Hidden in Plain Sight: Treasures of the Third Arrondissement

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Hidden in Plain Sight: Treasures of the Third Arrondissement
There are many good reasons for spending time in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. A few of the things to see and do are the tried and true museums: The Musée des Arts et Métiers with its mechanical wonders; The Picasso museum with 5,000 pieces covering the scope of the artist’s work; the unique Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature containing exceptional installations of art highlighting the relationship between humans and animals. However, if you want to make the most of the August weather as it slowly starts to cool down, and you feel happier outside than in, here are a few plein air gems you can see in the area south of Rue Réamur hiding in plain sight. But first you have to get to the marvelous Marais. When the train on line 11 of the Métro stops at the Arts et Métiers station, the doors open on what appears to be the inner workings of a steampunk submarine. Looking like Jules Verne’s Nautilus, the platform features riveted copper panels, plus gears, cogs, pulleys and authentic looking portholes containing apparatuses similar to those exhibited at the Musée des Arts et Métiers above. This unique station was designed in 1994 by a Belgian comic artist, known for illustrating the graphic novel Cities of the Fantastic. A total work of art, François Schuiten designed everything – from benches, to station signs to garbage bins –for the station’s total immersion in a Steampunk universe.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by David C Phillips (@photosbydcp) on Jun 25, 2020 at 9:35am PDT At street level, if you crane your neck up the façade of 57 rue de Turbigo, the thirty-foot Lighthouse Angel comes into view. This caryatid was designed in 1860 by an architecture student Emile-August Delange. He failed in his bid to design a lighthouse, but eight years later his design caught the eye of the architect of this Haussmann-style building who added Delange’s angel to the building’s façade. Heading in a southerly direction along rue de Turbigo or rue Saint-Martin you’ll pass the medieval gothic church of Saint-Nicolas des Champs. This church was erected in the parish in 1184 – its flamboyant Gothic style construction, covers the 12th, 15th and 17th centuries. Accessible at 254 rue Saint-Martin, an independent tour may be possible.
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Lead photo credit : Passage de l’Ancre. Photo © Hazel Smith

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A freelance writer and amateur historian, Hazel knew she wanted to focus on the lives of French artists and femme fatales after an epiphany at the Musée d'Orsay. A life-long learner, she is a recent graduate of Art History from the University of Toronto. Now she is searching for a real-life art history mystery to solve.

Comments

  • Cresen Grande
    2020-09-03 07:45:49
    Cresen Grande
    Greetings, Will you be able to publish more photos of Fishing Area in France? I've been there it's very relaxing when you see the river, flowing with crystal clear water. All the best, Cresen

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