Edward Piercy

La Place de la Concorde

Saturday, 22. August 2009, 21:28:27

La Place de la Concorde, with
the Luxor Obelisk.

La Place de la Concorde is a large square lying just to the west of Les
Tuileries. It was created in 1755 and has an octagonal shape that
originally (for some strange reason) was surrounded by moats. Then
known as the Place Louis XV, it was the site of an equestrian statue of
the king.

During the French Revolution the name of the square was changed to La
Place de la Revolution. During the Reign of Terror a guillotine was
placed in the square and it became the original site of state executions.
The guillotine was later moved down closer to Les Tuileries. It was said
that the square eventually became soaked in so much blood that cattle
refused to pass over it.

A few years later, during the period of The Directorate, the name of
the square was changed again to Place de la Concorde -- perhaps in the
hope that sanity had at last been regained and that things had settled
down. There were of few more name changes over the years, but eventually
it simply was known as the Place de la Concorde.

During the Second Republic and the reign of Louis-Philippe, La Place
acquired two Italianate style fountains designed by Jacques-Ignace
Hittorff. They date from 1838.

Facing the square to the north are the French Naval Ministry, and in a
matching building the Hotel de Crillon -- where Marie Antoinette played
cards and the Nazis made their headquarters in World War II. Just down
the street and also to the north is the famous Church de la Madeleine.
To the west is the Champs-Elysees and (eventually) the Arc de Triomphe.
To the south lies the Ponte de la Concord and the river Seine. Thus La
Place could offer the newbie tourist a good directional base from which
to explore the city. Although I certainly wouldn't be staying at the
Hotel de Crillon, which is one of those "if you have to ask how much
you can't afford it" type of places.

Lobby of the Hotel Crillon.

Shortly before his military expedition to Egypt in 1798, Napoleon's
mistress Josephine is reputed to have told him "If you go to Thebes,
do send me a little obelisk." Which I think has to rank among the most
naive statements in history. Nevertheless in 1829 France did acquire
two obelisks from Karnak as a gift of the Ottoman ruler. One of the
obelisks was transported to France and in 1836 was placed in La Place
de la Concord. Only one of the two granted obelisks ever made it to
France given the huge technical undertaking involved. The second one
remained at Karnak and was ceded back to Egypt in the 1990s. As for
Josephine, she did not live to see her "little obelisk" reach France
(d. 1814).

The Karnak obelisk is from the reign of Rameses II (Dynasty XIX,
1279-1213 according to the new Egyptian "low" chronology). It is 75
feet tall and weights 280 tons. The triangular cap on the obelisk was
was lost across the millenia, and so the French replaced it with a
gold-plated capstone of similar style. The original base with its
depiction of baboons (a reference to the Book of the Dead) was left in
Egypt, and was replaced by the French with a new base depicting the
logistics of erecting the giant stone.

And thus the obelisk stands today, roughly 3200 years later, in La
Place de la Concorde.

Well my feet are tired (or I guess I should say my fingertips are
tired), and with this I conclude my virtual freebie vacation of Paris
and the 18th century. I certainly did learn a few new things. And
though I will never see Paris, I know that it would be a city that I
would love.

The second, twin obelisk at Karnak (Luxor).

Philip Glass, Prelude from Akhnaten.

"Open are the double doors of the horizon,
Unlocked are its bolts."

(Just click on the pic to play the video on youTube.)

Saint EustacheVampire Supernanny

Comments

Angeliki # 23. August 2009, 01:10

" One of the
obelisks was transported to France and in 1836 was placed in La Place
de la Concord. Only one of the two granted obelisks ever made it to
France given the huge technical undertaking involved."

I did not know this detail...

I have been there ,I saw it many times,and everytime,
I did enjoy the French pastry, the French wine and the French nights stroll in the streets ... thaning a walk at night,
it is an amazing experience!

Thanks Ed for sharing

Edward Piercy # 23. August 2009, 01:15

And thanks for commenting!

Strolling and sitting outdoors and drinking wine, that I can do here in Spokane. And I think this payday I will. It won't be Paris, but I'll still keep an eye out for Sophie Marceau. Or any body remotely close.

