"Let's spend the weekend in France, in Paris" - this short phrase is almost tantamount to a marriage proposal. There is hardly a girl who, after these words, does not feel slightly dizzy. Note that none of the hundreds of beautiful countries and thousands of amazing cities on our planet can boast of such an interesting fact.
A lot has been written and said about France, located in the western part of Europe, on the Pacific coast, washed in the east by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, but it is difficult to overestimate its role and influence on the entire world history. Great rulers and generals, sculptors and writers, cooks and fashion designers. Speaking about the representatives of this country, we very often preface their type of activity with the word “high” (style, fashion, cuisine, style, etc.), and this is not always just a beautiful sign.
and the Caribbean, being an important player in determiningworld politics.
Asterix vs. Caesar
The first ruler in the territory of present-day France can be considered the legendary Roman emperor Julius Caesar, who in 51 BC. e. conquered the Gallic tribes living here. It was speaking about this campaign that the great conqueror uttered his catchphrase: “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
Modern French, based on this interesting historical fact about France, for children came up with a comic book about the adventures of the brave little Gaul Asterix and his huge friend Obelix, who constantly put the Romans in a stupid position. To the north of Paris, they even opened the Asterix amusement park, successfully competing with the American Disneyland.
During the period of Roman domination, 72 Gaulish dialects were replaced by Latin, which became the progenitor of modern French.
The Millennium Bridge
The most famous architectural monument of that era that has survived to this day is the Pont du Gard bridge (fr. Pont du Gard) in southern France, which is part of a fifty-kilometer aqueduct erected by the ancient Romans over 2000 years ago to transport drinking water from the source to the Roman city of Nimes.
By the way, modern architects have not disgraced the glory of their distant ancestors, and a bridge built in 2004 in the south of the country can be called an interesting man-made fact about France today. The Millau Viaduct Bridge (Fr. Le Viaduc de Millau) is considered the highest in the world. Four-lane motorway in selected locationsreaches a height of 343 m, which is higher than the Eiffel Tower.
Long live the King
France is one of the first European countries to be defined as an independent state. In the fifth century AD, the Roman invaders were replaced by the Franks (Germanic tribes from Pomerania in the B altics). Actually, this is how the name France appeared.
From that time on, royal dynasties began to rule the country, and the ups and downs of the state depended directly on the personal qualities of the crowned person.
As one would expect, absolute power tempts great temptations, so most French rulers adored exorbitant luxury, which did not exclude pluses, such as the development of all kinds of arts and architecture, which laid the foundation for the cultural heritage of modern France.
An interesting fact about the country and customs of that time is the story of the transformation of a small hunting lodge, built in 1624 by King Louis XIII in the village of Versailles, into a magnificent palace with hundreds of chic halls and world-famous gardens.
No less famous is the Paris Louvre (Le Musee du Louvre), the first building of which was built in 1190 to protect the city walls. Since 1989, the entrance to the building has been crowned by a glass pyramid, attracting thousands of tourists with its rather controversial design. It is the most visited museum and art gallery in the world, containing about 35,000 works of art and more than 380,000 exhibits.
A billion dollar smile
It is in the Louvrethe legendary painting "Mona Lisa" (fr. La Joconde) is kept. This creation of the genius Leonardo da Vinci belongs to the state and was valued at 700 million US dollars in 2009.
An interesting fact about France in the Middle Ages is the reason for which this painting was purchased by King Francis I. He bought the famous painting in 1519 and hung it along with other works of art in his bathroom, in the Fontainebleau Palace, and all for the sake of so that Mary, Queen of Scots, can enjoy painting while bathing.
All bison died out, or how haute cuisine appeared
To say that all the inhabitants during the reign of the royal dynasties lived in the hall and satiety, it would be, to put it mildly, unfair. The history of haute French cuisine is another interesting fact about France and the French, who began to eat amphibians and slugs not from a good life.
During the Hundred Years War with England (1337-1453), a severe famine reigned in the country, forcing the poor to seek the most unexpected sources of food.
It was then that the notorious delicacy of frog legs appeared, as well as other dishes: onion soup, snails and horse meat, delighting the eyes and stomachs of the poorest part of the population.
It wasn't until the 19th century that these foods became a staple of French culinary arts, becoming an expensive and sophisticated way of spending money for the we althy elite.
Since we have touched on the food issue, it is impossible to ignore French pastries. The most popular French breadbaguette, loaf 5-6 cm wide and up to a meter long. This shape makes it easy to carry it with your hand pressed against you.
Another interesting fact about France is the common misconception that the traditional breakfast croissant here is a French invention.
Actually, it was invented in Austria after the victory of the Austrians over the Turks. A French chef hired by the Austrian emperor decided to make cookies in the shape of a crescent moon (the coat of arms of the Turks), hinting that the Austrians had chewed and swallowed their enemies. Upon his return to France, he continued to produce croissants, making them popular already in his homeland.
Freedom, equality, brotherhood and lots of blood
One of the most important holidays for the French is July 14, Bastille Day, which became the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789, as a result of which the monarchy was overthrown, and France became a republic.
The guillotine, developed by the French surgeon Dr. Guillotin, was used as the punishing right hand of the revolution. This is a device for serial decapitation of autocrats and persons close to them.
The guillotine was the official method of execution in France until 1981, when the death pen alty was abolished. It was last used in 1977.
Big and strong means stylish
Talking about France and not mentioning the Eiffel Tower is bad manners. It was originally built as a temporary entrance to the fair,dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. In fact, the tower had permission to remain in place for no more than twenty years, so it was designed to be easily dismantled.
Designed by Stephen Sauves and built by Gustave Eiffel's construction company in 1889 in the center of Paris, the tower has often been criticized for being awkward and unwieldy against the backdrop of the capital's architectural masterpieces. Guy de Maupassant often visited the restaurant located in it, motivating his choice by the fact that only from this point you can enjoy the beauties of Paris without seeing the creations of the Eiffel.
But the tower turned out to be an excellent repeater, still being the tallest building in the city, and over time has become a kind of symbol of both the capital and the whole of France.
Try number five
Since the storming of the Bastille, France has been proclaimed a republic five times, with interruptions for emperorship, including one short Corsican notorious in Russia, Napoleon Bonaparte. He left the legacy of the "Napoleon Code" to the country - a set of rules and norms, which is still the basis for French legislation.
These are not all the most interesting facts about France. The best option, however, would be to give up on business and personally immerse yourself in the magic and charm of this amazing country.
