Paris - Palais de Chaillot

In 1936 Henri Langlois founded the Cinémathèque Française (entrance in Avenue Albert-de-Mun), which has daily shows of three or four noted films of the past selected from its extensive holdings.

The museum is located in the apartment where the writer George Clemenceau lived from 1895 to 1929. His view included a garden and the Eiffel Tower. Displays include memorabilia and documents such as portraits, books, newspapers and manuscripts.

This museum displays building materials which have been used in the creation of historical monuments. Included are scale models of frameworks and buildings.

Notable items in the sculpture collection, in chronological order, are Early Romanesque sarcophagi (sixth-seventh C.), the earliest grave-slab with relief decoration (11th C.; Room 1), Romanesque sculpture and reliefs from door arches and church doorways of the 11th century (Rooms 2-6), Crusader architecture in Palestine (12th-13th C.; Room 7), Early Gothic reliefs and sculpture, from originals in the cathedrals of Chartres, Reims, Paris and Strasbourg (12th-13th C.; Room 8), the High Gothic burial chapel of the Dukes of Burgundy (14th C.; Rooms 14 and 15), work of the High and Late Gothic periods (14th- 15th C.; Rooms 16-18) and of the Late Gothic and Early Renaissance periods (15th-16th C.; Rooms 19-21).

The early neo-classical period of the 19th century is represented, among other works, by the "Marseillaise" carving from the Arc de Triomphe (Room 28).

On the ground floor are works of the Early Romanesque period (c. 800-1000) and crypt paintings from Auxerre (life of St Stephen, c. 850). On the first floor is Romanesque art of c. 1000-1200, including the fine paintings of Biblical scenes (Genesis to the Apocalypse) from the abbey church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe in Vienne. The second floor is devoted to Early and High Gothic art (c. 1200-1400), the third floor to Late Gothic (c. 1400-1550).

The Renaissance (16th-17th century) is represented by works by Jean Goujon (1510-68), Ligier Richier (1500-66) and Germain Pilon (1536-90; Rooms 22-24); the French classical period (Baroque, 17th-18th century) by François Girardon (1628-1715), Antoine Coysevox (1640-1720), the brothers Nicolas (1658-1753) and Guillaume Coustou (1677-1746; Room 25); the Roccoco period (18th century) by Maurice-Etienne Falconet (1716-91), Edme Bouchardon (1698-1762), Jean- Antoine Houdon (1741-1828) and Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (1714-85), with fine busts of Voltaire, Mirabeau and Rousseau (Rooms 26 and 27).

Below the terrace of the Paris' Palais de Chaillot, at the foot of which during the summer months youthful roller-skaters and skateboarders display their skill, is the Théâtre National de Chaillot, which has two houses with seating for a total of 3,000 spectators. After the Second World War such illustrious actors and actresses as Gérard Philippe and Maria Casarès appeared here under the direction of Jean Vilar. Since 1981 the director has been Jérôme Savary, who is noted for his avantgarde productions.