Description of the attraction
There are two theaters and one fountain on the Châtelet square. It is located in the center of the city, near the Change Bridge, and is one of the important transport hubs of the capital.
In French, chatelet means "knight's castle". Indeed, in 1130, Louis VI built the Grand-Châtelet near the Chatelet Bridge (which then existed) to protect the entrance to the Ile de la Cité on this side. But the active Philip Krivoy, the first king of France, who decided to call himself this title (before him there were “kings of the Franks”), soon built a wall around Paris, and the fortress lost its significance. It has been a prison for centuries. In 1802, Napoleon ordered to demolish it and put on this place a fountain in honor of the imperial victories.
The Victory Fountain has a second name - Palm. Designed by François-Jean Bralle, chief engineer of the Parisian water service, it is adorned with stone palm leaves embossed with a long list of Napoleonic victories. The Palm Fountain is an example of the Napoleonic Empire style, which combines elements of classical Roman architecture with Egyptian motives. The column is crowned with a statue of the Goddess of Victory by Louis Simon Boiseau.
Opposite each other on the square there are two famous "twin" theaters - Chatelet and Gorodskaya, which appeared here during the period of urban planning reforms of Baron Haussmann. Both buildings are designed by Gabriel Daviu and have the same facades.
The city theater was formerly called the Sarah Bernhardt Theater - the famous actress rented it in 1899. During the occupation, the theater lost the name of the Jewish actress. In the 60s of the last century, the building was renovated at the expense of the city and received its current name. The local stage is given over to contemporary choreography.
Opposite is the even more famous Chatelet Theater. Here, in particular, the French national film award "Cesar" is presented. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was here that Sergei Diaghilev's Russian Seasons were staged. The stage of the theater saw Matilda Kshesinskaya, Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Vaslav Nijinsky, Sergei Lifar. The great Fyodor Chaliapin sang here.
