Restoring the Glories of Paris - Place Vendome

from WWD issue 11/25/2014
By Joelle Diderich

In recent weeks, it has garnered attention for hosting a bright green 78-foot inflatable sculpture widely compared to a sex toy, but the august Place Vendôme is better known as the epicenter of Paris luxury.
Artist Paul McCarthy’s controversial “Tree,” installed there as part of the French capital’s FIAC art fair last month, temporarily drew attention from the hoardings that cover vast swathes of the square, including its famous column.
They will stay in place until late next year, when the Ritz Hotel is scheduled to reopen after almost four years of renovations.
That two of the most powerful symbols of French opulence are hidden under scaffolding and advertising billboards is not a coincidence. The Ritz is financing the restoration of the Colonne Vendôme, first erected in 1810 as a military tribute to Napoleon I, to the tune of 1.5 million euros, or $1.2 million.
Both will be unveiled together with a glittering gala at the end of 2015 that will train the spotlight on the square, home to leading watch and jewelry brands such as Boucheron, Breguet, Buccellati, Chanel, Chaumet, Dior, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lorenz Bäumer, Louis Vuitton, Repossi and Van Cleef & Arpels.
“It’s going to be a very important event for Paris,” said Béatrice de Plinval, curator of the museum and archives at Chaumet and president of the Comité Vendôme, which groups 110 members located in and around the square. “In the mind of foreigners, the Colonne Vendôme is the symbol of luxury.”
Sitting in her office adjacent to Chaumet’s ornate 18th-century reception rooms, which directly overlooks the square, the elegant, white-haired historian explains the initiative all stemmed from her meeting with Thierry Despont, the designer best known for his work on the centennial restoration of the Statue of Liberty.
Despont is spearheading the Ritz revamp, and the two quickly came up with the idea of asking the hotel’s owner, businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed, to finance the cleanup of the column, which had not been restored since it was put back in place in 1872, following a period of political turbulence during which it was briefly torn down.
It’s a politically correct solution to a thorny problem: Though the members of the Comité Vendôme put on a united front, they are engaged in cutthroat competition for the dollars of wealthy tourists.
“We are all colleagues before being rivals, and we all love the Ritz,” said de Plinval. “Nobody is going to be against a major luxury hotel like the Ritz being the patron of the Colonne Vendôme, so it was really a wonderful gift.”
Standing 145 feet tall, the column is covered in a spiral-like frieze of military feats cast in bronze taken from the cannons seized from enemy armies, which over time has acquired a verdigris patina like the one on the Statue of Liberty. It is topped by a statue of Napoleon in the guise of Julius Caesar, itself no longer the original, but a copy made in 1875.
The restoration is being led by Christophe Bottineau, chief architect of the Historical Monuments directorate at the Ministry of Culture, and is expected to last up to 10 months. In the meantime, the column is encased in a vast grid of scaffolding that hides an elevator.
Meanwhile, several of the stores looking onto the square are shrouded in oversize hoardings — both Breguet and Van Cleef & Arpels are in the midst of renovations — giving the prestigious address the look of a temporary building site.
“For as long as I’ve know it, the Place Vendôme has been under construction,” shrugged de Plinval. “If you don’t do any work, you can’t be beautiful, and I must say, Paris is a city where the restorations are absolutely magnificent.”
Having spent her entire career at Chaumet, she feels at home in the 18th century square designed by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart to the glory of Louis XIV, the Sun King. Its octagonal shape, which inspired the design of Chanel perfume bottles and watches, is enhanced by the use of stone in an array of gray, blue and beige tones.
“[It] gives you goosebumps when you arrive and retains its majesty even when it is overrun with construction and scaffolding – and that’s Paris,” she said. “I always say the Colonne Vendôme is our village steeple.”

