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On the famed Île de la Cité, visitors are drawn to the magnificent stained glass windows of Sainte-Chapelle and the medieval French Gothic cathedral, Notre Dame. Yet, another historic structure, La Conciergerie, just next door to Sainte-Chapelle, is often overlooked!
But why? Perhaps the average tourist does not realize the significance of the building situated on the Boulevard du Palais, only wanting to check the boxes of the most famous landmarks in the City of Lights. Or, maybe…they simply do not allocate enough time for a building they may think is only a judicial one…not one that dates back to the 6th century and played an important role in the French Revolution.
Located within a fortified complex on the Île de la Cité, in the Seine River, the impressive medieval palace, was built as an historic Gothic dwelling to house the Kings of France, beginning with King Clovis. In 1200, King Philip II then made the Palais de la Cite the royal seat of power, remaining so until the 14th century. At this time, it then took on a judicial role as the Kings of France vacated to settle in at the Louvre and Chateau du Vincennes. As a Palace of Justice, it saw the addition of prison cells and became a royal prison, chancellery and seat of Parliament.
During the French Revolution of 1789 and the period of “The Terror” (1793-1795), the palace held and tried many political prisoners, but it is one that it is most famous for. It was in La Conciergerie that the ill-fated Queen Marie Antoinette was detained in captivity until her execution, along with 2700 others.
Marie Antoinette’s fate, a guillotined beheading, was similar to most prisoners who spent time at the converted cells within the palace walls. The word “conciergerie” is a French term meaning, “lodging of a housekeeper” as it was looked after by the person left in charge of the palace in the absence of the King and was known as one of the worst prisons of the period. Very few prisoners made it out alive, succumbing to illness, neglect or the blade of the guillotine.
While a majority of La Conciergerie’s square footage is dedicated to courthouses and administrative buildings, a most important historical part is open to the general public and has been transformed into a museum.
Having purchased a combination ticket with Sainte-Chapelle, we proceeded directly to the entry point on Boulevard du Palais once our tour of the holy chapel was complete. Since La Conciergerie still operates as a government building, we were guided through a security complex so that we and our belongings could be searched and run through metal detectors before being allowed access to the premises.
Since there are no guided tours, we were given a small tablet to aid in our navigation of the premises. As we entered the museum, we first moved through the Grande Salle (Great Hall), a palatial space reminiscent of its royal status as home to the kings and then on to the lower level, La Salle des Gens D’Armes (Soldier’s Hall). This massive space once served as an enormous dining room for palace workers and accommodated royal banquets and other formal occasions within its impressive 210 foot long area, divided by grand columns and vaulted 28 foot ceilings.
The corridor of cells allowed for the understanding of the former prisoners’ living conditions. These dark and narrow cells with no furnishings, were not a place of luxury. While we gazed upon clean floors and felt the neutral climate from modern heating and air conditioning, it was certain that this place was once overrun with rats and other vermin and that prisoners suffered from both heat and cold and slept on the floor. By stark contrast, we were also privy to the small prison warden offices, complete with period furniture and more conveniences as well as the cells outfitted for wealthier prisoners.
A mural that shows the names of some individuals victimized by the Reign of Terror and imprisoned or tried at the Conciergerie. Their names are printed in different colors depending on their punishments, with those executed by guillotine shown in red. Other plaques and historical displays throughout the museum portion of the visit recount the history of the Revolution and the Reign of Terror, led by the infamous Robespierre.
Finally, we traversed the stairs to the site of the cell of Marie Antoinette. The queen was held in this cell during the final two months of her life during the Reign of Terror. Here, the sanctuary, Girodins’ Chapel, was originally a place of worship that was then converted to a collective cell during the Revolution. After the Revolution, the “Expiatory Chapel” was built to atone for the queen’s execution and pay tribute to her and other royal figures executed during that time period. Nestled in the back of the chapel, there is a shrine covered with black walls, covered in silver tears. Located at the supposed site of the queen’s bed, a faux marble altar is decorated with a text to honor her memory and the last letter from Marie-Antoinette to her sister-in-law, Madame Elisabeth. Period furnishings show how her cell may have been decorated as in contrast to the less wealthy prisoners; she was given a bed, furniture and servants. A detailed reconstruction of her cell is available for inspection.
Just outside of Girodins’ Chapel is the garden in the women’s courtyard. Here, female prisoners were allowed to wash their clothes in the fountain, walk around, and eat outside, a nice perk not afforded to the male prisoners.
