Paris (France) -- Description and travel; Paris (France) -- History
Rue Boissy d’Anglas, opened in the eighteenth century, bearing for long
three different names in the different parts of its course, records in
its present name that of a famous conventional (1756-1826). In the
well-known provision shop, Corcellet, Avenue de l’Opéra, we may see the
portrait of the famous Gourmet, who in pre-Revolution days lived at the
fine mansion No. 1, now the Cercle artistique “l’Épatant,” and carried
out there his luxurious and ultra-refined taste in the matter of food
and the manner of serving it. Horses to whom a _recherché cuisine_ could
not be offered, had their oats served to them in silver mangers.
Sequestered at the Revolution, it still remained the abode of a gourmet
of repute; sold later to the State, it became an Embassy, then a club.
No. 12 dates from Louis XV and has been the abode of several families of
historic name. Prince de Beauvau lived there in more modern days and
baron Hausmann died there. Lulli died at No. 28 (1637). Curious old
houses are seen in the Cité Berreyer and Cité du Retiro.
Rue Royale, in its earliest days Chemin des Remparts--Rampart Road--for
the third Porte St-Honoré in the city wall was at the point where it
meets the Rue du Faubourg, became a street--Rue Royale-des-Tuileries--in
the middle of the eighteenth century. In 1792 it became Rue de la
Révolution, then, from 1800 to 1814, Rue de la Concorde. Most of the
houses we see there date from the eighteenth century, built by the
architect Gabriel, who lived at No. 8. Mme de Staël lived for a time at
No. 6. This leads us to Place de la Concorde, built by Gabriel; it was
opened in 1763 as Place Louis XV, to become a hundred and thirty years
later Place de la Révolution, with in its centre a statue of Liberty
replacing the overturned statue of the King. Its name was changed
several times during the years that followed, till in 1830 the name
given by the Convention was restored for good. In olden days it was
surrounded by moats and had on one side a _pont-tournant_; the _place_
was the scene of national fêtes in times past as it is in our own times.
It was also not unfrequently the scene of tragedy and death. The
guillotine was set up there on January 21, 1793, for the execution of
the King. Marie-Antoinette, Charlotte Corday and many other notable
victims of the Revolution were beheaded there ... in the end,
Robespierre himself. In 1814 the Allies of those days gathered there for
the celebration of a grand _Te-Deum_. The statues we see surrounding the
vast place personify the great towns of France--that of Strasbourg the
most remarkable. The fine “Chevaux de Marly” at the starting-point of
the Champs-Elysées are the work of Coustou, Mercury and la Renommée, at
the entrance of the Tuileries gardens, of Coysevox. Handsome buildings
(eighteenth century) flank the _place_ on its northern side. The
Ministère de la Marine was in pre-Revolution days the _garde meuble_ of
the Kings of France. Splendid jewels, including the famous diamond known
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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