The City of Lights
By: Mabel Shehadi
The City of Lights, Paris, has long been celebrated as the glorious city where one’s sensations flourish and where dreams come true. It has been recognized as a city that displays the historical treasures and simultaneously displays the modern treasures of art, fashion, and cuisine. Approximately 84.7 million tourists visit this beautiful city every year to glimpse its awe-inspiring culture and to taste the sweet sensations that arise when one is there. Paris has many attractions to offer tourists, including the innovatively enchanting Disneyland Paris, the artistically inspiring Louvre Museum, and the majestically historic Eiffel Tower. Studying each one of these landmarks gives us a piece of the French culture and allows us to delve deeper into the French mind.
Disneyland Paris is an innovatively enchanting theme park, where all our beloved Disney characters come alive. When the Walt Disney World in Florida proved to be an outstanding success, new plans emerged in 1972 to construct a Disneyland in Europe. In 1984, the leaders of Disney’s theme park division, Dick Nunis and Jim Cora, formed a list of about 1,200 European locations that were good candidates for the construction of such a park. By March 1985, the number of candidate locations reduced to only four, two locations in France and two locations in Spain. Spain, with its sub-tropical climate near the Mediterranean Sea, made it the perfect region to construct this park. However, the shallow bedrock that was encountered beneath the site rendered the park’s construction quite difficult. Thus, a site in Marne-la-Vallée, a rural town close to Paris, was finally chosen. After construction, it was finally opened to the public on April 12, 1992. Today, Disneyland Paris attracts more than twelve million visitors every year to its enchanting lands and sensational activities.
The Louvre Museum is the inspiring national art gallery of France. It was founded in 1546 by King Francis I, who was a great art collector. He built the Louvre as a monarchical residence rather than a public center. Many succeeding monarchs added to the design of this beautiful building. Nevertheless, the Louvre ceased to be a monarchical residence in 1682 when Louis XIV moved his court to the Versailles. In the eighteenth century, the idea of opening the Louvre to the public as a museum emerged and it was soon established as such. The Louvre today is one of the most beloved museums in the world and it houses several of the most beloved paintings, including the famous Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci.
The historic Eiffel Tower has long been recognized as the principal symbol of Paris and the principal symbol of France. This majestic symbol represents the values of the French Revolution. It was built in 1889 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. There were 700 design proposals that were submitted. However, Gustave Eiffel's design was unanimously selected. At first, the Eiffel Tower was disliked and not accepted by the French public, and it was nearly going to be demolished in 1909. Nevertheless, during World War II, the French needed the Eiffel Tower to place their telegraph antenna at its top, which actually transformed it into a working building and saved this beautiful symbol. Today, it is used as a radio and television antenna. Until 1930, it was the tallest building in the world. This enchanting symbol continues to spark our imagination and to enlighten the spirits of every tourist who witnesses it firsthand.
Endorsing fine arts, grand history, and modernism, Paris has long been loved and celebrated by people from all over the world. About 84.7 million tourists visit this beautiful city every year to glimpse its intriguing culture and to taste the sensation that arises while exploring it. Paris offers a multitude of tourist attractions that would enchant any tourist who comes to visit this glorious city, among them are the innovatively enchanting Disneyland Paris, the artistically inspiring Louvre Museum, and the majestically historic Eiffel Tower. Paris is indeed the City of Lights as it brilliantly shines with exquisite arts, historical treasures, and inspiring innovation. These aspects of the French culture and mind have long influenced many people in the past and they will continue to influence future generations for many years to come.
References:
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011, Ultimate DVD, “Paris.”
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011, Ultimate DVD, “Louvre Museum.”
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011, Ultimate DVD, “Eiffel Tower.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disneyland_Paris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_France
By: Mabel Shehadi
The City of Lights, Paris, has long been celebrated as the glorious city where one’s sensations flourish and where dreams come true. It has been recognized as a city that displays the historical treasures and simultaneously displays the modern treasures of art, fashion, and cuisine. Approximately 84.7 million tourists visit this beautiful city every year to glimpse its awe-inspiring culture and to taste the sweet sensations that arise when one is there. Paris has many attractions to offer tourists, including the innovatively enchanting Disneyland Paris, the artistically inspiring Louvre Museum, and the majestically historic Eiffel Tower. Studying each one of these landmarks gives us a piece of the French culture and allows us to delve deeper into the French mind.
Disneyland Paris is an innovatively enchanting theme park, where all our beloved Disney characters come alive. When the Walt Disney World in Florida proved to be an outstanding success, new plans emerged in 1972 to construct a Disneyland in Europe. In 1984, the leaders of Disney’s theme park division, Dick Nunis and Jim Cora, formed a list of about 1,200 European locations that were good candidates for the construction of such a park. By March 1985, the number of candidate locations reduced to only four, two locations in France and two locations in Spain. Spain, with its sub-tropical climate near the Mediterranean Sea, made it the perfect region to construct this park. However, the shallow bedrock that was encountered beneath the site rendered the park’s construction quite difficult. Thus, a site in Marne-la-Vallée, a rural town close to Paris, was finally chosen. After construction, it was finally opened to the public on April 12, 1992. Today, Disneyland Paris attracts more than twelve million visitors every year to its enchanting lands and sensational activities.
The Louvre Museum is the inspiring national art gallery of France. It was founded in 1546 by King Francis I, who was a great art collector. He built the Louvre as a monarchical residence rather than a public center. Many succeeding monarchs added to the design of this beautiful building. Nevertheless, the Louvre ceased to be a monarchical residence in 1682 when Louis XIV moved his court to the Versailles. In the eighteenth century, the idea of opening the Louvre to the public as a museum emerged and it was soon established as such. The Louvre today is one of the most beloved museums in the world and it houses several of the most beloved paintings, including the famous Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci.
The historic Eiffel Tower has long been recognized as the principal symbol of Paris and the principal symbol of France. This majestic symbol represents the values of the French Revolution. It was built in 1889 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. There were 700 design proposals that were submitted. However, Gustave Eiffel's design was unanimously selected. At first, the Eiffel Tower was disliked and not accepted by the French public, and it was nearly going to be demolished in 1909. Nevertheless, during World War II, the French needed the Eiffel Tower to place their telegraph antenna at its top, which actually transformed it into a working building and saved this beautiful symbol. Today, it is used as a radio and television antenna. Until 1930, it was the tallest building in the world. This enchanting symbol continues to spark our imagination and to enlighten the spirits of every tourist who witnesses it firsthand.
Endorsing fine arts, grand history, and modernism, Paris has long been loved and celebrated by people from all over the world. About 84.7 million tourists visit this beautiful city every year to glimpse its intriguing culture and to taste the sensation that arises while exploring it. Paris offers a multitude of tourist attractions that would enchant any tourist who comes to visit this glorious city, among them are the innovatively enchanting Disneyland Paris, the artistically inspiring Louvre Museum, and the majestically historic Eiffel Tower. Paris is indeed the City of Lights as it brilliantly shines with exquisite arts, historical treasures, and inspiring innovation. These aspects of the French culture and mind have long influenced many people in the past and they will continue to influence future generations for many years to come.
References:
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011, Ultimate DVD, “Paris.”
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011, Ultimate DVD, “Louvre Museum.”
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011, Ultimate DVD, “Eiffel Tower.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disneyland_Paris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_France