Paris Landmarks Trivia Quiz

Answer: Basilique du Sacré Coeur

Montmartre is the highest point in Paris, the name 'mountain of the martyr' comes from 250 AD when the Bishop of Paris was decapitated on the hill. St Dennis became the patron saint of France. Building commenced on the 'Basilica of the Sacred Heart' in 1873. The Blessed Sacrament was placed in a monstrance above the altar in 1885 and perpetual adoration has continued uninterrupted since this time. It is built of travertine stone which continually exudes calcite which has kept the building white despite aging and Paris pollution.

The Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel) is located on the Ile de la Cité. It was built to house the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of The Cross.

Église de la Madeleine is a church that is built like a Greek temple in the city center. It was actually named the 'L'église de St-Marie-Madeleine' (Church of St Mary Magdalene) but it widely known as the Madeleine.

Answer: Dôme des Invalides

An entire complex named the Hôtel National des Invalides was built in 1671 by Louis XIV to provide a home for disabled war veterans. A church 'Eglise Saint-Louis des Invalides' was then built for the soldiers to attend. This church connected to the Royal chapel which became known as the Dôme des Invalides as it had a dome inspired by St Peters in Rome. in 1840 the remains of Emperor Napoleon were disinterred from St Helena, where he had been buried 19 years earlier, and entombed under the dome in Les Invalides. Members of Napolean's family are also buried here as are other French military heroes.

The Arc du Carrousel is one of three triumphal arches commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate his victories against Austria.

Answer: Musée du Louvre

The Palais du Louvre (Louvre Palace) was a fortress built by Phillip II in the 12th century. Charles V turned it into a royal residence in 1546 and it remained the home of the French royal family until 1674 when Louis XIV moved his family to the Palais of Versailles. During the revolution it was decreed that the Louvre should be used to display the nations masterpieces.

The Musée du Louvre is the most visited museum in the world.

Answer: Place de la Concorde

The Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris covering 20 acres. It was originally called the Place de le Louis XV when a large statue of the king was placed there, in 1763, after he recovered from a serious illness. In 1792, during the French revolution, the statue was removed and replaced with another called 'Libertie' and it became known as the Place de la Révolution. A guillotine was placed in the square and 1119 people were beheaded there, including Louis XVI and Marie-Antionette. It had several more names before becoming the Place de la Concorde in 1830.

The Place de la Bastille was built at the site of the demolished Bastille prison. The Place des Vosges is the oldest square in Paris with many historic buildings. Place Vendôme is a prestigious square originally created to honour the armies of Louis XIV.

Answer: Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris

'Our Lady of Paris' is a large, gothic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (one of the Seine islands) in Paris. Construction began in 1163 and it has been the seat of the Archbishop of Paris since it's completion. Strictly speaking a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque with a spout to carry water from the roof and over the side of the building. The term comes from the French word gargouille which means 'throat' or 'gullet'. A chimera is a grotesque sculpture that does not have a waterspout and is just for decoration, although these are most often referred to as gargoyles by the average person.

Notre Dame has a 'Galerie des Chimères' on its roof which are clearly visable from the ground and look out over Paris. The chimera gallery was planned to represent the passions and vices of mankind and as a reminder to all that the only place of refuge from these is inside the cathedral.

The Hôtel de Ville is the Paris city hall. Pont Alexandre III is a well known Paris bridge that is decorated with nymphs and cherubs. The other options may contain gargoyles as buildings of that era often did but none of them are famous, or even well known, for them.

Answer: Arc de Triomphe

The Arch of Triumph was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 after his victory at Austerlitz but wasn't completed until 1836 during Louis-Philippe's reign. The arch is adorned with many reliefs and has 30 shields with the names of Napoleon's successful battles. It also lists the names of 558 generals from the Napoleonic wars. Under the Arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War. The body was interred here on Armistice day in 1920, the eternal flame that was lit was the first lit in Europe since 391 when the Vestal Virgin's fire was extinguished. It burns in memory of all the dead that were never identified in both world wars. The tomb carries the inscription (in French): "Here lies a French soldier who died for his fatherland 1914-1918".

The Fontaine des Innocents is a fountain built on the site of an old children's cemetery 'Cimetière des Innocents'.

Answer: Tour Eiffel

The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for the World Exhibition celebrating the French Revolution of 1789. It was built by Gustave Eiffel who only had a permit for the tower to stand for twenty years but, as it proved valuable as a communications tower, the city decided to let it remain. It stands on the Champs de Mars, beside the Seine and was the tallest structure in the world until 1930. The lift cables were cut by the French in 1940 during Nazi occupation so that Hitler would have to climb the steps to the summit, which he never did. It was said that Hitler may have conquered France but he did not conquer the Eiffel Tower.

The Colonne de Juillet (July Column) is in the Place de la Bastille, it commemorates the July revolution in 1830 in which Charles X was replaced with Louis-Phillipe. The Obélisque de Luxor is an obelisk from the temple of Ramses II presented to France from Egypt.

Answer: Panthéon

Construction of the Panthéon, meaning "All the Gods", began in 1757 and took 34 years to complete. It was originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve but was changed to a mausoleum for great Frenchmen during the revolution. It now has liturgical services and the crypt contains the vaults of France's great public figures. These are more the great intellectuals, military heroes are buried in Les Invalides and both require a parliamentary act to allow burial within them. A large official ceremony in 2002 reburied the remains of Alexandre Dumas in the pantheon 132 years after his death.

Père-Lachaise Cemetery also has many well known inhabitants, including Jim Morrison from "The Doors". The Catacombs lie beneath Paris and the first remains were placed in them in Aug 1788. This occurred when a decision was made to move all the cemeteries outside the city limits to avoid the health problems they were causing.

Answer: Conciergerie

The Conciergerie is on the Île de la Cité. It was originally a Merovingian palace until the 10th century when it became the home of the medieval kings of France. It was expanded and heavily fortified during this time. The early Valois kings stayed there but then moved the royal seat over to the Louvre in 1358. It continued to be the house of the French parliament until 1391 when it was converted for use as a prison. Its occupants were a mixture of common criminals and political prisoners. During the French Revolution it was home to the Tribunal who decided who was innocent and who was given a death sentence. In just over 2 years it sent nearly 2600 prisoners to the guillotine.

The Bastille is the prison that was stormed on 14 July 1789 that marked the beginning of the revolution. The Collège de Sorbonne was founded in 1257 as one of the first colleges in the University of Paris. Over the years it has changed structures and names but the name has always been synonymous with learning.

Answer: Palais Garnier

The Opéra de Paris Garnier was designed by Charles Garnier in the Neo-Baroque style. It opened in 1875 and was officially named 'Académie Nationale de Musique - Théâtre de l'Opéra', the title was changed in 1978 to 'Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris' and then the opera company moved to the new Opéra Bastille when it was built in 1989. It is now known as Palais Opéra or Palais Garnier. Work on the opera house actually began in 1862 but an underground lake was discovered during construction which held the process up. The lake remains under the building which is the Phantom's lair in "The Phantom of the Opera."

The Palais Bourbon was home to the daughter of Louis XIV. It is now the French parliaments lower house. The Palais Royal was built by Cardinal Richelieu in 1630, he gave the palace to Louis XIII. It currently houses the Ministry of Culture. The Grand Palais was built for the 1900 World Fair, it's most distinguished feature is its glass roof. It is now a public exhibition hall and a venue for events.