Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris

Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris

Where do I start with this one....Grand? Glamorous? Regal? Resplendent? All of the above? 

This is the Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens)-also known as my favourite place in the whole world (I'm quite serious). The Luxembourg Gardens are for me a very special place, not only because of their beauty and Baroque architecture, but because I used to live a block away, and would walk through the gardens to catch the metro on most days. 

The garden is filled with an array of flowers and emerald green topiary in the summer, and is dotted with chestnuts that have fallen and pony rides for children in the winter. It's its own ethos-a garden with a palace that was once home to Marie D'Medici, and is now the seat of the French Senate; a place that was exclusively built for a queen and is now open to the public. Regardless of it's official function, it has been and (I hope) always will be a place of tranquillity, civility, play for children, and in true French form-a place where lovers can meet on a secluded bench. 

The garden & palace were begun in the early 1600s, and since then have featured a large pond where children today float miniature sail boats, a series of balustraded terraces, and a collection of statuary meant to recall queens, saints and deities. At the turn of the 19th century a marionette theatre and apple orchard were added, in addition to an apiary and orangerie used for displaying sculpture and modern art.
History of the Jardin du Luxembourg

Child with Model Sail Boat

Pond in Jardin du Luxembourg

Sign for Marionette Theatre

Gates of Jardin du Luxembourg

San Vitale, Ravenna

San Vitale (interior, detail of nave), Ravenna

When I found out that I was going to be in Venice, which is 2 hours north of Ravenna, I made a firm proclamation that "we must see San Vitale". The reason I was so motivated to see this church in particular, was not only because it is a pinnacle example of late Roman era architecture, but because I had studied this church every year since the 12th grade since it popped up as an example in almost every Art History course I had ever taken. The 2 hour drive to the sleepy town of Ravenna was most definitely worth it (the town had an oddly good selection of quality shoe stores for a obscure location, which made my boyfriend very happy and worth the drive for him). 

Perhaps one of the most important, and talked about examples of Byzantine-Christian architecture is the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Northern Italy. The basilica was built in 547 A.D., and remains one the most well preserved, and intact pieces of Byzantine architecture in Western Europe. The church is most famous for its plethora of Byzantine mosaics, which according to sources is the largest and best preserved outside of Constantinople (modern day Istanbul).
Basilica of San Vitale

Sketch of San Vitale, Ravenna
Rendering

View of Gilded Dome Interior
Basilica Interior

Santa Maria della Salute, Venice

Canal & Dome of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice 

Ah Venice....A city of meandering streets, little bridges, large piazzas, and some seriously grand architecture! The thing I love most about Venice is it's juxtaposition of scale: tiny island + massively important and massively scaled buildings. Venice was historically known as a city that joined the east and the west through it's position as a port city, and mark along the silk trading route, so with that in mind, we can see how with that many visitors over the centuries it would need some rather monumental buildings to underscore itself as the famed capital that it was know to be. 

On the right side of the photo is the dome of Santa Maria della Salute-an important addition to the Venetian skyline that was added in 1681 (which can be found in the Dorsoduro district of Venice). Although it is a large basilica by contemporary standards, it was seen as a minor basilica by old world European standards. The basilica was originally built to commemorate Venice's survival of an outbreak of a devastating plague. The church was built in the honour of 'Our lady of health/deliverance'-"salute" in Italian.
Santa Maria della Salute

This photo is one of my favourite travel photos that I've taken without question-partially because of the sunrise (yes, sunrise, not sunset), and because it was taken on a romantic stroll through the city at 4:30 a.m. with my boyfriend. It felt like we were the only people in this amazing city. 


Antique Print, W.L. Leitch, 1841
Antique Rendering

Welcome to Gilded & Grand

"Le Train Bleu" Restaurant, Gare du Lyon, Paris

Hello and Welcome to Gilded & Grand!

The purpose of this blog is to highlight, inspire, and expose people to all things architectural (interior and exterior) that are gilded, grand, or gilded and grand. My passion for these 2 things come from my travels throughout Europe, particularly in France and Italy. I truly believe that 'they don't make'em like they used to' and that the craftsmanship found in the images I feature is unparalleled in quality and detail to that of today.  

I will try my best to principally use photos I have taken on my trips.

Now that you have an idea of what my blog is about, allow me to explain why I chose the above image: This is "Le Train Bleu", a Belle-Epoque era (circa 1900) restaurant that is on the second floor of one of Paris' largest train stations-the Gare du Lyon. The restaurant was originally designed for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 and was intended to showcase the splendour of Paris to guests arriving from all over the globe.

I think they did a pretty outstanding job! And if you disagree, maybe you'll be persuaded by whom some of the restaurant's regular patrons were: Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali and jean Gabin. I chose this image because it represented what in my mind is wholly gilded & grand.

View from Platforms at Gare du Lyon, Paris

Le Train Bleu Exterior

Le Train Bleu Restaurant History