Mounted on a steep and rocky promontory overlooking the Alleuze River, is the 12th century Château d’Alleuze. Once a busy castle stronghold overrun by soldiers, it now lies in ruins. Its thick stone walls have seen and heard battles and destruction but now, it is a lovely, quiet place to visit and reflect on the […]
The Château d’Alleuze Continue reading
Before Gustave Eiffel built towers, he built bridges. There are hundreds of steel bridges in France, Portugal, Brazil and even China, designed and constructed by his engineering company in the second half of the 19th century. Towering 120 metres high over the Truyère river, the Viaduc de Garabit is perhaps the most marvellous of them
Viaduc de Garabit Continue reading
Ah, the Belle Époque in Paris. A whirlwind of balls, galas, theatre, can-cans at the Moulin Rouge and gilded ceilings at the Paris Garnier Opéra house. Women dressed in their finest met at five o’clock at the house of Paquin to order yet more feathers, flounces and bustles, and the fashionable showed off the latest
La Belle Époque in Paris? Not for these women Continue reading
With a medieval tower, Renaissance turrets, a gallery built specially for a king and the romantic ruins of an aqueduct, the château de Maintenon is a fairytale castle. And it all once belonged to the secret wife of Louis XIV. Madame de Maintenon, the wife of King Louis XIV Frances d’Aubigné was born in 1635
The Château de Maintenon and the woman who was almost a queen Continue reading
The large group of people clothed in chemises rouges or red smocks gathered together under the shade of the guillotine, were not there voluntarily. They were fifty-four men, women and teenagers, most of them not even known to each other. They had already endured the cries, insults and silent pity of the crowds as their
Who were the Women in Red? – The Affair of the “Chemises Rouges” Continue reading
France is the home of haute couture, of Paris fashion week, of innovation and style. It’s also the place where the humble bikini was created. So as the weather warms up and we don our bathing suits and head to the beach for summer, let’s take a look at how French swimsuits have changed over
A short but revealing history of French swimsuits Continue reading
Before the eighteenth century in France, there was little notion of privacy. Kings and queens got out of bed and dressed in front of a crowd of nobles, wealthy women held literary salons literally in their bedrooms, and the commoners lived with as many people as they could in small, dark rooms. But everyone needs
The exquisite 18th century bedroom of Madame Thierry Continue reading
When Louis XV appointed Madeleine Françoise Basseporte the resident botanical artist at his Jardin du Roi, he was making history. No women before, or even since, had been the designated dessinateur au roi. But this was the era of the Enlightenment, where new ideas were flourishing and scientific methods were overcoming tradition. For over 50
Flower power: the botanical art of Madeleine Françoise Basseporte Continue reading
In 18th century Paris, nine out of every ten newborn babies born were sent away from their family after birth. Some returned, many did not. They were subject to the age-old tradition of wet nursing in France, where babies were not breastfed by their own mother but were given to a wet nurse, another woman
Breast is best? A history of wet nursing in France Continue reading
On 28 July, 1794, loud cheers were heard all over Paris when the sharp blade of the guillotine descended onto the head of Maximilien Robespierre. The despised dictator was dead and the Reign of Terror was finally over. Within France there was a palpable sense of lightness, almost giddiness, a feeling that the worst was
Les Merveilleuses (The Marvellous Women) Continue reading
Paris is the city of lights, of romance, of style and fashion. It’s also the place where modern shopping was born. From the resplendent court of Louis XIV down to the busiest of shopgirls, everyone wanted the latest fashions and lacy accessories. As French flair and sophistication spread all over Europe, the fashion-conscious travelled into
Le Bel Air, or how Paris invented Shopping Continue reading
On 30 June, 1827, an enormous crowd gathered in the streets of Paris, understandably so, for the sight they beheld was quite unusual. For the first time ever, towering high above the people, there was a giraffe in Paris. Nicknamed ‘Her Highness’, the giraffe was a gift from the Egyptian Pasha Mehemet-Ali to Charles X,
Her Highness the Giraffe, and other exotic specimens in 19th century Paris Continue reading
From medieval stone crypts to soaring Gothic arches, from carved rose windows to sky-high spires. the cathedrals of France are simply magnificent. There is no other place in the world where the steeples of bell towers dot every corner of the landscape, or as the French saying goes, de clocher en clocher . Every small village has its church, and every region has at least one glorious cathedral rising to the heavens. There are almost 200 exquisite cathedrals to explore. Here is my list of the 10 most beautiful cathedrals in France.
The 10 most beautiful cathedrals in france Continue reading
In a country with thousands of beautiful châteaux, it’s easy to imagine that any could simply be lost to history. War, weather, revolutions and natural disasters have all taken their toll on the built landscape. But lost royal châteaux? Today we can still visit many of the many palaces and châteaux which have harboured the French kings and queens over the past thousand years. Others have been razed to the ground, and only in our imagination can we glimpse the pomp and glamour of royal life.
The lost royal châteaux of France Continue reading
In the grounds of the Petit Trianon, the beloved neoclassical villa of Marie Antoinette, sits one of her follies – le Temple de l’Amour, or Temple of Love. Each morning, as she rose from her luxurious bed and glanced out the window, the sight of its elegant Greek-style cupola filled her heart with joy. Marie Antoinette may have loved jewels and fabulous new dresses, and knew how to party, but she also craved the peace and solitude which was completely lacking in the ornate and formal world of the Palace of Versailles. This, she found in the gardens of her Petit Trianon, in her Temple dedicated to Love.
