Paris podtours
The Ile de la Cité
We take you on a walk round the Ile de la Cité - the medieval heart of Paris, home of the royal court and the Bishop of Paris, the law courts and the king's Prison.
We'll see Notre
Dame cathedral - one of the defining works of early French Gothic. It's also an excellent
example of a nineteenth-century restoration, which in some ways tried to make
it even more medieval than it was already. But it's easy to miss the most
interesting points - particularly the carvings of the west facade, which not
only tell Bible stories, but also show the medieval peasant at work.
The Sainte-Chapelle, a hundred years later than Notre-Dame, is one of the most beautiful and perfectly preserved examples of the rayonnant Gothic style. Louis IX of France ordered its building, and as you would expect from a royal commission, it is splendid - daring in its height and lightness, and decorated with an expanse of fine stained glass. most of which is still original.
Our audio tour starts at the Cité metro station.
Price: £3.25
Coming soon - Saint-Denis basilica - the mausoleum of the Kings of France, and the first great work of the Gothic style.
Also planned for later in 2007: modern architecture in Paris - from La Defense to the Parc de la Villette. We take a look at the modern style and pick our favourites - and our, er, not so favourites.