Paris and Her Cathedrals

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If you’re looking for a place to stay in Paris here is a map with each of these beautiful churches in Paris& great accomodation nearby! Few cathedrals have inspired more in the popular imagination, and few have inspired more grief than when Notre-Dame de Paris burned in 2020.

Credit Cards – I am a big fan of the American Expresss Platinum Card and have used them for over 6 years now. It offers 5x points on all flights (any airline!) and hotels booked through Amex Travel, built-in travel insurance, access to the biggest network of airport lounges – it’s a no-brainer despite the annual fee! Also known as the “National Museum of the Middle Ages”, the Cluny Museum is home to much artwork, including its most famous “ Tapestries of the Lady and the Unicorn.” Flights and Trains – I know everyone recommends SkyScanner…but I’ve never loved it. I simply use Google Flights for most of my searches and set alerts for routes I’m interested in to nab cheap flights.The Panthéon in Paris was originally intended to be a temple dedicated to Saint Genevieve who lived in the 5th century, at the time of the Roman Empire.

In September 1792, during the French Revolution, a group of about 100 priests were imprisoned in the Abbey. They had refused to sign a declaration of loyalty to the new Revolutionary government and were sent out 1 by 1 into the square where they were massacred. One of the best things to do in the Sacré-Cœur Basilica is to climb the bell tower for the most incredible view of Paris imaginable!

Paperback

The Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis Church, often simply referred to as Saint-Paul, was constructed in the 17th century during the reign of King Louis XIII. The church was commissioned by Louis XIII’s widow, Queen Anne of Austria, in memory of her husband. It was designed as a place of worship for the Jesuit community in Paris. Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-Prés eventually became a center for learning, having been located right next to the Latin quarter near La Sorbonne. Under royal patronage the Abbey became one of the most important centers of scholarship in Europe. Beyond its architecture, the real treasure of Saint-Denis Cathedral is its rich history. Saint-Denis has served as the final resting place for numerous French monarchs, including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. So infectious is R. Howard Bloch's passion for his subject that even those unable to do the traveling required will find in Paris and Her Cathedrals an inspiring guide to these time-hallowed masterpieces of medieval culture." —Colin Jones, author of Paris and The Great Nation Over the years, R. Howard Bloch has become renowned for the insider tours of Paris that he gives to students abroad. Long sought after by travelers and history buffs for his near-encyclopedic knowledge of French cathedrals, the eminent French literature scholar finally shares his expertise with a wider audience. In Paris and Her Cathedrals, six of the most sublime cathedrals in the penumbra of Paris—Saint-Denis, Notre-Dame, Chartres, Sainte-Chapelle, Amiens, Reims—are illumined in magnificent detail as Bloch, taking us from the High Middle Ages to the devastating fire that set Notre-Dame ablaze in 2019, traces the evolution of each in turn. Written from the premise that "seeing is enhanced by knowing," each chapter is organized along the lines of a walk around and then through the space of the cathedral, such that the actual or virtual visitor feels the rich sweep of the church, "the essence of these architectural wonders" (Antonia Felix). Animating the past with lush evocations of architectural splendor—from flying buttresses and jewel-encrusted shrines to hidden burial grounds and secret chambers—Bloch then contextualizes the cathedrals within the annals of French history. Here thrilling tales of kingly intrigue—as in Saint-Chapelle, where the pious King Louis IX amassed relics, including Christ's crown of thorns—and audacious abbots are interspersed with anecdotes about the meeting of aristocratic and everyday life, culminating in "a rich, colorful narrative that clearly but expertly explains the history and symbolism of some of the world's most magnificent buildings" (Ross King). To be read in preparation for an enlightened visit or merely to open a window upon the High Middle Ages in France, Paris and Her Cathedrals is a "revelation," an "indispensable guide" (Garry Wills) to these awe-inspiring structures. Complete with the author's own photographs, this beautifully illustrated volume vitally enhances our understanding of the history of Paris and its environs. Les Invalides was originally a complex of buildings built as a military hospital and retirement home for war veterans.

It was destroyed by the Vikings, rebuilt, and renamed in the 8th century for Saint Germain. Burials of French Kings and Queens eventually moved to the Basilica of Saint-Denis, far from the marauders who came along the Seine river. Over the years, R. Howard Bloch has become renowned for the insider tours of Paris that he gives to students abroad. Long sought after by travellers and history buffs for his near-encyclopaedic knowledge of French cathedrals, the eminent French literature scholar finally shares his expertise with a wider audience. I learned so much that this was like reading a textbook but without exam anxiety and with added asides of secular history and humor thrown in.Animating the past with lush evocations of architectural splendor—from flying buttresses and jewel-encrusted shrines to hidden burial grounds and secret chambers—Bloch then contextualizes the cathedrals within the annals of French history. Here thrilling tales of kingly intrigue—as in Saint-Chapelle, where the pious King Louis IX amassed relics, including Christ’s crown of thorns—and audacious abbots are interspersed with anecdotes about the meeting of aristocratic and everyday life, culminating in “a rich, colorful narrative that clearly but expertly explains the history and symbolism of some of the world’s most magnificent buildings” (Ross King).