Île de la Cité Tour

Clock on La Conciergerie

Our tour guide began our tour by talking about La Conciergerie.  It is the oldest remaining part of the Palais de la Cité, the first royal palace in the French capital that was used as a prison during the French Revolution.  I recently read that Gustave Eiffel was also jailed her for a short time.  The tour guide reminded us that before clocks that time belonged to the church and was told by the ringing of the church bells.

I took a quick tour of Ile de la Cité, the island where you can find Notre Dame.  According to Wikipedia:Most scholars believe that in 52 BC, at the time of Vercingetorix's struggle with Julius Caesar, a small Gallic tribe, the Parisii, lived on the island. At that time, the island was a low-lying area subject to flooding that offered a convenient place to cross the Seine and a refuge in times of invasion. However, some modern historians believe the Parisii were based on another, now eroded island. After the conquest of the Celts, the Roman Labienus created a temporary camp on the island, but further Roman settlement developed in the healthier air on the slopes above the Left Bank, at the Roman Lutetia.
Later Romans under Saint Genevieve escaped to the island when their city was attacked by Huns. Clovis established a Merovingian palace on the island, which became the capital of Merovingian Neustria. The island remained an important military and political center throughout the Middle Ages. Odo used the island as a defensive position to fend off Viking attacks at the Siege of Paris in 885-886, and in the tenth century, a cathedral (the predecessor of Notre-Dame) was built on the island.
The Île de la Cité remains the heart of Paris. All road distances in France are calculated from the 0 km point located in the Place du Parvis de Notre-Dame, the square facing Notre-Dame's pair of western towers.

 Sainte Chapelle

was built to hold part of the crown of thorns, which is now in the treasury at the Louvre.  The other relics held in the chapel were destroyed during the Revolution.  The top part of the chapel, which is made almost entirely of stained glass was built for the royal family.

A door to an outside porch was open so that the workers, who were working on one whole wall of windows, could get in and out.  I have never seen this door open before and was glad to see these carvings.

According to a Parisian along on the tour, the workmen (I saw no workwomen, but I assume they have the same deal) have to do a nine year internship to be allowed to work on the historical monuments.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Homework

Both girls are being very responsible about their homework.  Sylvia had a quiz on the numbers from 1-100.  This is her first whiteboard of practice.