Online dictionary of France travel and tourism: human heritage

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Fontainebleau castle

French words: Château de Fontainebleau , Palais de Fontainebleau
alternative words: Fontainebleau palace, Fontainebleau, Chateau Fontainebleau
keywords: castle , human heritage , paris suburb , tourist resort
related web sites: http://www.chateaudefontainebleau.net , http://www.fontainebleau.com , http://www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com , http://users.skynet.be/ym04/fontainebleau.htm
explanation: Located 50km south east of Paris, military camps always settled at Fontainebleau and many French kings stayed there for a hunting pleasure. Though a royal manor already existed since 12th century, the French king, Francois 1st transformed it in 16th century to a large Renaissance style castle with an aid of Italian artists. Napoleon Bonaparte preferring Fontainebleau to Versailles, he received Pope Pius VII there to be sacred in 1804. He also gave farewell to his guards there in 1814 before exiling to Elba.

Fontenay abbey

French words: Abbaye de Fontenay
alternative words: Fontenay monastery, Abbey of Fontenay, Monastery of Fontenay
keywords: bourgogne , church , human heritage , tourist resort
related web sites: http://www.abbayedefontenay.com , http://www.linternaute.com/sortir/sorties/architecture/abbaye/fontenay.shtml
explanation: Founded by Saint Bernard in 1118 in a swampy valley of Bourgogne near Montbard, Fontenay abbey is one of the oldest Cistercian monasteries still existing in Europe. It was so influential to become a royal abbey in 1269. Though sold to become a paper mill after the French revolution, all the buildings have been restored to the original state excepting for the dining room. Fontenay abbey was chosen as a human heritage of UNESCO in 1981.

Gard bridge

French words: Pont du Gard
alternative words: Gard aqueduct, Pont du Gard
keywords: human heritage , roman remains , southern france , tourist resort
related topics: Nimes
related web sites: http://www.vers-pont-du-gard.fr/afterintro.htm , http://www.vers-pont-du-gard.fr/tpatrimoine11.php , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_du_Gard
explanation: Gard bridge was built by Romans between 40 and 60 A. D. over Gardon river in order to bring waters to Nimes city located 25km south-west in Gard prefecture. The length of aqueduct was about 50km with gradient of only 34cm per km and it delivered 20,000 m3 per day. The bridge height is 47m with arches of 3 levels and the length is 275m. After the collapse of Roman empire, the aqueduct has been no more maintained and during Middle ages, the bridge was used only as a road to pass another side of the river.

Grand Trianon palace

French words: Grand Trianon , Palais du Grand Trianon
alternative words: Grand Trianon
keywords: castle , human heritage , paris suburb , tourist resort
related topics: Versailles palace , Petit Trianon palace
related web sites: http://www.insecula.com/musee/M0038.html , http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Trianon
explanation: In 1670, Louis XIV asked the architect Louis le Vau to build a private palace so he could escape from a burden of protocols in Versailles Palace. The first palace covered with bleu and white faience tiles happened to be too fragile, Jules Hardouin-Mansart was charged to replace it between 1687-1688 by a flat baroque building decorated with rose marble. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette preferred Petit Trianon. After being vandalized by French revolution, Napoleon inhabited Grand Trianon between 1805-1815.

Le Havre

French words: Le Havre
keywords: human heritage , normandy , sea , town
related topics: Honfleur
related web sites: http://www.ville-lehavre.fr , http://www.lehavretourisme.com
explanation: Located 150km northwest of Paris at Seine's estuary in Normandy, Le Havre was founded in 1517 by French king Francois 1st as a replacement of silted Honfleur. Le Havre had developed enormously during the colonization period as an external harbor of Paris, but suffered a heavy bombing at the end of WWII. Le Havre was restored in 1950's following the urbanization plan of Auguste Perret, which later becomes a Unesco's human heritage. Being the 2nd largest harbor of France, its population is 182000.

Louvre museum

French words: Musée du Louvre , Palais du Louvre , Le Louvre
alternative words: Louvre palace, Louvre gallery, Louvre
keywords: castle , human heritage , museum , paris , tourist resort
related web sites: http://www.louvre.fr , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre , http://www.insecula.com/musee/M0001.html
explanation: Located on the northern shore of Seine river in Paris, Louvre was built as royal palace by French King, Francois 1st, in 16th century then transformed to a museum in 1793. Since 1983, Grand Louvre plan has begun with the construction of a central glass pyramid and achieved in 1997. With the surface of 160,000 m2, Louvre contains an innumerable collection of world treasures such as Mona Lisa and Venus of Milo.

Lyon

French words: Lyon
keywords: human heritage , tourist resort , town
related web sites: http://www.lyon-france.com , http://www.lyon.fr
explanation: Located at the confluence of Rhone and Saone, Lyon is the 3rd largest town of France. Called Lugdunum, Lyon had been the capital of Gaulle province, presently France of the Roman empire. During the medieval period, Lyon was a prosperous merchant town thanks to fairs and silk industry. During WWII, Lyon was a center of the French resistance. Owning many industries and universities, Lyon is the capital of Rhone-Alpes region and the population is 468000. Old Lyon was enlisted in Unesco world heritage in 1998.

Mont Saint Michel

French words: Mont Saint Michel
alternative words: Mont Saint Michel abbey, Mont Saint Michel monastery, Mt St Michel
keywords: church , human heritage , normandy , sea , tourist resort
related web sites: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/mont-saint-michel/ , http://www.e-mont-saint-michel.com , http://www.projetmontsaintmichel.fr
explanation: Located on a granite islet between Normandy and Brittany, the abbey of Mont Saint Michel offers a surprising view to its visitors. According to a legend, the archangel Michel appeared to bishop of Avranches, Aubert , demanding to build a church there in 708. During the middle ages, Mont Saint Michel was frequented by pilgrims in spite of a risk of quicksand. During French revolution, the abbey was used as a prison. Since a dyke was built in 19th century, the abbey is loosing its maritime characters.

Nancy

French words: Nancy
keywords: human heritage , tourist resort , town
related web sites: http://www.ot-nancy.fr , http://www.mairie-nancy.fr , http://www.en-lorraine.com
explanation: Located in north-east of France, Nancy was founded in 11th century by Lorraine Duke, Gerard 1st, then it became the capital of Lorraine in 16th century. Former King of Poland and Duke of Lorraine, Stanislas made many beautiful places, which now belong to Unesco human heritage. Nancy has passed to France after his death in 1766. When Germany annexed Northern Lorraine in 1871, many people migrated there so the industry developed. Nancy is the capital of Meurthe-et-Moselle prefecture and the population 99000.

Notre-Dame cathedral

French words: Cathédrale Notre-Dame , Notre-Dame de Paris
alternative words: Notre Dame de Paris, Notre-Dame
keywords: church , human heritage , paris , tourist resort
related topics: Cite Island
related web sites: http://www.cathedraledeparis.com , http://ndparis.free.fr , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame
explanation: Located on a small island in Seine river at the center of Paris, there existed already a temple of Jupiter during Roman period, which would be replaced by Saint Etienne Basilica. The construction of the actual building began in 1163 during the reign of Louis VII and achieved in 1345. During French revolution in 1789, the edifice was vandalized, the 12 fontal statues of apostles beheaded. Though since 1845, it had been restored, during Paris Commune uprising in 1871, it was again vandalized.

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47 articles extracted from postgresql database.