Exploring Paris’ Art & Architecture with Context Tours
September 19, 2009
Gargoyle on Notre Dame – www.photosfan.com
While Paris is the perfect city for aimless ambling, there is a time and a place for directed exploration. Earlier this summer, I had the pleasure of taking Context Tours’ “Art and Architecture of Gothic Paris” walk, led by American architect and Paris resident Michael Herrman. While Context always keeps their tour groups small (usually 6 people max.), I was fortunate enough to have the tour all to myself, and—as is typical of Context tours—Michael was happy to customize the experience to my specific areas of interest.
As a PhD and practicing architect, Michael was able to share incredible insight into both the history of Parisian architecture and its evolution over time, emphasizing his belief that “when we study the architectural development of a city, we can understand the city itself.” This theme was quite evident as we strolled around the Ile de le Cité, where Michael outlined Paris’ Gaulois history and then peeled back the layers of the rise of gothic architecture.
Sainte Chapelle
The tour took us from Sainte Chapelle to the Conciergerie (where Marie Antoinette was housed before her execution at the Place de la Concorde) to the nearby Place Dauphine and culminated at Paris’ towering Notre Dame cathedral. Michael’s ability to weave social history into our discussion brought much of the architecture to life. From the effect of the French Revolution on Paris’ gothic architecture to the layout of the city itself, Paris’ physical landscape reflects the incremental changes in the city’s social and political context over time.
As we gazed up at Notre Dame’s whimsical gargoyles and noted the morning light through the stained glass at Sainte Chapelle, it was quite evident that each and every corner of Paris contains a story.
While I am generally a huge proponent of aimless wandering, it certainly helps to have an expert on hand. The “Art & Architecture of Gothic Paris” tour lasts roughly 3 hours and takes place on the Ile de la Cité. The tour is €75 per person or €270 for a private group tour.
Those seeking to deepen their knowledge on a variety of subjects would do well to browse through Context’s many Paris “walks” which cover themes such as art, archaeology, cuisine, shopping, and theology.
For more information, visit Context Tours.
Written by Tory Hoen for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.
Sainte Chapelle – sites.google.com
Written by Tory Hoen
After attending Brown University and spending two years in New York, Tory bought a one-way ticket to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming a writer (and of drinking wine at lunch). During her time in the City of Light, she chronicled the euphoric highs and the laughable lows of ex-pat life on her blog, A Moveable Beast. Though she's now based in New York, she travels frequently to Montreal and Brazil, and she'll use just about any excuse to jet to Paris ("I ran out of fleur de sel"). A regular contributor to Hip Paris, Tory also writes for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, and she is a co-author of Gradspot.com's Guide To Life After College.
Website: http://www.toryhoen.com/
Tags: architecture tour paris, context tours, context tours paris, ile de la cite tour, michael herrman, Notre Dame, paris architecture, sainte chapelle, tory hoen
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