"If you want to truly understand the impact that Napoleon and Haussmann had on Paris the best guide is Leonard Pitt. He not only knows his subject matter but has the actor's ability that allows you to see the past and the characters who filled it. I've lived half the year in Paris for five years and have taken dozens of tours. None compares to Leonard's. All of the pieces are there. If you have the opportunity, don't miss this one."
- Jana Jagoe -
This walk combines Paris history plus visits to three of Paris's premium artisanal chocolate houses. We begin on the grounds of the Louvre and look at how the creation of the Louvre as we know it resulted from a tragic accident. Then we walk to the garden of the Palais Royal to see how one man's debauchery lead to the creation of that great architectural gem, the covered passageway. Then we walk through the passages Vivienne and Colbert, up rue Vivienne with a stop at our first chocolatier Debauve and Gallais on our way to the network of passages, des Panoramas, Jouffroy, and Verdeaux.
We exit the passages and make our second chocolate stop at the delightful La Mere de la Famille. A short bus ride to place de l'Opera takes us into the making of modern Paris and the history of the Grands Boulevards, a short stretch of road that for much of the 19th century was the center of the civilized world. We will also revisit a little known bit of Paris history, Leonard's ejection from the classy Café de la Paix in the 1960s.
A short stroll down the boulevard takes us to our last chocolate stop at La Maison du Chocolate. We end this tour with two great views. On one side of the boulevard is the building that gave birth to the cinema - the spot where the first film was projected for a paying audience. And across the street, the atelier with its huge skylight still plainly visible, where the first exhibition of Impressionistic painting was took place in 1876. To finish, we repair to a cafe where we taste, compare, and above all enjoy our chocolate purchases. See: http://www.berkeleychocolateclub.com
This walk gives a first-hand view of the making of modern Paris under the direction of Baron Haussmann in the 19th century. We begin our walk in front of the church of Saint Germain des Pres with a look at when, many centuries ago, the church was the center of a walled monastery surrounded by fields. We trace the growth of the quarter as narrow, winding streets are laid down over time, and into it's eventual transformation with the creation of Boulevard Saint Germain. Walking down the boulevard we will trace the footsteps of Marat and Danton of Revolution fame and stand before the houses where they lived (torn down in 1876).
Across the boulevard we'll step back into the 13th century and see a huge remnant of the Philippe Auguste wall that surrounded Paris, a tower unnoticed by the passing crowds. Arriving at Place Saint Michel provides a striking example of Haussmann's work, his aesthetic, as well as how he confronted the problems of medieval Paris when he took power in 1853. Walking through the Saint Severin quarter takes us back to the rise of the university as education became secular and separated from the church in the 13th century. We will also look closely at early 20th century plans for renovation of the quarter that were thankfully never carried out.
As we approach the end of the tour we pass the oldest tree in Paris -1602. Our final stop is at that most venerable of bookstores Shakespeare and Company. Standing across from Notre Dame we get a capsule view of Paris transforming from Roman times to the year 1908 when the quarter underwent profound change.
We begin in Place des Vosges and explore the unknown history of the Marais south of Rue Saint Antoine from the 1920's to the 1950s. A mixture of anti-Semitism plus a blockheaded approach to urban planning was a disaster here. The casual stroller has no idea of the dramas played out at virtually every corner of this historic quarter. The tiny Rue Eginhard provides a surreal mix of 17th century Paris urbanism and the atrocities of German occupied Paris in the 1940s. A few steps away is the largest standing remnant of the Philippe Auguste wall dating from 1200. Medieval Paris is palpable.
A Walk through the Village Saint Paul shows us an urban slum turned into an urban jewel after thoughtful renovation. Down the street we encounter a site of high crime - the story of the infamous poisoner Madame de Brinvilliers, and adjacent one of the worst examples of Paris vandalism committed by the man who founded the Samaritaine department store. Handkerchiefs are provided.
A few steps away is the Hotel de Sens, one of the few medieval structures remaining in Paris and the site of an extraordinary story involving love, jealousy and revenge. At the heart of this drama is La Reine Margot, spurned wife of Henri IV. The rest of this walk takes us weaving through the centuries past ancient buildings that have miraculously survived despite the best laid plans of lunkheaded Paris urban planners, or colossal failures that result from the same bureaucratic thinking.
Along the way we celebrate those who saved the Marais from destruction in the mid-20th century as we visit the site of Paris Historique in rue Francois Miron. This building dates from 1585 and was saved from demolition by dedicated individuals who labored over twenty years to restore it. A visit to the 14th century cellar induces involuntary shaking of the head and the thought "What were they thinking!" as we ponder the city's plan to demolish this site.
We end the walk at Metro Saint Paul, a site of death and destruction in World War I when a German bomb landed here and today a place of wonderful hustle and bustle.
Leonard's unique perspective offers a view of Paris in all its beauty and drama that is not available anywhere else. Diane Johnson speaks of his book with praise in her latest book, Into a Paris Quartier , and the French press came out with numerous glowing reviews when his book appeared in 2002:
"This American friend knows Paris like the back of his hand and illustrates clearly what the serious stroller would have a hard time deciphering on his own - the history that runs beneath today's buildings."
- Le Nouvel Observateur -
"Leonard is completely legitimate, he's impregnated with Paris. He sees things that we don't see." - Le Figaro -