Edward Piercy # 23. August 2009, 01:20

Oh and PS I hope you are not too tired after work and can spend the evening with us here on Opera!

Angeliki # 23. August 2009, 01:26

I am reletively OK Ed,
I am only working 6 hours tomorrow so I can always have extra rest in the morning....
I did walk in Central Park this morning

it was great after all the rain we had yesterday..
how was your day?

Edward Piercy # 23. August 2009, 01:34

Well I got the post up. That was the main thing. And then a friend of my Mom's brought over some chile that was pretty good -- although I myself would not put kidney beans in chile. Now I'm back in the cave watching the TV and doing this.

Not too exciting.

Kisses from Sasha!

Angeliki # 23. August 2009, 01:46

how is Sasha Eddie?
is she done with "the fixing?"
what is going on?

kisses back at her

did not have Chili for sometime... I missed it! I make it with Turkey and red beans

Edward Piercy # 23. August 2009, 01:53

Sasha is fine. Her new surgery date is September 14th. And oh I did talk with them about her agoraphobia and they said the doctor will talk to me about it when I come in to pick her up.

Stardancer # 23. August 2009, 03:16

Thanks for the continuing tour, Edward.

Edward Piercy # 23. August 2009, 03:30

Your very welcome, Star. Thanks for the reading.

BTW I was thinking that this one brings up an idea for a new broadway musical -- Little Orphan Obelisk.

Have a great night.

Angeliki # 23. August 2009, 03:58

phew! I thougt that it was done and I was not considerate enough to ask! I felt awful! I am glad she is well Eddie..

3 weeks away... many things are happening in the first half of September for me and the ones I love too... I hope all goes well for all of us!

Darko # 23. August 2009, 06:12

I didn`t know almost anything of what you put in this post. Thanks for a piece of free education

Allan # 23. August 2009, 07:31

That is a grand square. I once attended a concert with Jean Michel Jarre there. 800.000 spectators (or rather listeners, since I guess only a few could actually see what was going on) estimated. And only one subway station. Probably three public restrooms.
I do have fond memories of that place.

Edward Piercy # 23. August 2009, 15:51

Wow, Allan. That sounds like one hell of a concert. I'm not a jazz guy really, but I can just imagine it in the square there.

Three resrrooms? Unbelievable. Here in Spokane when we have an event they put three Port'O'Let's every 50 feet. Not very attractive, but nobody has to wait too long.

Angeliki # 23. August 2009, 15:54

Originally posted by edwardpiercy:

Three resrrooms? Unbelievable. Here in Spokane when we have an event they put three Port'O'Let's every 50 feet.

something tells me beer sells in Spokane very well too

Edward Piercy # 23. August 2009, 15:58

@ Darko.

My guess is that you would love Paris, Darko. Kinda like Angeliki said -- sit out at a cafe and drink a beer, watch all the pretty girls go by, and plenty of history for you to blog once you get back home. You should make it your next vacation.

And if you promise to stop by the Opera Garnier and count the number of damn busts at the top of the building, I'll even mail you $20 for your trip. I never was able to get the exact number.

Edward Piercy # 23. August 2009, 16:01

@ Angeliki

Ha! It does, but you know you can't carry it around with you. They have certain "beer gardens" and you have to drink in those confines.

To be honest I've never bothered with them. I'd rather be out walking around.

Angeliki # 23. August 2009, 16:05

I am nor familiar with many things involving alcohol,
it does make sense...

on the other hand caffeine does have the same effect in me too! and coffee is OK to have around ,right?

how are you this very beautiful day eddie?

I have two hours before work,
and I am going to do someting productive... see you later

Darko # 23. August 2009, 16:48

Originally posted by edwardpiercy:

I'll even mail you $20 for your trip.

I would do it for free

Edward Piercy # 23. August 2009, 17:00

@ Angeliki, @ Darko.

It's a beautiful day here.

And Darko, thanks!

Well, finally making good my promise of the other day to put up a photo of an Egyptian supermodel on this post.