Le Marais District of Paris

Le Marais, which means "the marsh" in French, is a district in Paris, France. though it is far from a March today. The name Le Marais also comes from "maraichers", i.e. vegetable gardens. The area was outside the original 12th century walls of Paris. These marshlands were cleared by the Knights Templar to create a garden for its chapter house and soon other religious orders followed suit.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the aristocracy built large residences in the area, a trend which was accelerated by the creation of the Place Royale (which would become the Place des Vosges) by Henri IV in 1605 but with the moving of the royal court from the Louvre in 1682 to Versailles the aristocrats followed suit. This departure, led to a decline in the district.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century and in the first half of the twentieth century, the area surrounding the Rue des Rosiers was revived becoming the home to many Jews from Eastern Europe. During the German occupation of Paris, the Marais was a target for the Nazis. Following Liberation in 1944, the district again went slowly into a decline. Though the rue des Rosiers is still a major centre of the Paris Jewish community. Walls feature announcements of Jewish events, there are bookshops specializing in Jewish books, and there are also numerous restaurants and other outlets selling kosher food. The synagogue 10, rue Pavée not far from rue des Rosiers is a strong religious center.

In 1969, began another revival. Andre Malraux made the Marais the first protected sector (secteur sauvegarde) of Paris. This protection measure can lead to odd results. As when shops are closed and sold their facades cannot be redone when changing businesses, as such you can find shops with a traditional "bakery" front selling fashionable clothing.

The since the 1980’s the neighbourhood again experienced a rejuvenation and a growing gay presence, with many trendy cafés, nightclubs, cabarets and shops. These establishments are mainly concentrated in the southwestern portion of the Marais, many on or near the streets Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie and Vieille du Temple.

Le Marais today is a vibrant and interesting community which is spread across parts of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, on the Rive Droite, or Right Bank, of the Seine.

One of the most interesting streets in the area is the famous rue des Francs-Bourgeois, one of the rare streets of Paris with all of its shops open on Sunday.
Other features of the neighbourhood include the Musee Picasso, the houses of Nicolas Flamel and Victor Hugo, the Musée Cognacq-Jay, Hôtel de Sully and the Musée Carnavalet.

La Baguette Magique - the French Baguette

An unmistakable symbol of France, the Baguette is on every table, at every meal.
By Louise Gaboury. franceguide 2009

As Paris awakens, the mouthwatering smell of french bread wafts through the streets. The sun is barely up and Parisians are already rushing off to the boulangerie to buy their first baguette of the day. This almost mythical bread takers six hours to make and only keeps for just about as long. To ensure a daily supply, the bakers doorbell will be chiming from dusk to dawn.

Baguette Basics
Since September 1993, the appellation of the traditional French baguette has been rigorously controlled. The length (twenty four inches), weight (nine ounces), and ingredients (flour, salt, and water, without added fat or sugar) are defined according to a decree that prohibits additives and freezing. These regulations have contributed to the safeguarding of the true nature of French bread and have allowed artisan bakery products to set themselves apart from industrial products available in supermarkets.

The President’s Bread
For the past fifteen years, the city of Paris has been honoring the city’s best baguette of the year. The aim of the contest is to highlight the work of bread artisans and the flavor of an authentic baguette.
Jury members spend an entire morning randomly admiring, smelling, touching and tasting some hundred baguettes. Once they’ve verified the baguette’s length and weight, they judge the look, smell, crumb, and last but not least, the flavor. The crumb must be airy, full, and cream-colored. The happy winner becomes the supplier for a year to the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the President.

The secret is in the flour
Arnaud Delmontel won the 2007 prize for the best baguette in Paris thanks to his “Renaissance” baguette with Guerande salt and in 2008 he was part of the jury the crowned young Anis Bousbsa. “The secret of a good baguette lies mainly in the quality of the basic ingredients,” says Arnaud Demontel, who uses flour from the Viron flour mill in Chartres. “Then the manufacturing process must be undertaken with a lot of precision and … love!” no doubt about it, Dumontel is crazy about bread. Even if he doesn’t particularly enjoy waking up before sunrise, the thought of breathing in the smell of bread helps him tear himself out of bed

Elsewhere in France
“there are 650 miller in France and their wheat yields different breads but good bread can be found all over,” he continues. Practically every region of France cultivated wheat and many of them are reintroducing local flours, many of which had sunken into oblivion. Revived in September 207, the milling wheat of Apt is grown within the Luberon Regional Nature Park on ecologically managed farms. The baguette ardechoise was created in 2003 on the other side of the Rhone and is made with three types of flour; wheat, rye, and chestnut, which bears a stunning resemblance to breadfruit, of all things!