La Conciergerie is not a large museum but an important one and we completed our tour in a short time span. If you find time to traverse the Île de la Cité or visit Notre Dame (when reopened) or Sainte-Chapelle, take an extra hour to tour this interesting piece of Paris’ significant history. It may not have the views of the Eiffel Tower or the artwork of the Louvre, but it will give an understanding of the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette’s last days. While it is not the only site where you might see an actual guillotine blade, it might be the one worth remembering.
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La Conciergerie
- Address: 2 Boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris
- Hours: 0930-1800, daily. Closed December 25 and May 1.
- Admission: Adults, €11.50 (US$ 12.60), Under 18 years and EU Citizens (18 – 25 years old), free entry, Persons with reduced mobility and accompanying person, free entry. Free entry with Paris Pass and Paris Museum Pass. Free entry on the first Sunday of the month from November to March. Combined ticket with Sainte-Chapelle, €18.50
- Getting There: Metro, Cité, line 4. Bus, lines 21, 24, 27, 38, 58, 81 and 85.
Access to the Catacombs, one of the fourteen City of Paris museums, is located near the Denfert Rochereau metro station in the Square de l’Abbe Migne. After waiting in the never-ending queue, you will descend via a staircase of 130 steps leading down 20 meters below ground. The area is dimly lit, and at times, narrow and low. There are many signs engraved on the walls, however, most will not be of any assistance in navigating the passageways. Architects and engineers of the Quarry Inspection Department marked their underground construction work during the 18th century. The number of the work site, initials and the year are engraved in the stone and are interesting to note. Other signs refer to the Arcueil Aqueduct, built between 1613 and 1623, on order from Marie de Medici, to bring water to the city from springs in Rungis and many of the passageways are identified by the avenues that run above them.
After a lengthy walk and an encounter with a display on the history of the catacombs, we soon came to the entrance to the ossuary, where a sign above the black and white doorways read “Stop, this is death’s empire!”. Stepping through the entryway, it is here that you finally encounter the remains of several million Parisians.
As we exited into the gift shop, we took a moment to look around at the merchandise offered and to utilize their restrooms. Stepping out onto the streets, near the intersection of Avenue Rene Coty and Rue Dareau, however, it became clear that our ending point was not near the beginning of our journey. Though we were able to swiftly determine the correct direction to return, it might be beneficial if signage pointed visitors back to the direction in which they came.
Taking the RER B, I headed north, changing lines to the RER D at Gare du Nord. Disembarking at Gare du St. Denis, I walked out of the station only to realize that nothing looked familiar. Asking for help, I proceeded to walk in the direction which I was pointed. About ten minutes later, following signs marking the way, I finally found the basilica.
Admittedly, the exterior is quite remarkable and some time should be taken to inspect and appreciate the intricate details on all facades of the church before entering. Admission to the nave is free and well worth a walk around. From here, you can determine why the church was promoted to cathedral status in 1966, so awesome is its beauty. Be sure to visit the gallery on the left side of the cathedral which showcases many royal items from past kings. From the nave, you can spy the tombs and monuments from afar, however, if you are aspiring to a closer look (which you will), you must pay the admission to the necropolis outside at the right of the basilica.
It’s Christmastime in the city!
Hearing the church bells toll from a nearby bell tower, I headed into Old Town and to the 18th century church of the Immaculate Conception (Antibes Cathedral). Here, I discovered a brilliantly hued structure built in the 11th century on the site of an ancient pagan temple and with stones used from earlier Roman fabrications. The interior was not as impressive as I had hoped, but contained some notable pieces such as a Baroque altarpiece, the 16th century Virgin of the Rosary by Louis Bréa which depicts Christ as a child, being held by Mary with cherubs in the background. You can also observe a life-sized wood carving of Christ’s death.
Moving on from the cathedral, I soon found myself at the Marché Provençal, a covered market close to the harbor which offers fresh selections of meats, fishes, cheeses and vegetables every day. As I wandered through building, I also discovered many local craftsmen offering handicrafts available for purchase as well as some artists displaying their talents.
The day was drawing to a close, and I wanted to visit the Castle of Antibes, which is home to the world renowned Picasso Museum. Containing one of the greatest Picasso collections, the museum draws hardcore fans from far and wide to view the twenty-four paintings, forty-four drawings, thirty-two lithographs, eleven oils on paper, eighty pieces of ceramics, two sculptures and five tapestries. Visiting the place where Picasso lived on the sea for six months, however, was not to be. Having written down the incorrect closing time, I arrived as the doors were being locked!
