38 Items Tagged

France

In this 1873 watercolor, artist Frank Dicksee shows Viking raiders heading for land.

The Muddled Origins of the Word ‘Viking’

The now common term wasn't used to describe medieval Scandinavians until the 19th century.

Martyn Whittock November 16, 2023

The Black Composers of New Orleans Opera Are Finally Getting Their Due

And it's all thanks to this mother-daughter dream team.

Shoshi Parks September 13, 2023

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (left), Aéropostale pilot and author of <em>The Little Prince</em>, stands in front of a plane in 1929.

The Daring Desert Pilots That Inspired ‘The Little Prince’

And the modern pilots retracing their pioneering airmail flights.

Cat Rainsford July 12, 2023

Fourier's Fourth Apple

A giant silver apple a day keeps the perils of capitalism away.

Painting of Point Breeze Estate by Charles B. Lawrence

Bordentown, New Jersey

Point Breeze Estate

A New Jersey state park that was once Napoleon's brother's sprawling estate.

“La griffe du Diable” (the claw of the devil)

Les Rochers du Carnaval

Erosion left these fascinating granite formations strewn across fields and mountains in Burgundy.

Charentais Melon

The melon has its own sculpture, festival, and order of knights.

The ceremonial wedding ring found in the wall of a confectionary shop in Alsace.

These Hidden Treasures Hold Clues About Jewish Life in Medieval France

Found in 1863 but not displayed till now, they spent 500 years concealed in a wall.

Evan Nicole Brown July 31, 2019

The Reunion of Two Halves of a Piece of Paper Ripped Apart by Paul Cézanne

They could help piece together his life and work.

Matthew Taub July 12, 2019

A rendering of the Palais Garnier shows what the opera house will look like when it's ensconced in a grove.

Why the City of Light Is About to Get a Lot Greener

Paris’s ambitious “urban forest” plan includes tree-planting near iconic landmarks.

Evan Nicole Brown July 11, 2019

The Rodin portrait correctly identified by Luis Pastor.

Solved: A Case of Mistaken Identity in a Madrid Art Museum

Auguste Rodin takes his rightful place in the portrait gallery, evicting King Leopold II of Belgium.

Matthew Taub June 6, 2019

Alexandre Dumas the Elder, known as <em>Dumas Père</em>, preparing his oyster omelette.

Alexandre Dumas’s Magnum Opus Was a Massive Cookbook

The French literary icon thought this 1,150-page compendium on cookery would be his masterpiece.

Rohini Chaki March 12, 2019

Outside a Moorish cafe, Tunis, Tunisia, in the late-19th century, when coffee was still the dominant drink and tea was rare.

In 1930s Tunisia, French Doctors Feared a 'Tea Craze' Would Destroy Society

It was seen as a threat to colonial rule.

Nina Studer February 27, 2019

Medieval Troglodyte Trail

Souzay-Champigny, France

Parcours Troglodytique

Ivy-covered Medieval tunnels cut through this charming town in France's Loire Valley.

Horace Vernet's <em>The Last Grenadier of Waterloo</em>, contemplating his plight.

The French Conquest of Algeria Was Sick With Nostalgia

The long, dark, painful history of an everyday emotion.

Matthew Taub December 21, 2018

Jardin des Vestiges - ancient quay with re-use

Marseille, France

Le Jardin des Vestiges

This garden houses the remains of the ancient Greek port of Marseille.

Clean-shaven Parisian waiters.

The Great French Mustache Strike of 1907

Parisian waiters had to fight for the right to manly whiskers.

Matthew Taub October 5, 2018

Saint-Malo, France

The Maison du Québec

In France, a medieval-style home pays homage to an intrepid explorer who discovered Québec.