France celebrated bread for one week every year stating on the Monday preceding May 16, in honor of Saint-Honore (the patron saint of bakers) www.fetedupain.com

MUSÉE DU QUAI BRANLY- a Green Building, 37 quai Branly, Paris France

As a dazzling showcase for art from the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, the slick Jean Nouvel–designed Musée du Quai Branly, almost at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, is implicitly intended to rectify the cultural arrogance at the heart of France’s colonial expansion during the 19th century. During this imperial adventure, the country accumulated a rich hoard of what was once known as “primitive art.” Though Nouvel’s design has had mixed reviews architecturally, there’s no denying that the museum houses one of the richest, most interesting, and best-displayed collections of African, Asian, North and South American, and Pacific-island art in the world.
But it is not just the exhibitions which draws one to the Musee du Quai Branly. The Museum also sports something, which is catching on in the big cities. A Green facade, a living wall. An exterior wall that is covered in vegetation. Not some vine that is clinging to the wall but something deliberate; a “vertical garden”. There are three types of green walls. Living walls, green facades and retaining living walls. A green façade is vines and climbing plants or cascading ground cover, which grows on supporting structures and roofs. Living walls are composed of pre-vegetated panels, modules, planted blanks that are affixed to a structural wall or free-standing frame. Green walls have been found to cut air pollutions, cut down on the noise pollution as well as cooling the surrounding area. Instead of concrete and brick reflecting the sun and heating up the surrounding area the green wall absorb the heat.

Paris' Outdoor Markets

Paris is synonymous with shopping and with food.  A way to combine both of them is through the Parisian Outdoor Markets.

These markets are just a sample of the different types of markets that you can find in Paris;

Marché Daguerre 14^th Arrondissement (metro: Mouton-Duvernet / Denfert-Rochereau)

On Sunday, when many of the shops are closed, shopping in the Marche Daguerre can be a godsend, as, the Marche Daguerre is full of several open air stalls bursting with outstanding produce at very reasonable prices and several of the shops on this cobblestoned, pedestrian street are also open.

This 2 block area is full of bakeries, pharmacies, cafes, as well as a health food store, jewelry designers, perfumier and even a bon-bon shop. Here in the Marche Daguerre the proprietors do let you pick out the produce you desire and check out at the register, where they weigh it. The nearest metro, Mouton-Duvernet is three blocks south from the market and Denfert-Rochereau is a short two blocks away.

Rue Mouffetard, 5^th Arrondissement (metro: Censier-Daubenton/ Place Monge)

Milk-goats no longer wander up Rue Mouffetard, but this cobbled market street has retained much of its pre-industrial character. A dozen "old Paris" shops sell everything from wicker baskets to salt cod, olive oil, wine, cheese, bread, and chocolate, so it's an ideal place to pull together a picnic. Fruit and vegetable stalls front the Saint Médard church (where the road abuts the 13^th Arrondissement), and few Paris streets have as many good cheesemongers; try Androuet, a Parisian high-end mini-chain founded in 1909 (#134; 33-1-45-87-85-05; www.androuet.com). Stop in Boucherie Saint Médard for luscious handmade pâtés and terrines and for hot rotisserie pork roasts and chickens (#119; 33-1-45-35-14-72). Buy wine from a small grower-bottler at La Fontaine aux Vins (#107; 33-1-43-31-41-03; www.la-fontaine-aux-vins.com), and take your pick of bread from any of half a dozen bakeries nearby. Les Délices de la Casbah turns out irresistible Algerian pastries (#118; 33-1-43-31-10-13). For handmade chocolates and exquisite Berthillon ice cream, go to Nicolsen Chocolatier (#112; 33-1-43-36-78-04). The best bets for sit-down meals are Chez Marco, a neo-bistro with sidewalk tables (#127; 33-1-43-37-60-66), or the street's doyen café-restaurant, Le Mouffetard—its wraparound terrace with faux cane chairs is fun, especially at breakfast or lunch, when the neighboring shops are bustling. Don't expect gastro-fireworks, just good grub (salads, quiches, duck confit) in a likeable setting (#116; 33-1-43-31-42-50).

