Paris

The so-called Maison de Francois I. (on the Cours la Reine, overlooking the Seine), is a small but beautifully decorated build ing, erected at Moret in 1527 and re-erected in Paris in 1826. In the St. Gervais quarter are the hotel de Beauvais, of the latter half of the 17th century, and the hotel Lamoignon, built after I58o for Diane de France, duchess of Angouleme, both of which have handsome courtyards; in the same quarter is the hotel de Sens, of the 15th century, residence of the archbishops of Sens, whose province then included the diocese of Paris. The hotel Lambert, on the Ile St. Louis, built by L. Levau, in the 17th cen tury, for Nicholas Lambert, and afterwards inhabited by Mme. du Chatelet and Voltaire and George Sand, has a magnificent stair case and many works of art. The hOtel de Sully, built for the duke of Sully, from 1624 to 163o, is in the rue St. Antoine and has an interesting courtyard. Of the fine mansion of the dukes of Burgundy the only relic is a tower of the early 15th century, built by Jean Sans Peur.

Theatres, etc.

The Opera (entitled the National Academy of Music) was originally founded in 1671. After several changes of locale, it was eventually transferred from the rue Le Peletier to the present fine opera-house (1861-75).

The Theatre Francais or Comedie Francaise was formed in 1681, under the latter name, by the union of Moliere's company with two other theatrical companies of the time. The name Theatre Francais dates from 1791, when part of the company headed by the tragedian, Talma, migrated to the south-west wing of the Palais Royal, which the company, reunified in 1799, has since occupied. Both the Theatre Francais and the less impor tant Odeon, a building of 1782 twice rebuilt, close to the Luxem bourg garden, present the works of the classical dramatists and modern dramas, both tragic and comic. The Opera-Comique, founded in the early i8th century, occupies a building in the boulevard des Italiens, reconstructed after a fire in 1887. Serious, as well as light opera, is performed there. There are many other well known theatres. A journal, Comoedia, publishes (1929) de tails of the cast at the various theatres, and thus offers a useful theatre guide. There are many music halls with variety turns, and also numerous cafés concerts, usually without admission charge, at which one is supposed to order refreshments. Cabarets artistiques specialize in social and political satire.

Music and Painting.

Music has its headquarters at the Con servatoire de Musique with concerts (1929) especially on Sun day afternoons; the concerts Colonne, Lamoureux, Pasdeloup, Touche, are widely known, while the Schola Cantorum and the concerts spirituels de la Sorbonne are of special interest, and music is also often given at the Trocadero. The Salles Gaveau, Pleyel, Erard, etc., also provide music; of the churches, La Madeleine, St. Eustache, St. Roch, St. Sulpice, and Notre Dame are most famed for music. Paris is famed for its exhibitions of pictures, the "Salon" at the Grand-Palais des Champs Elysees being best known; it is held in May and June. Several societies organize other exhibitions, and some firms also hold exhibitions of value.

Sport.

Paris is the chief centre of French sports, and many forms of sport are directed from the Federation francaise d'athlet isme, the Stade francais and the Racing Club de France. The

chief horse-races are at Longchamp and Auteuil, with other important ones at Chantilly and elsewhere; the large Stade Per shing was given to France by the American army and the Y.M.C.A. It is situated at Vincennes. There are several aviation clubs. Special mention may be made of the important tennis clubs.

Museums.

The Louvre now houses one of the most celebrated museums in the world. On its ground floor are collections : (1) of antique sculpture, including the Venus de Milo, the Pallas of Velletri, the Hera of Samos, the "Tiber" group, and many other famous treasures. The well known Nike of Samothrace is apart from these, at the head of a staircase; (2) of mediaeval and Renaissance sculpture, including work by Michelangelo, Jean Goujon, Germain Pilon, the Della Robbia, Donatello, Benvenuto Cellini (bronze), etc.; (3) of Egyptian antiquities; (4) of south west Asiatic and Carthaginian antiquities, including such famous objects as the stele of Hammurabi and the Moabite stone; and (5) of French sculpture of the 17th-2oth centuries.

The first floor has been much rearranged in recent years, the splendid collection of paintings of non-French artists being now arranged in "schools" in the Grande Galerie. This collection con tains many masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci (the "Virgin of the Rocks," "Mona Lisa," etc.), Raphael ("Baldassare Castiglione," the "Man with the Glove," etc.), Correggio (the "Marriage of St. Catherine"), and almost all the chief painters of the Renaissance. Velasquez, El Greco, Murillo and Goya are represented. The Van Dyck collection is most remarkable, including the famed picture of Charles I. of England, the "Flight of Lot," and others. The work of Rembrandt is choicely and richly represented, and the salle Rubens preserves 18 of that master's 21 large allegorical paint ings of the life of Marie de' Medici. Another section includes a "Virgin and Child" by Jan van Eyck, "Salvator Mundi" by Roger van der Weyden, and work by Memling and others. The salon Carre has some large Italian pictures (Raphael, Titian, Tintoretto, Correggio, Paolo Veronese). There is a salle des firimitifs italiens, with such treasures as Fra Angelico's "Corona tion of the Virgin." The collection of French pictures includes a historical section and the Chauchard collection of Corot, Meis sonier, Millet ("The Angelus," etc.) and other artists. French art occupies the second floor (work of Manet, Monet, Degas, Cezanne and others), and the pavilion de Marsan houses a museum of decorative art. The first floor also includes the collections of pot tery, furniture, tapestry, metal work, enamels, jewellery, ivories, bronzes, etc., a collection of British pictures, a collection of draw ings (Watteau is notably represented). On this floor are also collections of Egyptian, Asiatic and classical antiquities supple menting those on the ground floor, and still others are housed in the pavilion de la Tremoille. In addition to the pictures above mentioned, the second floor houses a Muslim museum and a naval museum. The entresol contains a collection of engravings and the Far Eastern collections.