Quel est le site Web ?

Bleu, Blonde, Rouge, Paris (2026)

Dreaming of a trip to Paris or just a lover of French cuisine, history, art, architecture and the list can go on and on, here is your one stop place for everything

06/10/2026

On April 18, 1946, Christian Dior was walking down the Rue Saint Honoré and stumbled upon a cast-iron star at the edge of the sidewalk.

During WWII, Dior worked for the Lucien Lelong fashion house alongside Pierre Balmain, negotiating the Occupation years in Paris. Emerging from the fog of war and at a crossroads, Dior ran into a childhood friend, Georges Vigouroux, who was working at the Philippe & Gaston fashion house.

Dior’s old chum told him they were looking for a new designer. Dior pushed it off. Over the next few weeks, they had two more chance encounters, and Dior finally agreed to meet the owner, Marcel Boussac.

Christian Dior was very superstitious. In 1919, a fortune teller told him, “Women are lucky for you, and through them you will achieve success.”

On a lovely Thursday morning in Paris, Christian Dior walked along the Rue Saint-Honoré and came upon a star; he knew it was a sign. Dior didn’t want to work for another house; he wanted his own label under his name. Finding the star gave him the push he needed. Dior asked Boussac to back him and his own label, and on October 8, 1946, the House of Dior was founded.

A few short months later, the New Look would take the fashion world by storm, and in just 11 short years, Dior would revolutionize fashion and build an empire.

Christian Dior would keep that cast-iron star in his pocket, along with other lucky charms, including two hearts, a gold medallion, and, always, a sprig of lily of the valley.

To this day, both the star and the lily remain essential elements in Dior’s collections.

When you visit the Galerie Dior museum in Paris, you'll find a replica of the star at the start of the exhibition dedicated to his life.

Listen to the newest episode of Paris in Bleu Blonde Rouge, out now, to learn about Dior's path from Granville to Avenue Montignan

29/09/2026

Jean Baptiste Languet de Gergy was the priest of Saint Sulpice in the first half of the 18th century. During his tenure between 1714 and 1748, he began many projects, including work on the Chapel of the Assumption and, of course, the meridian line & gnomon.

Languet de Gergy served until November 19, 1748, finally seeing the completion of the meridian and gnomon. In the final two years of his life, he served as an abbot at the Notre Dame de Bernay in Normandy, where he died on October 11, 1750.

In the chapel of Saint Jean le Baptiste, on the west side of the south transept, sits a grand monument after his death.

French sculptor Michel Ange Slodtz submitted his ideas a month after the priest’s death for a fitting memorial. The priest is depicted in white marble on his knees, with his arms outstretched toward the altar and the gnomon. Above, the angel of Immortality lifts the veil in the same blue turquin marble over death, announcing his resurrection. Before the Revolutions, she also held the church plans, drawn in gold on a bronze plaque.

On the left, death lies under his large veil of marble. Sculpted in bronze, the skeletal figure holds his scythe as he turns to leave. The bronze feathers of his wings are incredible. The scene is set atop a large black marble tomb on a red stone base with a carved inscription dedicated to the beloved priest.

When created, Slodtz included two marble genies attached to the red marble base. Representing Religion, holding the arms of Gergy. The other, Charity, held a cornucopia overflowing with fruit. The entire scene plays out in front of a pink marble obelisk lying flat against the wall.

During the Revolution, Alexandre le Notre saved the monument and moved it to the Petits Saint-Augustins. It did not see its return to the chapel until September 1821. The bronze plans of the church, laurel branch, and genii of charity were lost and never returned.

Listen to this week’s newest episode of Paris in Bleu Blonde Rouge to learn all about the meridian, gnomon, and Gergy. Also, check out the YouTube video I created this morning in Saint Sulpice. ClaudineHemingway.com

27/09/2026

This weekend, Paris fell under the Pope's spell, and a calm peacefulness spread throughout the city. The festivities began with Paris's bells ringing to announce his arrival, including the 17th-century Emmanuel.

Another stunning treasure appeared for the holy visit. As the Pope left Notre Dame, he walked up a platform to greet the silver statue of the Virgin Mary created by Jean Baptiste Odiot.

The statue of the Virgin dates to the archbishop of Paris, Hyacinthe Louis de Quelen, in 1819, who wanted a new statue created for the procession and yearly renewal of the Vow of Louis XIII on August 15. Word reached Louis XVIII, who agreed and commissioned the project, but it sat on the shelf for another six years.

In 1826, Charles X, Louis XVIII’s brother, tasked master goldsmith Jean Baptiste Odiot with completing the project. Using the statue of the Virgin and Child in the nearby Église Saint Séverin as the model, Odiot used the technique of silver sheets covering a metal structure. It was quickly finished and used for the procession on August 15.

The treasury of Notre Dame was looted many times, and in 1831, the Virgin was thrown out a window onto the cobblestones along the Seine and nearly destroyed. Napoleon III had it restored and mostly recreated in 1856 for the baptism of his son on June 14.

