Arènes de Lutèce

 

The 2nd-century Roman Lutetia Amphitheatre (Arènes de Lutèce) once seated 10,000 people for gladiator fights, theatrical presentations, and other public spectacles, including grisly engagements with large animals. 

Rendering of the original construction:

Discovered by accident in 1869 when Rue Monge was under construction, it’s now used by young locals playing soccer and older locals playing boules (a kind of lawn bowling). There is an adjacent park and garden, down a flight of wide stone steps:

The arena was used until c. 1210, when Philippe Augustus had it filled in while building his adjacent city wall, a remnant of which is still visible on Rue Clovis (marked with a plaque), at the intersection of Rue Cardinal Lemoine. Photo at end of post.

Arena hours: 8:00a to 8:30p May through September. Shorter hours rest of year (usually closing at dusk). No admission charge.

METRO: Cardinal Lemoine. Entry at 49 rue Monge, but it's easy to miss, so here's a photo of the arched entrance, adjacent to the Hôtel des Arènes at #51, with green awnings.Walking south from the METRO station, the arena will be on the left side of rue Monge.

Retrace your steps to the METRO station, turn left onto rue Cardinal Lemoine, then take the first right onto Rue Clovis. Remnants of the 13th-century city wall built by Philip Augustus will be on the left side of Rue Clovis. Part of the rubble used as fill during construction is visible:

 

André Breton's Surrealism Manisfesto

André Breton photographed circa 1924 

 Fans of the early 20th century surrealism movement can get their fix on the Place du Panthéon. André Breton and Philippe Soupault co-wrote surrealism's manifesto Les champs magnétiques (The Magnetic Fields, 1921) while residing at 17, place du Panthéon, the address of the Hôtel des Grands Hommes. Breton moved in during the summer of 1918 and made reference to the hotel in his book, Nadja. What this means for us is that, for the price of a night's stay, we can check in and soak up all that authentic surrealist atmosphere. 

The hotel has been considerably upgraded since its days as a cheap respite for impoverished writers one hundred years ago. The hotel’s name makes reference to the “great men” interred in the massive mausoleum across the street, the Panthéon. The handsome six story 18th century hotel building is now furnished in Empire style, with decorative medallions and walls upholstered in neoclassical toile de jouy fabrics. Many of the rooms on the fifth and sixth floors have small balconies and face directly onto the Panthéon. The hotel is now classified as a three-star property and provides good value for money. The entire establishment was refurbished in 2002, and a plus is that the location is very quiet at night. Standing on the steps of the Panthéon tourists can view the sparkle effects of the Eiffel Tower as it shows off its glamor for five minutes on the hour (from dusk until the last time at 11 pm).

http://www.hoteldesgrandshommes.com Métro: RER B Luxembourg

     

Balcony views of the Panthéon:

Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont

Rising in a straight line between Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Panthéon is Rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève. The street has carried that name since medieval times, but its origins date back to the Roman occupation. This was the road used to reach a monastery established by Clovis, the first French Catholic king, who was buried there in 511. The Ste. Geneviève mentioned in the street name, however, was the patrician woman who converted Clovis to Christianity, later becoming the patron saint of Paris. Geneviève is credited with saving Paris from an assault by the Huns. At the top of this “mountain” (actually no more than a hill) sits the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont (St. Stephen of the Mount), located where the Rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève ends at the Place du Panthéon. The church contains the elaborate shrine of Ste. Geneviève's remains, as well as the tombs of Blaise Pascal (mathematician, physicist and philosopher), playwright Jean Racine and the French Revolutionary figure Jean Paul Marat. The shrine of Sainte Geneviève (above). 

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont was built to accommodate the crowds swarming the neighboring abbey and 12-century chapel devoted to Ste. Geneviève. This was essentially a move designed to keep the crowds out of the monastery proper, which had become an overly popular pilgrimage center. Saint-Étienne-du-Mont literally abutted the north wall of the abbey church, which fell victim to the French Revolution and was pulled down in 1807. Today this site houses a prestigious high school, the Lycée Henri IV; the school property still encompasses a bell tower from 1180, the only surviving structure from the abbey. The present church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont dates back to the late 15th century, and is an unusual mix of Gothic and French Renaissance architectural styles. The apse was begun in 1491, and the bell tower was not completed until 1624. One of the most unusual features of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is its celebrated Rood Screen (c. 1525), the double-stair stone arch that separates the choir, where the monks sat, from the body of the church, where the parishioners worshiped. A reader would mount the screen by way of the fantastically carved spiral stone staircases to read scripture. This Rood Screen is the only one left in Paris, all others falling victim to the destructive forces of the Revolution (1790s). It is a tremendous work of craftsmanship, adding a commanding presence and elegance to the interior. Notice the magnificent ceiling vaulting.

 

 

There is an important musical legacy related to this church. Maurice Duruflé, the renowned organist, composer, and improviser, held the post of organist at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont for 57 years, from 1929 until his death in 1986. The magnificently carved gallery organ case (see image below) dates from 1633 and is the oldest in Paris, although the organ pipes it houses today date from the 1950s. The 4-manual organ of 96 stops is one of the principal Parisian instruments used for recitals, and many organ recordings have been made here. Duruflé lived in an apartment building directly opposite the church; a plaque installed in 2002, the centenary of his birth, indicates the precise location. His widow, a celebrated organ recitalist, continued to live there until her death in 1999. The apartment housed a 3-manual pipe organ.

NO entry fee; NO tourists during masses. Corner of  rue Clovis and Place du Panthéon.