Tag: French revolution

The Paris Panthéon

Foucault's pendulum at the Paris Pantheon. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.

Worshipping the Republic at an Almost Church Like the Pantheon in Rome, the Paris Panthéon has a mixed history, although not one that takes it from paganism to Christianity. Rather, the former Ste. Geneviève Church became, not long after the…

Finding Napoleon beyond France

Napoleon left some cannons behind when the French fled Moscow. This cannon is in the Kremlin. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.

Enamored with the French Revolution on my visit to Paris, I pay scant attention to Napoleon during my time there. Stopping by at Les Invalides, I focus more on a car show on its grounds than to the tomb of…

Celebrating Louis XVI

Excess at Versailles Photo credit: L. Tripoli

Accomplishments besides Marrying Poorly Louis XVI, king of France, was born 261 years ago on August 23, 1754, and what many seem to remember about him is his wife, Marie-Antoinette, originally of Austria, and his general ineffectiveness in leading his…

Wherever I Go, There’s Rochambeau

Recalling Rochambeau in Mount Kisco, N.Y. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Recurring Characters in Historical Travels Revered as a hero in the American Revolution, the Comte de Rochambeau’s efforts helping the new country ward off the British are commemorated along the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail—almost 700 miles extending from Massachusetts and…