The Place de la Bastille is where the Bastille Prison was once sited until it was stormed and afterwards destroyed at the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789.It is Located at the boundary of the 4th, 11th and 12th arrondissements of Paris and the square and its surrounding areas are generally called just Bastille. The Colonne de Juillet (The July Column) is sited in the centre of the square and commemorates the actions of the July Revolution. The Spirit of Liberty stands on top of the column, with its wings open, it represents a freedom that flies away, destroying the manacles of tyranny. The Opera Bastille, which was completed in 1990, is located on the square.

L’Eglise Saint-Eustache is a Church that is located at the entrance to Paris’ olden markets (Les Halles) and the start of the renowned Rue Montorgueuil in the first arrondissement of Paris; it was constructed between 1532 and 1632. Another grand example of Gothic architecture, it is one of the largest and most beautiful churches in Paris. During the French Revolution the Church was defiled and looted, nevertheless, a number of remarkable paintings by Rubens remain in the Church today. Each summer, there are organ concerts that commemorate the premieres of Berlioz’s Te Deum and Liszt’s Messiah there in 1886. At present, some of the Church’s stained glass windows and damaged murals are being restored.

The Hotel de Ville in Paris is the Seat of the Paris City Council in the 4th arrondissement, in the heart of the famous Marais area. It serves various purposes, accommodating the local administration, the Mayor of Paris and is also used as a venue for large receptions. The building is adorned with over a hundred statues, representing famous Parisians, with around thirty other statues representing French Cities. On the central tower, the clock is decorated with a number of female sculptures signifying the Seine River, The City of Paris, Work and Education. The interior is decorated in a portentous IIIe Empire style, with its large staircase, long ballroom, the stained glass windows and the many chandeliers.

The Musée Picasso is located in the former 17^th Century Hotel Salé in the Marais, in the heart of historic Paris, and has a collection of several thousand works of Pablo Picasso. Following his death in 1973, many of Picasso's works went to the French State, which established a museum with the collection. Currently, there are paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and in excess of 3000 drawings, engravings, and manuscripts in the museum. In addition to Picasso’s personal collection, the museum also has works of Cézanne and Matisse.

Ile de la Cité was the start of the Parisian people and was home to the Parisii Tribe, they were conquered by the Romans in 52AD, who in turn set up a base there. The City was renamed Lutecia and throughout the barbarian incursion, Lutecia's residents, brought together by the young Sainte Geneviève, took refuge on the easily protected Ile de la Cité. Clovis, King of the Francs and conqueror of the Romans, made the Island his Capital. It remained the area's centre of activity all the way through the middle ages.

Paris was subjected to repeated Viking attacks by the Normans in the 9^th Century. During one of these attacks, the resistance led by Count Eudes, who later became King; once more, the defeat was planned on the Island. Keeping its responsibility as a religious and judicial centre during the middle Ages, the construction of the Notre Dame began in 1163 under the supervision of Bishop Maurice de Sully. It was sited on an area that had been sacred since the Roman times. Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle and La Conciergerie are three of the last Middle-Aged buildings remaining on the Island. However, you can still see remnants of medieval streets on the square in front of the Notre-Dame.

Notre-Dame Cathedral is a fine example of gothic architecture in France and the first stone was laid by the Bishop of Paris, Maurice de Sully, in 1163. The construction and design were prepared by the finest artisans and directed by Jean de Chelles and Pierre de Montreuil, and the Church was finished about 1345. The main altar was erected in 1182 and the chancel in 1177, although the nave was not completed until the start of the 13th Century. The cathedral was seriously damaged during the Revolution, but was restored in the 19th century by Viollet le Duc.

The Sainte-Chapelle is located within the Palais de Justice complex on the Ile de la Cité. It is another gem of gothic architecture and was constructed in the thirteenth Century by order of Louis IX, King of France to house the Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross, precious relics of the Passion. Purchased in 1239 from the Byzantine Emperor Baldwin II by Louis IX, these items cost over three times the expenditure of building the Chapel. This Chapel has 600sqm of stained glass windows, of which two thirds are genuine.

La Conciergerie was constructed during the first part of the 14^th Century and now makes up a good deal of the Palais de Justice complex. It became the first Parisprison in 1391 and some of its famous prisoners who were later taken to the guillotine included the Queen of France - Marie Antoinette and Marie Anne Charlotte de Corday d’Armont, who killed Jean-Paul Marat. Despite its tortuous history, it has some striking features, especially the Salle des Gardes (the room of the guards) with its stylish vaulting and the colonnaded Salle des Gens d'Armes which is occasionally used for concerts.

Originally, the Ile St-Louis was two smaller Islands: the Ile aux Vaches (Island of the Cows) which was only pasture; and the Ile Notre-Dame, place of judicial duels during the Middle Ages. The two Islands were combined in the 17th century, constructed by Marie and his two sponsors, Le Regrattier and Poulettier. After the construction, Lords and financiers built their homes here, some of these mansions still stand today.

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