The Marché Biologique (Organic Market) on the Boulevard Raspail, 6^tharrondissement, is by far the best known—and trendiest—of Paris's outdoor markets. Celebrities and serious cooks alike gather under the colorful canopies that pop up every Sunday morning along this tree-lined stretch between the rue de Rennes and the rue du Cherche-Midi. (metro: Rennes/ Sevres-Bablone) Among the piles of fruits and vegetables, you'll find organic dairy products, soy in many guises, fish and seafood, and a variety of whole grains. Founded in 1994, the Marché Biologique Batignolles, held every Saturday in a leafy square in the eastern part of the 17^th arrondissement, is an offshoot of the Boulevard Raspail market. It's far quieter and less crowded here, but you'll find similar organic produce and dairy goods, wine, and prepared salads and pastries, in addition to home-pressed organic cider.

The Belleville-Ménilmontant market, on the border of the 11^th and 20^th arrondissements, (metro: Belleville/ Ménilmontant) has a different mood entirely. Catering mostly to the neighborhood's North African community, this souk-like gathering (on Tuesdays and Fridays) is much livelier, with vendors loudly hawking their wares, and the pungent smells of mint and merguez sausage hanging in the air.

Originally created in 1615 by royal war commissioners as the food hall for the newly created Marais quarter, the small, charming Marché des Enfants Rouges, 3^rdarrondissement, (metro: Arts et Metiers) takes its name from the red jackets worn by orphans to signal their charity status at a neighboring orphanage. Today, picnic tables in the market make it easy to shop and consume an impromptu picnic on the premises, since many food stalls sell prepared dishes, along with first-rate fruit, vegetables, wine, and charcuterie. (Les Enfants Rouges (9 rue Beauce, 3rd, 01-48-87-8061), a wine bar adjacent to the market, is a popular hangout for Parisian sommeliers.)

The covered Marché d'Aligre, on rue d'Aligre, 12^th arrondissement (metro: Ledru-Rollin) was built in 1779; hugely popular, it retains the working-class character of the Bastille neighborhood before it was gentrified. Among the better stands are Chez Philippe, which stocks some thousand cheeses, and those selling charcuterie (sausage, ham, etc.) from Brittany, Corsica, and the Auvergne. There are also many stalls selling produce from Africa and Asia. The popular Baron Rouge (1 rue Theophile Roussel, 12th; 01-43-43-14-32) is where shoppers pause for a glass of wine and some freshly shucked oysters.

PARIS, A MAGICAL CITY, ANYTIME OF THE YEAR

It has been said that Paris, a series of delightful and rewarding explorations, is wonderful any time of the year. In Ernest Hemingway words “Paris is a moveable feast”. It is a city that has everything – the theatres, the cinema, exhibits, the restaurants…

Paris is the ultimate pedestrian city, one that people love to walk through. Every boulevard and park beckons the walker or cyclists. It is built on a human scale, which gives it continuity and a cohesiveness that knits the city together. Paris is always changing. When you return to areas you think you know, you find that while they haven’t transformed materially, they do have a different feel about them. It is that which makes the city exciting and why people love walking through Paris. Try walking the Champs-Elysées starting at the Arc de Triomphe to the Jardin des Tuileries, and experience the entire history of Paris unfold before you. Or trace the steps of Toulouse-Lautrec in Montmartre and discover the secret life of the Marais. There are so many options; one can spend days and months seeing new and different things.

Even the shopping in Paris is unique; for what you find in Paris, you won’t find anywhere else. Foodstuffs have long been a good value, but other products that enhance that sense of well-being, or “bien être” are well-made clothes and divine accessories that are found in the numerous shops.

Each season features returning festivals such as Fête de la Musique in June, Jazz in July, Paris Plage in August, Journees du Patrimoine in September, and October brings Fête des Vendanges just to name a few.

