In 1407, the Hôtel (private mansion or townhouse) de Tournelles came under the ownership of the French crown and replaced the previous Royal residence.

It remained the royal residence until 1559 and the joust that cost King Henri II his life. The king had fought and won two jousts already that day, but he insisted on a third against Montmorency, the Captain of his Scottish guards. Montmorency’s lance broke, the point driving up the visor of the King’s helmet and entered his head above his eye. For 10 days Henri suffered – doctors were called from all over Europe and four criminals under sentence of death decapitated so that the doctors could study their cranial anatomy!!

Henri died, and his widow Catherine de Medicis persuaded her son Charles IX to demolish the palace with its unhappy memories.

Once royalty abandoned the palace the ground on which it stood gave over to a succession of improvised roles – militia exercises, stables, a horse market….. finally Henri IV (who had been the Protestant Henri of Navarre until he became French King and converted) instigated the planning of a symmetrical, spacious public square to be known as Place Royale, a square of respectable residence and assembly. It began in 1605.

The facades were all to be the same, built of brick with cut stone trim. The style was known as bleu, blanc, rouge – for the slate roofs, the white stone trim, and the red bricks.

The open space in the centre would be promenade, tournament ground and stage for public events.

Unfortunately, Henri IV was assassinated before the square’s completion (by a fanatically passionate Catholic, Francois Ravaillac, as he rode in his carriage), and the square was inaugurated by his young son, Louis XIII.

Fabulous tournaments were held in the resplendent Place Royale – jousting was forbidden, but equestrian ballets, musicians, parades and fireworks were commonplace. For important events, the square would be packed with ten thousand people, some crowded onto viewing stands and some at windows. Members of the Royal family were assigned different houses and balconies from which to observe the tournament. Residents were required to make their balconies available to whichever noblemen were assigned to them.

The Place Royale was also the favourite dueling ground for the hotbloods of the French aristocracy. The fashionable ladies of the Place enjoyed the spectacle, and the swordsmen were encouraged by their ardent admirers.

Not all the action in the Place was outdoors. It was the centre of Parisian social life, and fashionable ladies of the neighbourhood invented a new and durable institution – they organised intimate gatherings called ruelles at which the elegant guests rivaled each other in wit, fins speech, and social finesse. The famous playwright Moliere parodied their excesses in his play Les Precieuses Ridicules. The ruelles were the predecessors of the fashionable salons of the eighteenth century, and often took place in the hostesses’ bedrooms, perhaps because an amazing number of the hostesses were as renowned for their sexual as for their social prowess!

Imagine the constant parade of the nobility, clergy and officials through here. Ladies being carried in sedan chairs, beribboned soldiers strutting about in high boots, and clergy of all levels carrying out their errands…..

The fashionable lifestyle of the Place Royale spread to the rest of the Marais, and splendid hôtels sprang up all over the area.

Discovering the Place des Vosges and the surrounding streets of the Marais district is one of the greatest pleasures of visiting Paris. The ancient arcades of the Place des Vosges are filled with superb shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants (one of Paris’ most famous Michelin 3 star restaurants, L’Ambroisie, is at number 9). But there is a whole hidden world behind the closed doors of the Place. As you follow the arcades around there are numerous doors that can be opened by simply pressing the right “entry” button. Behind you will find pretty apartments and courtyards that you would never know were there! You will also find the Musée Victor Hugo at number 6 – from the 1st floor, you have great views across the Place. At no. 28 is the gorgeous Hôtel Pavillon de la Reine – in this case a Hôtel that has been turned into a hotel as we know it! It is absolutely beautiful and one of my favourite hotels in Paris. Apart from impeccable service, lovely rooms and intimate public spaces, what a location!!

Outside the Places des Vosges, continue exploring the Marais area by visiting the Musée Carnavalet, the terrific museum of the history of Paris; the rue des Francs Bourgeois, one of my favourite shopping streets in the whole city; rue des Rosiers, the traditional Jewish street (the Marais is the historic home of Jewish immigrants and refugees) full of excellent kosher restaurants and bakeries; and the charming little Place du Marché Ste Catherine – your quintessential picture-postcard Parisian square!!

**We have a full itinerary of the Place des Vosges/Marais walk - our tour guests can ask for a complimentary copy to be included in their tour documentation.

LAST WEEK, THE NAMES OF 75 LOST AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS WERE RELEASED.
For nearly a century they were missing, half a world away from home and with no monument to mark their final resting place.

Soldiers who died in the First World War serving 'King and Country' near the northern French town of Fromelles have been identified, with their names officially released to the public.
75 positively identified Australian soldiers were named, from 250 unidentified corpses discovered in an unmarked mass grave beside Pheasant Wood at Fromelles two years ago.

The soldiers have been reconnected with their descendants through a joint British-Australian project to exhume, DNA test and identify the remains of the 250 soldiers who lay forgotten in a series of pits for more than 90 years.

On ANZAC day, a new film is being released called “Beneath Hill 60”. The Hill 60 men were the Australian Tunnellers division who mined directly under the Germans at Ypres, blew the mine and then stormed the ridge in 1917. An amazing story. For anyone passionate about WW1 and our Anzac history it will be a must-see! http://www.beneathhill60.com.au

You can see a trailer for the film at this site.

NEW COIN HONOURS LOST SOLDIERS OF FROMELLES
The Assistant Treasurer, Senator Nick Sherry, and the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Alan Griffin, have announced the Royal Australian Mint will next month issue a collectible 20 cent coin commemorating Australia’s Lost Soldiers of Fromelles.

“This coin is a continuation of the Mint’s Australia Remembers series, exploring our nation’s war experiences and military history behind and beyond the battlefields,” the Assistant Treasurer said. “The coin design is based on the Cobbers statue which stands in the Australian Memorial Park at Fromelles.”'

Don’t forget that our special tour in July to the Battlefields of the Somme and Belgium will include the reinterment of the Australian soldiers at Fromelles. There are still places available on this tour - join us on a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Until next month,

Sue Heine

Director, Toujours France