Paris

Opened in 1875, Opera Garnier is an amazing example of Neo-Baroque architecture at its finest. Designed by a then unknown French architect Charles Garnier, Opera Garnier has served throughout the years as one of the principal venues for Parisian Opera and Ballet. It is known by many names such as Opera de Paris, Palais Garnier, and Paris Opera, with its most official name being Académie Nationale de Musique. It is the thirteenth theater to house the Paris Opera since it was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV. The theater was built over a fifteen year span on the orders of Napoleon III as part of a reconstruction project. Construction was interrupted due to numerous incidents and issues including the extremely swampy land it was built on, the 1870 war and the fall of the Second French Empire. Some claim that the classic novel, The Phantom of the Opera, was inspired in part by a unfortunate incident in 1896 when a counter weight for the grand chandelier fell, killing one person. In 1994 work began to update and modernize the facilities while restoring and preserving the décor.

Notre Dame Cathedral, officially named Notre Dame de Paris, in Paris, France is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in Europe. It was one of the first Gothic cathedrals and its complete construction spanned nearly 200 years until it was completed in 1345. With over 13 million visitors each year, Notre Dame de Paris is the most popular monument in France even beating out the Eiffel Tower. Although it was one of the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress, it was not originally designed to include it. As the walls grew in height during construction, they began to crack due to the stress. The cathedrals architects used the arched supports in response and continued the pattern as they built more. In the 1790’, the cathedral was a victim of the French Revolutionsand was desecrated with much of its religious imagery damaged or destroyed. Thankfully in the 19th century it was saved from complete destruction and restored by one of France’s most famous architects who was well known for his restoration work, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.