Use Paris as the introduction to your France experience or as the finale, or just visit Paris alone. Whatever you choose, spend as much time as you can in this fascinating city. Whether it is your first time or you are a returning visitor, you will find a city that is exciting and always changing. One can enjoy the many beautiful buildings, the museums, the theatres, strolls along the avenues, parks and gardens, or explore the culinary delights offered in the many cafes and bistros. It is your choice. Paris is very special and will have a lasting impression on you.

SMALL MUSEUMS IN PARIS - ANYONE CAN FIND THE LOUVRE, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE CITY’S LESSER-KNOWN TREASURES.

MUSÉE DU QUAI BRANLY - As a dazzling showcase for art from the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, the slick Jean Nouvel–designed Musée du Quai Branly, almost at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, is implicitly intended to rectify the cultural arrogance at the heart of France’s colonial expansion during the 19th century. During this imperial adventure, the country accumulated a rich hoard of what was once known as “primitive art.” Though Nouvel’s design has had mixed reviews architecturally, there’s no denying that the museum houses one of the richest, most interesting, and best-displayed collections of African, Asian, North and South American, and Pacific-island art in the world.

37 quai Branly; 7th; 01-56-61-70-00

MUSÉE MARMOTTAN MONET - The Musée Marmottan Monet is not only one of Paris’s greatest small museums but an international star for its spectacular collection of some 165 paintings by Claude Monet. Formerly the hunting lodge of the Duc de Valmy, it was purchased by Jules Marmottan, a wealthy 19th-century industrialist. Two subsequent donations—a stunning collection of paintings from Victorine Monop de Monchy, daughter of Docteur de Bellio, whose patients included Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Sisley, and Renoir, and the private collection of Michel Monet, Monet’s second son—transformed the museum into the little gem that it is today.

2 rue Louis-Boilly; 16th; 33-1-44-96-50-33

MUSÉE DES ARTS ET METIERS - Founded in 1794 and today occupying the former priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, the offbeat Musée des Arts et Metiers is devoted to scientific discovery and mechanical and industrial inventions, which are organized according to seven themes: scientific instruments, materials, construction, communication, mechanics, energy, and transport. Perhaps the most famous instrument in its collection of some 80,000 objects is Foucault’s pendulum, which was popularized by a novel by Italian writer Umberto Eco.

60 rue Réaumur; 3rd; 01-53-01-82-00

MUSÉE DE LA MUSIQUE - At the Musée de la Musique, in the Parc de la Villette, instruments from the unequaled collection of the Paris Conservatoire—from early horns and Stradivarius violins to modern synthesizers and Gibson electric guitars—come alive through headphones with commentary (in English) on instrumental developments over the past five centuries. The audio program also includes Conservatoire faculty members answering questions and demonstrating, say, the right way to play Javanese temple bells.

221 avenue Jean-Jaurès; 19th; 01-44-84-44-84;  www.cite-musique.fr

MUSÉE NISSIM DE CAMONDO - Facing the Parc Monceau, the Musée Nissim de Camondo is one of the most engaging and poignant of the city’s small museums. Built just before World War I by Moïse de Camondo, scion of a family known as the Rothschilds of the East, the house was designed to showcase his antiques. And after admiring the dazzling silver tureens made for Catherine the Great, wander through the spacious, bright kitchens. Restored to an as-built state, the fittings include remarkably modern water purifiers and a copper sink with a steam jacket to keep dishwashing water hot. And the vast stove, with separate ovens and a rotisserie, still inspires envy.

63 rue de Monceau, 8th; 01-53-89-06-40; www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr

MUSÉE CARNAVALET - Housed in two adjacent hôtels particuliers in the Marais, the Musée Carnavalet tells the story of Paris from prehistory to the early 20th century through archaeological finds, paintings, furniture, and objets d’art. There are rooms from the ancien régime, a Revolutionary collection that spans 12 rooms, and a section devoted to French literature that includes letters written by Madame de Sévigné (who lived here from 1677 to 1696) and a replica of Proust’s cork-lined bedroom. The museum’s shop has a fantastic selection of books about the city. (Buy an English-language guidebook here before you enter the museum—the information inside is all in French.)

