Cite de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine museum in Paris
The Cite de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine basically translates to the City of Architecture and Heritage and this museum in Paris will provide a greater insight into the buildings and structures with the different designs through the ages.
About Cite de L’Architecture et du Patrimoine
This museum of architecture and heritage of France will provide you with a greater insight into different architectural styles from medieval times right through to the 20th century and the Cite de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine is the largest centre of architecture of its kind in the world.
And inside you will find they have numerous scale models on display, however, there are different sections to this unusual museum in Paris, which include a gallery of plaster casts and moulds that were formed from different elements of cathedrals, churches, etc. And you cannot help but admire one cast of an angel mounted on a wall, which was a cast from the smiling angel of Reims Cathedral produced by the restoration architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc.
All of these casts provide a greater insight into medieval, Gothic, Romanesque and even Baroque styles, but there is far more here than just the plaster casts, as you can get to see copies of stained glass windows, murals, scale models from 19th and 20th century architecture in France and much more.
In fact, many of the collections in place today are from the visions of people such as Eugene Viollet-le-Duc and hence the history of the Cite de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine goes back to the 1800s and the original Palais du Trocadero.
There are also temporary exhibitions conducted within the museum and these often attract students and qualified architects from all over the world, but anyone interested in French architecture and its heritage will be in their element, both with the permanent displays and the temporary exhibits.
And yet you may be wondering why you should choose to look at copies of different sculptures and architecture, but in reality, this is a great way of getting up close to a duplicate of the real thing to study its detail. Yet, another reason is due to the fact that many of the copies were produced back in the 19th and 20th centuries, and in some instances the originals do not even exist today.
However, if you are still not convinced, then by all means drive through France from one part to another and get to see the real thing, but for a lot of people this would impossible, and therefore the museum offers a person the chance to see depictions of saints, angels and much more, which is especially beneficial for designers, restorers and architects.
The exhibits are also displayed with background information through photos, maps and short descriptions as well as informative and interactive videos, which show, for example, what a statue might have looked like when it was originally painted in its vivid and gaudy colours.
Access to Cite de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine
This French architecture and heritage museum is located within the eastern wing of the Palais de Chaillot overlooking the Jardins de Trocadero, which is where you can get spectacular views of the gardens fountains down to the River Seine and over to the Eiffel Tower.
The museum is located in the 16th Arrondissement of Paris and on a Monday Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday it is open from 11am through to 7pm. However, on a Thursday there is a late night opening until 9pm, yet it is closed on a Tuesday and on all National French holidays.
The normal cost of entry for the permanent collections is €8 as of 2018, however you can purchase a combined ticket for the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, which is a cost of €12 and information is available in French and in the majority of cases, also English.
But children under the age of 18 have free entry to the permanent collections and children under the age of 12 get free entry into the temporary exhibitions. But like with many of the museums in Paris, the first Sunday of every month is free to any person and it is also covered with the Paris Pass for museums.
In additional to this, by prior appointment you can even get to view the archives for the city of Paris, plus there is a bookshop and a library open by prior appointment for those of you who really want to know more.
There are actually two different entrances to get to the Cite de L’Architecture et du Patrimoine museum, however for those with reduced mobility you would need the main entrance at the Pavillon de Tete and then there is a lift next to the staircase on the left hand side.
The nearest Metro station to this museum housed within the Palais de Chaillot is called the Trocadero stop serving lines 6 and 9, but you can also reach here and the other museums within the Palais de Chaillot vai the Batobus water bus, which has a dock on the opposite bank by the Eiffel Tower.
Other options for transport in Paris include the RER C line and the nearest train station for the RER is the Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel stop, yet the Bus Lines 22, 30, 32, 63, 72 and 82, along with the Noctilien Night Bus Service via Line N53 will also get you within walking distance of this museum.
