| ILE
DE LA CITE, ILE SAINT LOUIS Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Palais de Justice and Sainte
Chapelle continue to draw tourists to the Ile de la Cité, despite extensive
redevelopment of the island in the last century.Along with the Sainte-Chapelle,
la Conciergerie was part of the royal Palace here on the Ile de la Cité.
The gothic vaulted Salle des Gens d'Armes and massive kitchens with four huged
fireplace remain from the medieval palace, which gradually became a prison under
the watch of the Concierge. Outside, the Tour de l'Horloge, built in 1370 and
carefully restored, was the first public clock in Paris. At the eastern end, a
bridge connects with the Ile Saint Louis, a former swampy pastureland transformed
into a residential area with pretty, tree-lined quays. |