23 rue de Sévigné; 3rd; 01-44-59-58-58

MUSÉE COGNACQ-JAY- This charming museum, housed in the carefully restored 16th-century Hôtel Donon, in the Marais, paints an interesting portrait of a slightly fussy, early-20th-century bourgeois collector. Ernest Cognacq, founder of the Samaritaine department store, and his wife, Louise Jay, amassed a surprisingly rich and varied collection that includes French Rococo artists like Fragonard, Watteau, Boucher, and Greuze, plus a smattering of Guardis and Canalettos, and a few more “highbrow” works by Rubens and Ruisdael. The paintings are complemented by the couple’s furniture, porcelain, tapestries, and sculpture.

8 rue Elzévir; 3rd; 01-40-27-07-21

MUSÉE DE LA VIE ROMANTIQUE - Housed in an elegant little villa that was once home to the artist Ary Scheffer, the Musée de la Vie Romantique recalls the days when the surrounding neighborhood (between Pigalle and the Gare Saint-Lazare) was known as the “new Athens” because of the many artists, writers, and composers who lived there. Writer George Sand, the focus of the museum, was at the center of this creative community, which included Chopin, Delacroix, the poet Alfred de Musset, and other Romantic figures. The portraits, books, and letters here evoke that passionate age with charm.

16 rue Chaptal; 9th; 01-55-31-95-67

MUSÉE DE L’ORANGERIE - Located in the old Orangery in the Jardin des Tuileries, this is an art gallery of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.  It is most famous for being the permanent home for eight Water Lilies murals by Claude Monet. The museum was chosen and arranged personally by Claude Monet in two oval rooms to have the correct light and balance for contemplation of these masterpieces.  The museum also contains the Walter-Guillaume Collection containing works by Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Rousseau, Chaim Soutine, Alfred Sisley, and Maurice Utrillo, among others.

Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde; 1^st

MUSÉE DU VIN – Located in the 16^th arr on Rue des Eaux, named after the mineral water sources discovered herein the 17^th and 18^th centuries.  The exhibits fill a site used in the Middle Ages as a limestone quarry before conversion into cellars by the wine-producing monks of the Minime Order.  These cellars were also used for wine storage in the 1950s by the Eiffel Tower restaurant.   Today, on a walk through the winding stone-walled corridors, visitors discover historic objects connected with wine production and the evolution of winemaking techniques.   The museum also offers wine-tasting classes.

5 Square Charles Dickens - Rue des Eaux; 16^th; museeduvinparis.com

MUSÉE DES EGOUTS DE PARIS – or as it is translated, the Paris Sewer Museum, as strange as it seems to want to walk under a city of beauty, it is one of the 50 most visited attractions in the French capital, and has only gained in popularity since Ratatouille (2007). Paris has 1,300 milers of sewers, one of the most extensive in the world.  Only aw small part of the system is open to the public and obviously does not involve wading in actual sewage, which is carried in enormous pipelines.

Pont de l'Alma, face au 93 quai d'Orsay; 7^th

MUSÉE DU JACQUEMART-ANDRE – is the result of the 19^th century Parisian society couple Edouard Andre and Nelie Jacuemart.   Housed in their elegant 16-room villa, the museum showcases their personal collection of antiques from their travels and remarkable good taste as amateur art buyers.  It also captures the atmosphere of Parisian high society with salons for balls and state dinners, smaller rooms for making and entertaining and lush bedrooms for relaxing

158 blvd Haussmann; 8^th; musee-jacquemart-andre.com

FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON - Is Paris' newest Museum.  Opened in 2014 it is located on the outer rim of Paris in the Bois de Boulogne.   Designed by Frank Gehry the museum resembles a ship with giant glass sails making up the exterior façade, with water traveling towards and right through the building itself; while inside is a series of changing contemporary art exhibitions curated by the LVMH group.   The restaurant is top notch with several themed menus in the evenings.

8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Bois de Boulogne; www.fondationlouisvuitton.com