Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-10
A STROLL In PARIS.
RRTEF DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF
THE ATTRACTIONS.
Chances at the Louvre, the Grand
Opera, the Churches, PARKS,
Arches, Columns, Etc.
From f. Kemen for the RrcoRp-uSlos.l

from f. Kemen for the REcoRD-uNioN.I
A brief description of some of the curl
osities of Paris in the way of public build
ings and public places, viii no doubt be of
interest to your many readers. Beginning
with those on the right bank of the Seine
the principal ones are The Louvre, the
Grand Opera, the Madeleine, the Columns
Vendome and De Juliet, the Place de la
Concorde and the Champs Elysees. Those
on the left bank are The Luxembourg, the
Pantheon and the Hotel DIES Invalides. Of
course this is only intended to convey a
faint idea of what those places are to those
who may never have heard OF them.
THE LOUVRE
Is the vastest and most splendid palace in
Paris, and even in the world This edifice,
to the construction and establishment of
which so many kings and generations have
contributed for centuries, consists OF the
old and the new Louvre, comprising a
number of magnificent structures and gal
leries. which also connect with the lmler-
les. which was partly destroyed during the
time of the Commune. The Grande Gal
ierie. which connects the latter with the
Louvre is 443 meters 4 40 feet long. The
SupernCleS occupied DN i!ic NdllOuo
ings, including the TuilerieS, Is said to be
JOS 600 square meters The north wing of
the Louvre is 49, meters long. The princi-
pal facade of the old Louvre, with its mag
nifcent colonnade, lies on the square OF the
same name, and offers an admirable aspect.
Several interior courts, or rather squares
for they are of large dimensions-dividet the
different buildings Ii the exterior aspect
of this colossal palace is grand and impos-
OIL TO ,nY,tsl-
ton and decorations, is in keeping with the
magnitude of its size. But what most in
terests the visitor IS
THE MUSEUM,
Located in that part called the Old Louvre
This museum has not its equal in the
world. and is in reality reunion of about
fifteen museums. There are no less than
140 halls and galleries. measuring together
$500 meters in length. The average num-
Der Of visitors on week days is about 5000,
and on Sundays from 5000 to 5000. On
the ground floor are the Assyrian, Egyptian
and Algerian museums; that OF ASA
Minor, of sculpture of all ages and OF en-
cravings. They occupy forty halls and
museums Campana, Lenoir. Renaissance,
American North and South) the paintings,
antiquities drawings and antique bronzes.
The third floor contains the marine, etnO-
graphic. Chinese and japanese museums,
and some additional halls of paintings.
From these brief indications some idea can
be formed as to what this gigantic museum
is.
THE GRAND OPERA OF PARIS
Is the largest and most magnificent in the
world, although its seating capacity is
somewhat inferior to the La Scala of Milan.
The site and construction cost forty-six
million francs The artistic ornamentations
and the splendOrs of shis temple of the
MUSES. defy description. Entering an i'm
mense veStibule, ornamented with statues,
one ascendS the great double staircase,
where fifty people can walk in line with
ease. This staircase, with Its balconies at
every floor, from which the ascending or
descending crowd can be contemplated is
spectacle itself. The opera-hall proper
has five floors. sight Is here offered that
dazzles the eye and brings to mind
TIE MARvELs OF FAIRY LAND.
The hight of the stage is 60 meters (195
feet, its width 50 and its depth p. The
great luster, with its inserted Tyres, resem-
bles the upper part of a crown of pearls; it
carries $40 gas lights. The paintings of the
ceiling are executed upon twenty-tour sec
tons OF concave copper plates, forming a
grand cupola. This ceiling, with a surface
of 200 meters, represents the hours Of day
and night in metaphOrical scene illumi-
mated by the sun, the moon, the aurora and
the crepuscule. Behind the stage is the
Foyer de Ia Danse." ornamented with
portraits of celebrated dancers and with
paintings representing war, campestral,
amorouS and bacchanalian dances. The
looking-glass at the end of this foyer is %
feet high and "A feet wide-the largest ever
made. The regular abonnees only have
access TO this foyer The main or public
foyer, of larger dimensions as feet long,
is a marvel of art and decorations An
ante-foyer, of smaller size precedes it. tbs
lighted by ten lusters and some enormous
candelabrums But the principal ornament
of this vast gallery are the paintings by
Baudry. which cover a space of i05 square
meters. AT each extremity of the foyer is
an octangular salon, also decorated with
fine paintings.
THE CHURCH MADELEINE.
4 short distance from the Grand Opera
is the Church Madeleine. admirably sit
uated at the extremity of the great bOule-
wards and facing the Rue Royale not far
from the Place de la Concorde from where
II is seen This remarkable church, IS
different in form and aspect from other
Catholic churches. stands entirely isolated
upon patten or base twenty-five feet high.
It's length j $50 feet and its width 80 feet.
Not a particle of wood entered into the
construction. \ portic0 of tifty-tour Cor
inthian columns fifty-twO feet high. COM
pletely surrounds the church. The inches
of this portico are decorated with thirty
four statues of saints The fronton on the
Ironuspiece represents
THE LAST JUDGMENT.
BY Lemaire and is the largest work of the
kind in existence. Ii measures l24 feet in
length and tweuty-three feet in hight.
The central figure. representing Christ is
nineteen feet high. To the right of this
figure are the Just or Righteous, and an
angel sounding the trumpet to the left the
Condemned or Lost. and St Madeleine
(Magdalen} interceding for them The
marble staircase of twenty. eight steps lead
Ing TO the staircase occupies the whole front
OF the church $50 feet The principal
entrance-door in bronze, thirty-four feet
high, is marvelOusl ~ ornamented with bas-
relics There Is but one nave The
pavement and walls are Of marble. The
vault or ceiling, richly painted and gilded,
is divided into three cupolas and two hemi-
cycles, which let in the light Near the
entrance, TO tle right Is the Chapel OF
Matrimony decorated with a group, by
Pradier, representing the marriage OF the
virgin To the left is the Chapel of Bap-
tism, with q group by Rude, The Baptism
of Christ In the arches above these fine
sculptures the statues of the apostles are
seen. Coupled columns divide the nave
into three trayerses,
FORMING SIX CHAPEIs-
Three on each side, which are decorated in
Ionic style, with statues Of saints and
paintings representing scenes of the life OF
st. Magdalen and other religious subjects
Above the main altar is a superb group. by
Marochetti, which has cost 10000 francs
Large fresco paintings. By Ziegler, repre-
sent the history of Christianity from the
beginning to the present day, in various
groups (some Of the figures measure ten
feet, bringing into view the principal