France

Paris, France

The Fontaine Saint-Michel in Paris, France, is a monumental fountain located in Place Saint-Michel in the 6th arrondissement in Paris. It was constructed in 1858–1860 during the French Second Empire by the architect Gabriel Davioud. It has been listed since 1926 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

Abbey Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Paris, France

Abbey Saint-Germain-des-Pres. The oldest church in Paris. The Abbey was founded in the 6th century by the son of Clovis I, Childebert I. Under royal patronage the Abbey became one of the richest in France, as demonstrated by its ninth-century polyptych; it housed an important scriptorium in the eleventh century and remained a center of intellectual life in the French Catholic church until it was disbanded during the French Revolution.

Paris, France

Paris, France

Paris, France

Paris, France

Saint Chapelle, Paris, France

Saint Chapelle, Paris, France

Paris, France

Paris, France-- Stock

Paris, France

Gare de Lyon, Paris, France

The station was built for the World Exposition of 1900. On multiple levels, it is considered a classic example of the architecture of its time. Most notable is the large clock tower atop one corner of the station, similar in style to the clock tower of the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament, home to Big Ben. The station houses the Le Train Bleu restaurant, which has served drinks and meals to travellers and other guests since 1901 in an ornately decorated setting.

Palais des Papes, Avignon

Palais des Papes, Avignon. One of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. Once a fortress and palace, the papal residence was the seat of Western Christianity during the 14th century.

Avignon, France

The Saint Martin Church in the church parish of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Occitan

The Saint Martin Church in the church parish of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Occitan was built between the late 11th century and the beginning of the 12th century. A major monument of Romanesque art.

The Saint Martin Church in the church parish of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Occitan

The Saint Martin Church in the church parish of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Occitan was built between the late 11th century and the beginning of the 12th century. A major monument of Romanesque art.

The Saint Martin Church in the church parish of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Occitan

The Saint Martin Church in the church parish of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Occitan was built between the late 11th century and the beginning of the 12th century. A major monument of Romanesque art.

The Saint Martin Church in the church parish of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Occitan

The Saint Martin Church in the church parish of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Occitan was built between the late 11th century and the beginning of the 12th century. A major monument of Romanesque art.

The Saint Martin Church in the church parish of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Occitan

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. In 806 Saint Guilhem established the monastery of Gellone here. The village has maintained its historic state because of its isolation. The abbey became a very important pilgrimage site in the middle ages due to a relic of a piece of the true cross was housed here. The town developed around the abbey.

The Saint Martin Church in the church parish of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Occitan

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. In 806 Saint Guilhem established the monastery of Gellone here. The village has maintained its historic state because of its isolation. The abbey became a very important pilgrimage site in the middle ages due to a relic of a piece of the true cross was housed here. The town developed around the abbey.

Brousse Chateau, Aveyron

Brousse Chateau, Aveyron. Perched on a rocky spur, built at the confluence of the Tarn and the Alrance, the château fort was built in the 9th century. After having belonged to the Counts of Rodez and the Arpajon family, it was bought by the commune in 1839 who transformed it into a presbytery. Its fortified walls, its chemin de ronde walkway as well as its five defensive towers have been preserved from the Middle Ages.

Brousse Chateau, Aveyron, France

Brousse Chateau, Aveyron. Perched on a rocky spur, built at the confluence of the Tarn and the Alrance, the château fort was built in the 9th century. After having belonged to the Counts of Rodez and the Arpajon family, it was bought by the commune in 1839 who transformed it into a presbytery. Its fortified walls, its chemin de ronde walkway as well as its five defensive towers have been preserved from the Middle Ages.

Rodez Cathedral, France

Rodez Cathedral. Rodez was Christianized in the 4th-5th century AD, and the first mention of a cathedral dates from around 516. In 1792–98, Pierre Méchain and Jean-Baptiste Delambre used Rodez Cathedral as the central surveying point for their calculation of the circumference of the earth. This was used in the definition of the metre.

Saint-Côme-d'Olt, Aveyron

Listed among the most beautiful villages of France, Saint-Côme-d'Olt is a beautiful group of buildings by the Lot river. It is on the popular pilgrimage route that leads from Le Puy-en-Velay to Santiago de Compostella (in Spain). The Church of St Cosmas, built from 1522 to 1532 in a flamboyant Gothic style, boasts carved oak doors which are the work of the architect Antoine Salvanh who was also the architect of Rodez Cathédral’s bell tower. Each of these doors is embellished by 360 hand forged wrought iron nails dating from 1532. A very unusual aspect of the church is the spire, which is twisted from top to bottom - there are very few churches of the design to be found (in fact no one even knows if the design is intentional or accidental.)