Paris in the Early 1800s
by Sharon Lathan
Whether you have been to Paris or not there are certain imagesthat instantly flash in your mind when the ancient city is mentioned. Soingrained are these visions of what Paris IS that perhaps you might be surprisedto learn that many of the iconic Paris sights either did not exist 200 yearsago or were vastly different.
My latest novel - Miss Darcy Falls in Love - is set in1820. At that time Napoleon Bonaparte was in exile on the island of SaintHelena and the Bourbon Restoration was underway with Louis XVIII on the throne.There was a measure of stability, but the long decades of war and revolutioncoupled with the major political upheavals ongoing meant that France was farfrom peaceful. Paris, as the capitol, showed the greatest evidence of thenumerous trials. Scars were visible at every corner despite Napoleon and Louis’attempts to reconstruct, and disorganization was constant. It would be manydecades more before Paris truly became the glittering city it now is.
Nevertheless, in 1820 life for the Parisians was near perfectioncompared to the previous thirty-some years. Opera, theatre, arts, and socialactivities abounded. Yet, as I said, many of those places now top tourist trapswere not available to Miss Darcy and her friends.
Eiffel Tower: Today itis the tallest building in Paris and one of the most visited monuments inEurope, but it was not built until 1889. The large flat open park called the Champ de Mars, where the Tower stands,had served as a site for executions during the Revolution and militarytraining, but by 1820 was a popular park for festivals and other celebratoryevents.
Musée du Louvre:Originally a palace and fortress, the Louvre was transformed into a publicmuseum during the French Revolution, the royal collections viewable for thefirst time. Located close to the TuileriesPalace, the Louvre Palace was structurally renovated several times duringthe 17th and 18th centuries, it’s general splendor as we now see it. However,in the early decades of the 19th century it was far smaller than it now is andheld considerably less works of art. All through the century vast wings wouldbe added on to house the flood of art arriving from all over the world until iteventually became a massive complex with the palace only one portion of thewhole. So huge is the present day Louvre that it cannot be captured in onephoto. When Georgiana and Sebastian tour the Louvre it is still a seat of royalpower with the Tuileries standing, already supremely impressive as a museum,and undergoing constant construction.
Arc de Triomphe: Themonument to honor those who fought and died for France in the Revolutionary andNapoleonic Wars was conceived in 1806. The foundations were laid in 1810 butconstruction halted during the Restoration, the final structure not completeduntil 1836. Therefore, my characters would not have seen this marvel. Insteadthey stroll through the Tuileries Gardens and pause at the smaller Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. Built in1808 by commission of Napoleon to commemorate his military victories, thelesser Arc was nevertheless an impressive sculpture and integral part of the axe historique (grand historic axis) ofParis. Pictured here you can see the Arc with the Louvre behind as it wouldhave looked in 1820.
Notre Dame Cathedral:Completed in 1250, Notre Dame is the “World Ambassador of Gothic Cathedrals.”For seven hundred years it has stood on the site of ancient sacred ground,revered and generally well cared for except during the years of the Revolution.Churches in France were universally rededicated to the “cult of Reason” andNotre Dame suffered severe defacement, destruction, and desecration. Until themid-19th century the cathedral was ignored as a house of worship, used insteadas a storage facility and place for public gatherings. It is unlikely that MissDarcy, or anyone visiting Paris in 1820, would have taken the time to visit theruined Notre Dame.
Other famous attractions not in Paris at the time of my novelinclude Cleopatra’s Needle (1833), Elephant of the Bastille (the fountainand model elephant were present by 1814, but the elephant not completed until1833 and has since been removed), the Sacré-Coeur(1873), the Moulin Rouge (1889), orthe Opéra de Paris Garnier.
Do not feel sorry for my characters though! They did visit theLouvre and walked the Tuileries Gardens. They also toured the Panthéon, rode down the Champs-Ėlysées, saw the exotic animalsand plants in the Jardin des Planteszoo and botanical gardens, and socialized along the pathways of the Place de la Concorde. Did I mention theopera houses, salons, ballrooms, and palatial chateaûs? Paris of 1820 may havebeen in moderate chaos and a paler version of what it now is, but the City ofLight was phenomenal nonetheless. And the perfect place to immerse in music andfall in love.
Synopsis of Miss DarcyFalls in Love--
Noble young ladies were expected to play an instrument, butGeorgiana Darcy is an accomplished musician who hungers to pursue her talents. Sheembarks upon a tour of Europe, ending in Paris where two very different menwill ignite her heart in entirely different ways and begin a bitter rivalry towin her. But only one holds the key to her happiness. Set in post-Napoleonic Empire France, Miss Darcy Falls in Love isa riveting love story that enters a world of passion where gentlemen knowexactly how to please and a young woman learns to direct her destiny andunderstand her heart.
Sharon’s Bio--
Sharon Lathan is the best-selling author of The Darcy Saga sequelseries to Jane Austen’s Pride &Prejudice. Her previously published novels are: Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy,My Dearest Mr. Darcy, In the Arms of Mr. Darcy, A Darcy Christmas, and The Trouble With Mr. Darcy. Miss Darcy Fallsin Love is Georgiana’s tale of love and adventure while in France. Completewith a happy ending. In addition to her writing, Sharon works as a RegisteredNurse in a Neonatal ICU. She resides with her family in Hanford, California inthe sunny San Joaquin Valley. Visit Sharon on her website: www.sharonlathan.netand on Austen Authors, her group blog with 20 novelist of Austen literature: www.austenauthors.com
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