The first time you visit Paris undoubtedly your list of must-see monuments includes the Eiffel Tower. In this week’s episode of Paris History Avec a Hemingway on La Vie Creative Podcast we take you around the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero and share a few other things you might want to check out.
The Esplanade du Trocadero is one of the best spots in the city to catch the sunrise, but look around and not just straight at la grande dame. On the Esplanade des Droits de l’Homme, eight golden statues look down on the many trinket sellers. Added in 1937, each by a different artist they represent youth, the countryside, flowers, and the day on the north side. On the south side, the garden, sprint, fruit, and birds often is found with a Paris pigeon sitting atop her head.
1982 taken by my grandfather and compared to 2022
The Palais du Trocadero holds two museums, including one of my favorites the Cité de l’Architecture and the Musée de l’Homme. Each is rarely visited and holds amazing views of the Eiffel Tower. The Architecture Museum was created by Alexandre Lenoir who saved many of the monuments and tombs from destruction during the Revolution. Originally housed in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts it was another major figure in French architectural history that made the museum come to fruition. Eugene Viollet-le-Duc the master behind the renovation of Notre Dame not only created it but much of the inside is dedicated to the work he did and on Notre Dame itself including the 16 statues that once stood on the roof. Fully restored it is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to see them up close before they return.
The Palais de Chaillot that once stood here is nothing but a dream now. The Byzantine and Moorish structure was built for the 1878 World’s Fair and was in the shadow of the new iron tower just across the river. Gabriel Davioud designed many of the beloved things we see today in Paris like the gates of Parc Monceau and worked with Jules Bourdais to create what was called “a fly on a soup tureen” building. Like many of the buildings built over time for the exhibitions, they were never intended to last long. It did stand for 60 years and was only taken down for the current palace.
Many decades before, the Hill of Chaillot was going to be a grand palace for the King of Rome, the son of Napoleon Bonaparte, and consist of two museums, one on each side of the Seine, Pierre Fontaine came up with the lavish plans but the abdication of Napoleon would come before the first stone could be laid and never came to fruition.
Perhaps one of the most recognized images of the Trocadero and view of the Eiffel Tower was captured in a photo on June 23, 1940. Hitler made his only visit to Paris and at 5:30 am he and his convoy moved through the very quiet streets of Paris checking off the list of monuments like many still do today. The Palais Garnier, Les Invalides and the tomb of Napoleon, Sacre Couer and the Tower from the Trocadero. He wanted to go up the Tower but some quick-thinking elevator operators cut the cable lines so he couldn’t make his way to the vantage point to see all of Paris below him.
As you walk down the steps to the right you will come across the bust of Paul Valery. Valery was a famous French author and poet and his writing is even inscribed on the facade of the palace. In 1900 he married Jeannie Gobillard who was the cousin of Julie Manet, daughter of Berthe Morisot and Eugene Manet. Jeannie and Julie were so close the two had a double wedding at the Saint Honoré d’Eylau church. Julie married Ernest Rouart and the two couples also lived in the same house that had been handed down by her mother.
At his death in 1945 a lavish state funeral was held at the Trocadero on July 25, 1945. The bust seen here today was added in 1975 by Renee Vautier.
Just below in the Jardin du Trocadero head south on the wondering paths to find a few relics of the former Hotel de Ville and Palais des Tuileries complete with the burn marks from the Commune fire that destroyed them.
Alongside the basin that runs below the palace statues representing L’Homme and La Femme look towards each other from either side by Daniel Bacqué. A bull and dear by Paul Jouve. Hercule et le Taurareau by Albert Pommier and a Horse and Dog by Geoges Guyot. Near the bottom are two large rectangular carved pieces that deserve a closer look. On the right La Joie de Vivre by Leon-Ernest Driver is carved from one large piece of stone and could represent the muses of Zeus. On the other side, is La Jeunesse by Pierre Poisson.
The Trocadero itself is going to go through a large reconstruction if Madame mayor has her way. Adding grass and eliminating cars just in time for the Olympics in 2024.
Start to head over the Pont de L’Ena but look up and notice the four large pillars topped with warriors. On the right bank side, on the left is the Arab Warrior by Jean-Jacques Feuchère and on the right, a Greek Warrior by Francois Devault. Look closely, these are rather hunky statues.
The bridge was constructed under Napoleon to link the military school and designed by Cornelle Lanandé, The five-arch bridge was marked with the eagles of the Empire but was later replaced with the letter L under Louis XVIII. When Louis-Philippe had the little emperor’s remains returned the bridge was once again marked with the eagle and designed by Antoine Louis Barye.
On the left bank side, the statues of a Galic Warrior by Auguste Preault and Roman Warrior by Joseph Daumas keep an eye on the iron lady of Paris.
The history of the Eiffel Tower is well known but did you know that it wasn’t Monsieur Eiffel that designed it? Engineers Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin worked for Eiffel and had an idea for a tour built on 4 pillars. The boss wasn’t too impressed and told them to keep working on it. Architect Stephen Sauvestre joined in and fancied it up and entered it into the competition for the 1889 World’s Fair. 135 years ago on January 8, Eiffel’s project was selected and a majority of the funding came from his company. Twenty days later construction began. The rest is history even if maybe it should be named the Nouguier et Koechlin tower.
It was crafted at the Eiffel factory in Levallois-Perret down the Seine by 326 workers and was brought up on a barge and riveted into place. It is held together with 2,500,00 rivets and less than half were done on-site. On March 31, 1889, after 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days to complete and the first visitor ascended the stairs on May 6, 1889. A month later the elevator was complete and the same hydraulic-powered elevators are still used today.
In the hot stretches of summer which are becoming more frequent in Paris, the Eiffel Tower actually swells in height by 6 inches and in the wind, it will sway a bit.
The elements over time have impacted the tower and there is now some worries talk about how long it can keep going before they need to replace much of it. There is one gentleman that only job is to inspect each of the thousands of pieces. When needed they come in after 1 am when the lights turn off and can replace a piece here or there but how long that can sustain is not known.
Every seven years, she is scraped and sanded and for 18 months hand painted with over 60 tons of paint in three shades. The lightest shade is at the top and gets darker as you look down but you may never even realize it. The whole project costs over 3 million dollars and the 25 people that work on it add four coats, two each of primer and paint.
When it was first painted it was brick red but it was a deep golden yellow that Eiffel wanted. Years ago I was lucky enough to visit the inner workings of the tour and a secret entrance out into the Champ de Mars and saw an example of each of the colors the tower has been in the past. It is now returning to the deep golden yellow the Eiffel always wanted it to be.
One of the most beautiful things about the monument that was once hated and now the symbol of Paris and France was just added on at the turn of the century. Gustave Eiffel wanted her to serve as a lighthouse and in 1999 a beam of light was added to the top as well as adding 20,000 twinkling lights. Like the tower herself, it was meant to be a temporary addition but it was so loved that they kept it and every night from sunset to 1 am at the top of the hour for 5 minutes she puts on a show. Those 20,000 lights dance and sparkle and can be seen from all over Paris and whether it be the first or fiftieth time you see it, it still takes your breath away.
Around the first level of the tower are the 72 names of the great scientist, mathematicians, photographers, and doctors of France. Eiffel added them but during the 4th repainting was covered over. In 1986 they returned and include Francois Arago whose name can also be found on the brass plaques in the streets of Paris.
