First, we tackled the Cluny Museum, the National Museum of the Middle Ages, which was actually remarkably interesting. If I hadn't, however, had French 361 with Dr. Hurlbut, in which we studied French history from the beginnings up to 1715, I would have probably been bored and lost. Isn't it incredible how a teacher who's passionate for their subject can inspire in his or her students a spark for things as obscure as capitals in medieval cathedrals? I aspire to that.
One of the coolest things we saw at the Cluny was the heads of the statues of the Biblical kings that were thwacked off during the French Revolution. The rowdy revolutionaries mistook the statues of the kings on the facade of Notre-Dame for the kings of France and thus beheaded them in a fit of anti-monarchal furor. The heads were thought to be lost but were found buried in a courtyard in 1977, nearly two centuries after the vandalism. Now, they're at the Cluny! Check it out:
The other really exciting thing we saw at the Cluny was the famous tapestries of the Lady and the Unicorn. Judy got some great pictures, which I have permanently borrowed:
There are, of course, all kinds of theories about what the tapestries actually represent. A few bits of trivia associated with the tapestry:
(1) In the Middle Ages, the unicorn was associated with virgin purity, as the fabled beast was believed only to approach chaste young women.
(2) There are six tapestries, five of which depict the five sense of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. In the sixth tapestry, the lady removes the necklace she wears in the first five, apparently dedicating herself "à mon seul désir" (to my only desire) in a vow to transcend the pleasures of the senses. That "seul désir" could be romantic or religious--a chivalrous knight or to Christ.
(3) These tapestries were discovered by Prosper Mérimée, a 19th century writer, historian, and archeologist, who authored several fantastic tales, which genre has captured my heart over the last year, including La Vénus d'Ille, which you should probably read.
The next highlight of the walk was the Sorbonne, the prestigious French university founded during the Middle Ages. Since the student riots of 2007, the Sorbonne is no longer open to the public. Oh, how I dream of entering such a prestigious place!
From the Sorbonne, we walked to the Pantheon where the French bury their "gods" of philosophy, science, politics, literature, etc. Just a taste of whose remains reside there: Victor Hugo, Pierre and Marie Curie, Voltaire... The building was originally intended to be a Catholic church, but it was unfinished at the time of the (very anti-clerical) Revolution, and was thus converted into a repository for the great men and women of France.
Oh, also, there are some really cool pillars outside the Pantheon that are great for climbing:
Just past the pantheon there's a really beautiful church, Saint-Etienne-du-Mont. I've never seen such graceful stone. Here's a picture just for your viewing pleasure:
The last stop on this walk was the so-called Arènes de Lutèce, the Roman arenas that date from when Paris was still called by its Roman name: Lutèce or Lutetia. We decided to stage some gladiator battles:
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