Katie Doyle, Girl About Town

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006 - 8:14 p.m.

See my previous post to get up to speed.

Pictures of Hotel de Ville, as promised:

The main, central staircase to the upper floor of the Hotel de Ville, Paris City Hall. The main, center portion of the building dates to 1628, but two outer wings were added in 1835. The building was gutted by fire in 1870 when extremist members of the Paris Commune - who were using it as their headquarters - set it ablaze rather than let the anti-Commune troops have it. The inside was rebuilt inside the stone shell, which was not destroyed.

There are several ballrooms which serve as ballrooms and the like during formal state functions. Each has a separate theme. There are two of these huge mantlepieces over the fireplaces at either end of the room celebrating the trades. It's a cool room, but the light was bad, so none of my pictures came out. The ceiling and all the columns and perimeter arches are painted with scenes and seals from each of the trades and guilds in France. This mantlepiece was about 12 x 8 feet. The fireplace it was over was about 5.5 x 5.5 feet.

Adjacent to the room celebrating the trades is the room celebrating livestock and agriculture. I took this at the opposite room, and I really wish I could have fit the whole thing into the frame, but I had to stand in the corner, because the center was roped off.

You can see this painting in the above image, at the far end of the room. It was probably a good 20 x 10 feet, not including the "frame".

This painting was in one of the archways at the entrance to the Salle des Fetes, beyond the far end of the room for agriculture. There are 3 archways there, each with a different painting in the apex. All the ballroom ceilings and halls leading to them are painted and gilded. It's kind of overwhelming. Made me want to cry, it was so beautiful. I can't tell you how incredible the building was.

This window was one of many depicting some form of the arts in the hallway to the library on the upper floor.

Spiral staircase at the far end of the library. I wish I'd taken a longshot of it and the library. I couldn't tell you why I didn't. I was pretty sleep-deprived that day.

The city council chambers.

So there you go. :)

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Yesterday's News - Next Stop

In which Katie shares sad news - Wednesday, Apr. 01, 2015
In which Katie returns after a very long absence - Monday, Jun. 25, 2012
In which Katie pokes her head in and brushes some of the cobwebs away - Thursday, May. 06, 2010
In which Katie asks you to write your congressman again. - Monday, Jun. 02, 2008
In which Katie asks you to please click the link and send the message to protect the rights of artists - Wednesday, May. 21, 2008