Marie Antoinette and the Temple of Love Continue reading
One of the most iconic and photographed places in France, the steeple of its ancient stone church rises majestically into the clouds, whilst its feet sit firmly in the shifting sands and resist the relentless tides. Popular with tourists all year round and overrun in the warm summer months, would it surprise you to know that…
1000 years of pilgrimage: Mont-St-Michel and the modern pilgrim Continue reading
Easter, or Pâques in French, is a beautiful time of the year. The bright yellow flocks of daffodils dance in the sunlight, joyous after a long winter. The first of the pink blossoms twirl their way around branches sprinkled with tiny green shoots, alive with tiny birds flitting to and fro, creating a nest for
A French Easter Continue reading
Every morning, I hark the sound of church bells. They murmur gently, at first, shaping my dreams, but soon their insistent melody awakens me from my slumber. I am used to it now, my ancient alarm clock. For hundreds of years, church bells all over France have…
A serendipitous encounter with a 13th century church Continue reading
In the lush, green hills of the Normandy countryside, in the north of France, lies the tiny village of Camembert. Home to around 200 people and a cheese museum, legend tells us that it was here, in 1791, a priest by the name of Abbot Charles-Jean Bonvoust sought refuge whilst on his way to England,
Which came first, the camembert or the brie? Continue reading
Who doesn’t love a good challenge? This fun quiz will unleash your inner French woman and decide which of the most amazing women in French history is …
Quiz – Which French Woman in history is most like you? Continue reading
This post celebrates one of the women who fought long and hard not only for the rights of women, but for the end of slavery, and for better social conditions for all.
Olympe de Gouges and the Declaration of the Rights of Woman Continue reading
The supposed heroes of the French Revolution are names embedded in history – the evil Robespierre, the brave Lafayette, the tragic Jean-Paul Marat. But what of the women of France? They were not idly sitting at home with their embroidery waiting for an end to the chaos: they picked up their pikes and stormed the
4 women who totally owned the French Revolution Continue reading
What comes to mind when you think of French cooking? Snails cooked in butter? Fried frogs legs? Haute cuisine, or the rustic and hearty dishes of the countryside like coq au vin and bœuf bourguignon? Here are 8 things in the history of French cooking that may surprise you.
8 surprising facts in the history of French cooking Continue reading
Feeling the winter blues? Take a ride on the exclusive Train Bleu, all the way to the sun-drenched coast of the French Riviera. You’ll be in good company – the Blue Train to Nice saw the likes of The Prince of Wales and Wallis Simpson, Coco Chanel, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and all manner of celebrities.
Riding the Blue Train to Nice Continue reading
Should you go looking for the prison cell in which Marie-Antoinette spent her last few months, it no longer exists. Imprisoned in the former medieval fortress of the Conciergerie on the Quai d’Horloge in the centre of Paris before her ‘trial’ and death, the dank and dark cell in which she rested, alone, unable even to kiss her children goodbye, was later turned into a memorial. The death of Marie-Antoinette by the sharp blade of the guillotine may have been quick, but her death sentence began well before.
The death of Marie Antoinette Continue reading
At a ball in 1781, Marie-Antoinette was dressed in a blue gown all sprinkled with sapphires and diamonds; beautiful, young, adored by all, having just given a Dauphin to France, not dreaming of the possibility of a backward step in her brilliant career, she was already on the edge of the abyss. What happened to the Queen, and why was she so unpopular in France?
The life of Queen Marie-Antoinette, Part 2 Continue reading
When Marie-Antoinette arrived in France she was initially adored for her youth, her beauty, her vitality, her generous nature. The old king Louis XV was especially enamoured with his grandson’s new bride. But the palace of Versailles, steeped in courtly rituals and traditions, was not for the faint-hearted. Would she be strong enough to survive life at the palace?
The life of Queen Marie Antoinette, Part 1 Continue reading
Classical and elegant, yet bold and brilliant, the city of Bordeaux has something for everyone. If you love wine, it’s among the best in the world. If you love food, there is foie gras and canelés. If you love history, Bordeaux is a potent mix of the medieval, the Renaissance and the modern. In fact, walk around the city and you’ll find almost half of it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. For those of you like me who adore their history, here are the best things to do and see in Bordeaux.
The best things to do in Bordeaux (if you love history) Continue reading
There are so many beautiful châteaux in the Loire Valley, it’s difficult to choose which to visit. The Royal Château of Blois is not the prettiest, but it has been the home of no less than seven French kings and ten queens, and its imposing architecture represents four distinct architectural periods. “The châteaux of few country towns can boast so many and so important events, so long a list of illustrious inmates, or so large a collection of historical recollections, as that of Blois”.
Top 5 Historical Sites in france – Château of Blois Continue reading
Rising majestically from the banks of the river Gardon, the Pont du Gard is the highest Roman aqueduct in the world. It was the most significant section of a 50 kilometre long aqueduct which channeled water from the Eure springs near Uzès to Nîmes, or Nemausus as it was known to the Romans. Built halfway through the
Top 5 historic sites in France – Pont du Gard Continue reading