The real masterpiece is the crown placed on the statue’s head each August 15. Boucheron created the crown in 1929 from Chardon’s design. The crown was made specifically for the statue in blue gold, silver, a lapis lazuli globe, blue enamel, pearls, and small diamonds along the edge of each angel’s wing.

On Saturday afternoon, the statue of the Virgin and her crown returned to the stage on the Place de la Concorde. She glistened in the sunshine that seemed to appear after a cloudy and cool morning just as the Mass began.

Not here to see her this past weekend? Both are kept in the Treasury of Notre Dame within the cathedral on the south side of the choir. Monday- Friday 9- 6, Saturday 9:30-6, and Sunday 1-6:30. 12€ per person.

Follow for more on Paris’s history and beautiful stories. Researched and written by me, never AI.

26/09/2026

Pope Leo XIV spent his Saturday morning visiting the small but beautiful Église Saint Joseph des Carmes and the Institut Catholique de Paris. The church sits back inside a gated courtyard, and I rarely saw it open until one spring morning.

Marie de Medici laid the first stone of the baroque-style church in 1613. During the Revolution, the government took over Paris’s churches and used them as storage depots and prisons, as it did with Saint Joseph des Carmes and its large facility. A horrible massacre broke out in September 1792, resulting in the death of many, including more than 200 priests.

It took until 1851 for the church to return to the parish along the Rue Vaugirard, and today it is a part of the institute and is occasionally opened to the public.

Unlike the nearby Saint Sulpice, the church includes four side chapels and a dome decorated in the 17th century. The chapels here may sit in Paris, but they are heavily influenced by Italy.

The chapel of Saint Jacques, by Abraham van Diepenbeeck in the 16th century, and the chapel of the Blessed Martyrs include paintings of the archangels by Claude Deruet in the 16th century. The most stunning is the chapel dedicated to Sainte Anne by Georges Lallemant, with scenes from the Virgin's life.

Sitting to the right of the altar, you pass through a small door that opens into the Baroque-covered walls and ceilings, masterfully restored in 2013. It’s a feast for the eyes. Michel Corneille’s painting of the Education of the Virgin with Sainte Anne and Saint Joachim sits above the altar, the very one Pope Leo XVI knelt before today.

The central altar includes the stunning tabernacle, but the real work of art is above in the dome by artist Walter Damery. The dome's walls feature trompe-l’oeil scenes of Elijah receiving the white cloak of the Carmelites, while four grisele holy martyrs look down. Even the top of the dome is painted and dedicated to Elijah in the heavens.

Although Bernini never had the chance to create the Louvre he imagined, he brought the Chapel of the Virgin to life, including the phenomenal marble statue carved by his assistant, Antonio Raggi.

25/09/2026

Today, marking the arrival of Pope Leo XIV, at 10 am every church bell in Paris rang out, but the most special one to hear was Emmanuel at Notre Dame, whose deep tone rang alone for the first 2 minutes.

The bells of Notre Dame were first installed in the 12th century and were rung by Bishop Eudes de Sully in 1198. At the start of the 14th century, 8 bells hung in the north tower.

Wealthy donors made the original bells, perhaps wanting a little extra push to get them through pearly gates. In 1400, Jean de Montaigu donated a large sum and named the bell after his wife. Jacqueline. The bell rang until 1681, when it broke, was melted down, and recast to twice its size. It was then renamed Emmanuel, the largest bell of Notre Dame, still over 625 years later.

On April 29, 1682, Francois de Harlay de Champvallon baptized the bells in the presence of Louis XIV and Marie Theresa, who were also named as godparents. Two years later, they had to recast and retune the largest bell and allowed for another name change. The Emmanuel-Louis-Thérèsa was rehung in 1686 after the death of its godmother, Marie-Thérèsa, and baptized before Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan. The same bell rings today.

Following the fire, the bells remained silent, fearing the vibration could cause more damage. When it was safe enough, the sound of Emmanuel could be heard, marking the passing and funeral of former president Jacques Chirac on September 29, 2019.

The south tower holds the two largest bells. Marie was inaugurated in 2013 and replaced the 15th-century bell that survived until the Revolution and Emmanuel.

Anytime you can hear the deep sound of Emmanuel ring out from the towers that we were so close to losing is overwhelming. In the last 626 years, it has rung to mark history's most important moments. On August 25, 1944, Emmanuel rang after four years of silence, marking the triumphant moment of Paris’s Liberation.

On the morning of December 2, 1804, Emmanuel rang out for the coronation of Napoleon when Pope Pius VII was in attendance. John Paul II visited in 1980 & 1997, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2008

It was hard not to shed a tear when I heard the first sound.

Adresse

Paris

Site Web

http://bleublonderouge.org/

Notifications

Soyez le premier à savoir et laissez-nous vous envoyer un courriel lorsque Bleu, Blonde, Rouge publie des nouvelles et des promotions. Votre adresse e-mail ne sera pas utilisée à d'autres fins, et vous pouvez vous désabonner à tout moment.

Contacter L'entreprise

Envoyer un message à Bleu, Blonde, Rouge:

Bleu, Blonde, Rouge