Paris, France - Day 2 - Paris Opera House
We ended up at the Paris Opera House kind of on accident, it wasn't necessarily on
our agenda to visit, but we were walking around and there it was. Apparently, it's
a very popular destination considering the tons of tourists and tour buses in the
vicinity.
Here's some of the history behind this building:
"Although described by a contemporary critic as 'looking like an overloaded sideboard', it (the Paris Opera House) is now regarded as one of the masterpieces of the period. Here Garnier triumphed over a cramped and difficult site, handling the carriage-ramps and approach steps, the foyers and staircases, both in section and plan, with confidence and skill. The style is monumental, classically based and opulently expressed, as the times demanded, in an elaborate language of multicoloured marbles and lavish statuary. Throughout his life, Garnier was criticized for his excessive use of ornament, as Napoleon and Haussman are still accused of being inspired by an out-of-date and imperialist showmanship expressed in a language already debased. Such critics forget that every city needs its occasional monuments and occasions of grandeur, and that thanks largely to these three men, Paris remains one of the most beautiful cities in the world."
— John Julius Norwich, ed. Great Architecture of the World. p214.
