Perhaps are you used to walking around the streets of Paris, but have you noticed what makes its charm? Of course, we know all famous monuments making the fame of the city and attracting tourists: Notre-Dame de Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and so on… Or its more authentic neighborhoods such as Montmartre. But come closer and perhaps will you see some details you’ve never noticed before! Because Paris is first and foremost a city packed with history. And stories that left their marks in the streets of Paris and making the charm and heritage of the city we know today. Craving for more? Here are further details on 3 of these typically Parisian views!
Yes, the famous green fountains we walk into everywhere in Paris are part of the city’s historic heritage. The first one was set up in 1872 on Boulevard de la Villette. These fountains are named after their creator: Richard Wallace, a rich London heir. At that time, he donates 50 fountains to the city of Paris to set some drinkable water spots after a shortage. There are currently about a hundred of them in town, and Paris is the first city they have been set in. Fountains are generally green but there are 3 different colors depending on their location, such as the red Wallace fountain in the Chinese neighborhood in the 13th arrondissement.
It may look average, but Parisian cobblestone is not! Existing in the streets of Paris since the Middle Age, it’s truly part of the capital’s landscape. Its use has been globalized in the 19th century before today’s coating is used since cobblestone is easy to clean and resistant to car wheels. Across the years, it even became a symbol of fight during social demonstrations such as the events in May 1968 or more recently, during the Yellow Jacket Movement. Place du Panthéon, Place de la Bastille, Champs-Elysées… It’s everywhere in town for tourists’ greatest joy who leave with a souvenir! By the way, on the Internet, you can even get a piece of Paris via Mon Pavé Parisien website!
High-ceilings, large windows, marbled mantelpiece, moldings… This is Haussmann style! A style that goes way back to the Second Empire when Napoleon III names Baron Haussmann to refurbish the French capital and give it a new style. With his will to create space and make air and light, Baron Haussmann gives birth to Haussmann style that still exists today. A century and a half later, the Haussmann building still has prestige and its architectural marks in Paris. By the way, many cities have been inspired by this style still coveted nowadays.
