The Compass: France ~ Historian Fact

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The Compass: France

July 11, 2020 No comments

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France

France, the largest country in Western Europe, has long been a gateway between the continent's northern and southern regions. If you're looking for Europe's finest art, gourmet cuisine or "chic" cultural ambience, France can seduce you with it all. In this edition, we see how the coronavirus upended Notre Dame's future, look at the impacts of climate change on the flavors of French wine, and discover 9 Bastille Day bashes that celebrate French culture.
Let’s explore France.

HISTORY

Construction of Notre Dame de Paris began in 1163 on the Île de la Cité, the heart of the medieval city of Paris. Nearly 900 years later, its sculptures, stained glass, and flying buttresses still inspire and awe.

GÜNTER GRÄFENHAIN/FOTOTECA 9X12

Coronavirus upended Notre Dame’s future. WWII may have some answers

Plans for the beloved cathedral’s reconstruction have been disrupted by the pandemic. But Europeans have faced a similar situation before.

Auguste (left) and Louis Lumière in a photograph believed to have been taken in the late 1890s, and later colorized

PHOTOGRAPH BY AKG/ALBUM

Lights! Camera! Action! How the Lumière brothers invented the movies

In 1895, Louis and Auguste Lumière gave birth to the big screen thanks to their revolutionary camera and projector, the Cinématographe.

Leading the French cavalry, Joan rides into a hail of arrows from the English longbowmen at Patay, shortly after liberating Orléans. Painting by Frank Craig, 1907. Musée d’Orsay, Paris

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLES BOWMAN, AGE FOTOSTOCK

How Joan of Arc turned the tide in the Hundred Years’ War

Divine voices guided a young girl to lead the French against the English. Burned as a heretic in 1431, the Maid of Orléans was both shaped and destroyed by the religious fervor and politics.

Beauty and determination infuse Frederick Sandys’s 1858 portrait of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

ALBUM

This mighty medieval woman outwitted and outlasted her rivals

Ruler of two nations, mother to kings and queens, leader of a crusade: Eleanor of Aquitaine was a savvy power player in medieval France and England.

SCIENCE

In Burgundy, chardonnay grapes are harvested several weeks earlier than they were a few decades ago.

PHOTOGRAPH BY IAN SHAW/GETTY

Climate change is changing the flavor of French wine

Records going back 700 years show that Burgundy’s wine grapes have been feeling the heat of the past three decades.

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeast France on November 11, damaging buildings and injuring four people.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF PACHOUD, AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Weird earthquake put a crack in France

An uncommonly shallow temblor rattled the country, sending scientists buzzing as they began hunting down its source.

TRAVEL

DREAM NOW, GO LATER

Thousands of orange, lemon, and pomegranate trees at Versailles—some more than 200 years old—are sheltered in the Orangery during the winter and arranged in geometric patterns in the parterre, or ornamental garden, during summer.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THOMAS GARNIER, CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES (DIST. RMN-GRAND PALAIS)

Best kept secrets of Versailles

Get an unprecedented look inside France’s remarkable royal château.

In the riverside town of Arbois, travelers can try local wines and dine on Michelin-starred cuisine.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTIAN KERBER, LAIF/REDUX

This French region will be your next travel obsession

In the Jura, discover wine, cheese, and outdoor adventures that add up to an excellent off-the-beaten-path journey.

Fireworks illuminate the Eiffel Tower on Bastille Day.

PHOTOGRAPH BY XINHUA NEWS AGENCY, EYEVINE/REDUX

9 Bastille Day bashes that celebrate French culture

Parades, fireworks, and food honor the historic holiday that shaped modern France.

Picture-book castles, such as the 12th-century Château de Biron, lead to fairy-tale fantasies in the Dordogne, but the region's true charm lies in long-held traditions.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GUNNAR KNECHTEL

Defining beauty and wonder in southwestern France

The picturesque, historic region is worth a trip.

TRAVEL

Go behind the scenes of the Eiffel Tower

WHERE WILL WE JOURNEY TO NEXT?

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