Paris main visit page 2

Opera Bastille, a TV soap history

Marche-Aligre- Gare de Lyon- Train Bleu

Promenade Plantée
Picpus cemetery

Bercy area-Palais
Omnisports

Bois de Vincennes

Chateau Vincennes
Musee Art Afrique et Oceanie

Paris-12th arr-Viaduc des Arts-Promenade Plantée-Picpus cemetery

(Copyright) A.Atkielski" click on picture

Getting out of the gare de Lyon look up the avenue Daumesnil, it is very near. You’ll see a long and large viaduct in front of you. You’re in front of the famous “viaduct des Arts “ with a lot of specialty shops in arts, craftsmanship and culture.  Fifty six boutiques and art galleries, lodged in ancient vaults with elegant window displays: vast bays and structures of curved wood. Sculptors, " luthiers" ( musical string instruments makers), cabinet-makers and tailors succeed each other....Now if you walk along the viaduct corner Av.Daumesnil-Boulevard Diderot you will soon notice that stairways go up on the viaduct every 100-150 meter. Take the first stairway you see and you will not believe your eyes when you’ll stand on top of the viaduct. It’s a long, long and thrilling pedestrian promenade (best to do from spring to fall) all on the viaduct, called “La Promenade Plantee” or “Coulee Verte”. It is mentioned nowhere in any guide and a real special to do in Paris. It uses the ancient railway track that stopped to function in 1969. The terminus was the Bastille where the Opera stands now.  Take with you a Michelin map, they are the best.
 First we walk along the Av. Daumesnil, perched on the ancient viaduct at the same level as the third floor of the buildings, over the roofs of Paris: fantastic! You can observe the architectural details of the buildings: bourgeois style end 19th century. Suddenly, we see a building that attracts our and everybody's attention: a police station! 

(Copyright) A.Atkielski" click on picture

Built on 6 levels, with large bays , it are especially the two last terraced floors that are worth the attention. 14 identical resin, replicas of the "Dying Slave"  by Michelangelo scan the regular window intervals. The effect is spectacular. The promenade is adorned with bushes, cherry-trees, flowered clumps and flirting young lovers on park benches. Passing over the rue de Charenton we arrive at the jardin de Reuilly . A giant sun dial on the ground marks the entrance of this garden. Notice at the right, small  terraces with al the green nuances. Standing on the grand footbridge, you can clearly see the structure of the garden, articulated around a vast circular lawn, with free access.
Get out of the jardin de Reuilly and continue straight on, in the allée Vivaldi. For the first time, you are at street level again. Continue and soon you will pass under a tunnel. A cyclo path will appear, parallel to the pedestrian path. You will come out 7 meters lower than street level for about 700 meters, until a new tunnel permits you to reenter town through a staircase. Get off at the boulevard Picpus.   
Behind the high walls of 35, rue de Picpus lies the discrete CIMETIERE DE PICPUS, a living historical document. In summer 1794 the authorities gave the order to dif three big holes: two of them will be used as mass graves for the guillotined people. It's  the cemetery of the “nobles”. The mass graves marked and honored by a sanctuary, the names, ages, date of execution, and profession of their  victims inscribed on the chapel wall, and the continuing 24-hour vigil of the  Sisters of the Sacred Heart. This cemetery is very unknown even by the Parisians. 1306 guillotine victims of the place du Trone, now called place de la Nation (you can visit the place by continuing later avenue de Saint-Mandé and avenue du Bel Air) are buried (with a famous French poet Andre Chenier). In 6 weeks time 2765 heads rolled on that place. On June 1794, the executioner Sanson was in great shape! He executed 54 people in 24 min (could be in the Guinness record book). LAFAYETTE is also buried at Picpus and every day his tomb adorned by an American flag as a reminder of his achievements and help in the American War of Independence. Despite he was not beheaded, he benefited from the honor since his parents in law are among the victims of the guillotine. 

If you continue like I said to the place de la Nation, have in mind that a guillotine was placed here. This now very busy traffic knot was called place du Trone . 1300 executions were performed in 43 days!! Most of them are buried at the Picpus cemetery. 

Bibliography

--Vie et histoire des arrondissements de Paris, ed.Hervas (1985-1988--Nouvelle Histoire de Paris, ed.Hachette--Le Pieton de Paris, by L.P.Fargue, ed.Gallimard 1997--Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris, by J.Hillairet, ed.Minuit --Guide du Routard 1998-1999 (Ed.Hachette)--Paris, 2000 d'histoire, by J.Favier, ed.Fayard 1997 --Paris 19eme siecle, l'immeuble et la rue, by F.Loyer, ed.Hazan, 1994- Le 12eme et ses secrets, J.Favier( ed.Natah 1996)—Les Americains à Paris, by J.Daniel (Hervas 1993)