 and located on the Quai des Grands Augustins along the Seine. Here is their website, that includes the history (excerpted below) and other information. www.restaurantlaperouse.com/ The dining rooms upstairs are incredible jewels: each little salon is like an art piece in itself, decorated with mirrors and paintings, tiles, sculptural details, crystal chandeliers and sconces, rugs and furniture that depict a theme. I didn't go inside as I only had about an hour or so to get this shot, while there was very little traffic, and again, it was a game of cat and mouse for the photographer, trying to get a photo without pedestrians on this busy sidewalk. But it was a c-c-c-c-cold February evening and the rain was working in my favor. :o) The mysterious mood created by the dim, soft light, has really given this image an air of historic charm, putting one right back into time. For history lovers, more information below in my comment. :o)
Du site internet de Laperouse (voir si-dessus): "En 1766, Monsieur Lefèvre, limonadier du Roi Louis XV, rachète cet ancien hôtel particulier situé sur les quais de Seine, face au Palais de la Cité et y fonde la Maison Lapérouse en hommage au célèbre navigateur.
A partir de 1850, Lapérouse devient le rendez-vous du tout Paris littéraire, politique et galant. Les chambres du premier étage deviennent des petits salons très prisés et peuvent témoigner de la présence gourmande d’Alexandre Dumas fils, George Sand, Alfred de Musset, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Gustave Flauber
Thank you to Monique, of ChelseaPhotography www.flickr.com/photos/chelseaonline/ for all the great virtual visits we've had over many glasses of champagne, on this little tour of some of our favorite kinds of places, The Historic Cafes of Paris, which I've been uploading these last several days. Thanks Monique of Canada who has a now very famous set of great cats on Flickr, Leo and Camille! ^__^ ^__^
And here is a link to a Flickr friend's photo of Laperouse Bay in the Hawaiian Islands, that attests to this navigator's adventures and explorations. flickr.com/photos/92947207@N00/1009040316/
One of the best views in my opinion of Paris is from the Arc de Triomphe. Really like the forbodding sky in this image.
This evocative and beautiful bistro is on one of the oldest courtyards in Paris, called Cour du Commerce St. Andre. The cobblestones are the old style stones, large and multisized. The sidewalk too is ancient. Just down the way is Le Procope, the oldest traditional style Parisian cafe in the world, opened in the 1600's, when Louis XIV was king. At the time coffee was the new sensation, even considered a 'radical' drink that excited the mind and loosened the tongue. Coffee and tea houses were also springing up in England. And here is a detail from the side of the cafe, one of its cheerfully decorated windows. www.flickr.com/photos/44548980@N00/522608460/in/set-72157...
This little courtyard gives on to Cour de Rohan, an equally historic place. All the people who have walked here, loved here, had intrigues, planned revolutions, walked through on the way to the market, stopped to visit friends, looked up at the sky, thought about their loved ones, felt afraid of the king or a lord or felt proud to serve the king, have run after a carriage, got off a horse, enjoyed the sun, run for shelter from the rain or snow....wondered when the war would be over, idled happily on the corner, celebrated holidays, saw the moon waxing and waning as it made its way across the night sky.
It is just a dream to be in a place like this. Truly. And kudos to France for protecting and maintaining her national cultural treasures.