geoggrafuaa

material and spiritual culture
The Eiffel Tower (Le Tour Eiffel) is definitely the most recognizable Paris landmark. It was
built as a result of the International Exposition of 1889. The French government hosted a
competition for a monument to honour the french revolution. The Centennial Committee
chose a project made by Gustave Eiffel, who was very skilled in constructing bridges.
The Eiffel Tower is 300 meters high and made out entirely of open-lattice wrought iron. To
this day it still serves as the symbol of Paris and a popular tourist attraction.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eiffel-Tower-Paris-France
Notre Dame Cathedral dates back to the 12th century. It took around 300 years to build. The
cathedral is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic Architecture which
draws many tourists. It’s an important sacred place - it’s in possession of many great
religious relics and artifacts such as the Crown of Thorns. The Cathedral is also famous for
its major role in Victor Hugo’s novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” which has even gained
many movie adaptations over the years. In 2019 a huge fire engulfed the Notre Dame
Cathedral. The building had suffered great damage - especially its roof and famous spire.
The catastrophe has left the world shocked and astonished.
https://www.friendsofnotredamedeparis.org/notre-dame-cathedral/
https://notredamecathedralparis.com/
Palais Garnier (Opera Garnier) is considered to be a masterpiece of the Second Empire

style. Designed by Charles Garnier in 1861 and with a first performance held roughly in the
year 1875, it holds the title of the most renowned and beautiful opera house. Until 1989,
before the inauguration of Opéra Bastille, its main purpose was to host ballet shows. The
building’s capacity can hold nearly 2000 guests. Its architecture is a mix of baroque,
renaissance, palladio and classicism. It has a very recognizable staircase and foyer. The
Palais Garnier is also the location of Gaston Leroux’ novel “The Phantom of the Opera”
which has been adapted into a musical, which brought even more attention to the
mesmerizing opera house.
https://www.guidetags.com/mindmaps/explore/hist-3p55/3681-palais-garnier-the-opera-hous
e-opera
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Opera-house-Paris-France
The Palace of Versailles is well known for being one of the most stylish buildings in the
world. It was King Louis XIV’s royal residence. The building is enormous and consists of 700
rooms where the most breathtaking one is the Hall of Mirrors. It consists of a wall with
windows with a view on the garden and 357 mirrors which reflect the sun. They’re supposed
to remind us of Louis XIV's power as the Sun King. The residence welcomes around 15
million visitors each year.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/
reformation-counter-reformation/a/chteau-de-versailles
https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history#the-reign-of-louis-xvi-1774-1793
One of the most visited places in France is Mont Saint Michel. This rocky islet in Normandy
attracts tourists from all over the world with its fairy tale-like looks. It’s a small town, centered
around the sanctuary secured by medieval fundamentals. Usually its surrounded by
sandbanks and achieves the island look only when tides are high. Before building a bridge,
the place was very hard to reach because of quicksand.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Mont-Saint-Michel
The fortifications of the city of Carcassonne, located in the Occitanie region, have existed
since the pre-Roman period. It's a perfect example of medieval defenses surrounding the
castle and the outstanding gothic cathedral.
The city has been featured in the UNESCO World Heritage list because of its great
importance in improving the principles of restoration done by Viollet-le-Duc. The fortifications
and the city itself allow people to admire the medieval historical architecture. The city
inspired the popular board game “Carcassone”.
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/345/
French literature is highly regarded all over the world. The most notable and important
French book is “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo - the greatest French writer known for his
imaginative realism he wasn’t the only important French poet.
Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud, greatly admired French poets, are to be considered one
of the greatest representatives of fin de siècle - a term resembling late 19th’s century
literature. In this context, it refers to the movement established by French Decadent poets
and the movement aestheticism.
Another important part of French literature is philosophy. Since the enlightenment, Voltaire
has spread his ideas regarding freedom of speech, changing the way many people thought
about life. A modern philosopher we mustn't forget is Albert Camus. He is responsible for the
dissemination of absurdism - an idea appearing in his works, such as “The Stranger”, “The
Fall” and “The Myth of Sisyphus”.
https://www.britannica.com/art/fin-de-siecle-style
https://www.britannica.com/art/French-literature
France is a popular pilgrimage destination, because of the places with high religious value,
such as Lourdes. It is known as the greatest healing shrine in the world. Its story started with
a girl, Bernadette, who claimed to see the Virgin Mary many times during five months. Ever
since, the niche where the girl saw Our Lady - Massabiele, is associated with miracles and
healing abilities. People from all over the world come there to pray and appreciate the holy
water from the grotto near the basilica.
https://www.spiritualtravels.info/spiritual-sites-around-the-world/europe/lourdes-the-worlds-m
ost-famous-healing-shrine/
The gastronomic meal of the French is a celebration used to honor important events in one's
life. The tradition’s goal is to focus and emphasize togetherness, companionship and
savoring pleasant moments. The rite should have a specific, prepared with great attention
meal consisting of multiple parts. This tradition has been featured on the UNESCO
Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/gastronomic-meal-of-the-french-00437
Throughout the years, the Baguette has become a symbol of France. Tasting the long bread
made usually from lean dough is a pulling factor for many visitors. The baguette was first
invented in 1920 in Paris. It has many origin stories regarding limited bakery hours, need for
a bread that can be torn instead of cut, and even Napoleon Bonaparte ordering the bakers to
create bread that could be easily carried by soldiers.
https://foodicles-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/foodicles.com/baguette-history/amp/?amp_gsa
=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&a
oh=17063481836223&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https
%3A%2F%2Ffoodicles.com%2Fbaguette-history%2F
Carnaval de Nice is one of the biggest carnivals in the world. It is the most important event of
the Cote d’Azur. Its history dates back to 1294. The carnival lasts up to 15 days and brings
the whole city of Nice to life. People can attend events like The Light Parade (Corso
Carnavalesque Illuminé) or The Flower Battle (Bataille de Fleurs).
https://frenchriviera.travel/nice-carnival/#:~:text=The%20Carnival%20in%20Nice%20(Carnav
al,wintering%20on%20the%20French%20Riviera.

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material and spiritual culture

Palais Garnier (Opera Garnier) is considered to be a masterpiece of the Second Empire

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