I have successfully made it past my first week in Paris! And oddly enough, I find myself adapting quite quickly. I feel as if living in Paris is something I have done for a while now and it seems completely normal walking by monuments and buildings such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. I'm far from becoming a true Parisien but I hope to have a better sense of being a Parisien by the end of my stay. In the meantime, I'll have to do my research, especially on the history, because to truly understand something, you have to start at the roots.
In my short time here, I have quickly come to learn that Paris is a city filled with an incredible amount of history. In fact, I don’t think there is an area in Paris that isn't significant in one way or another. This being said, I decided to research the street that I live on, rue de la Convention. La rue de la Convention is located in the 15th arrondissement in the southwestern part of Paris. Despite it not being smack dab in the center of Paris, its still a pretty prime location I think. My home-stay is only a few minutes away from the Seine River, 1.3 miles from la tour Eiffel (had my room been on the opposite side of the apartment complex, I would have been able to see it from my window) and anything I could possibly need is within a 5 minute radius. The street itself has been around since 1888 and I found that its name is derived from “la Convention nationale”, an elected assembly formed in France in 1792, during the time of the French Revolution. With there being so much discontent with the rule of King Louis XVI, members of the preceding assembly, the Legislative Assembly, decided to suspend the King and form a new assembly, la Convention nationale, that would draw up a constitution that would effectively protect the people of France. Because of this, la Convention nationale was able to form the First Republic through which they had legislative and executive powers. The members of la Convention nationale came from all classes of society but the majority of them were lawyers. There were a total of 749 deputies. It was also decided that the deputies would be elected by all Frenchmen 25 years and older or domiciled for a year and living by the product of their labor. As a result, la Convention nationale became the first French Assembly elected by universal male suffrage, without distinctions of class. I’m not quite sure if la Convention nationale itself has something to do with the actual location of la rue de la Convention but its very interesting to know that there is a meaning behind it.
It amazes me how much history Paris has. Being a very ancient city, every inch of it is packed with history. Of course Chicago also has a very rich history but it does not compare, seeing as it is a relatively new city compared to Paris. I'll be sure to take advantage of this amazing study abroad opportunity and continue unraveling all of the history that Paris has to offer.
In my short time here, I have quickly come to learn that Paris is a city filled with an incredible amount of history. In fact, I don’t think there is an area in Paris that isn't significant in one way or another. This being said, I decided to research the street that I live on, rue de la Convention. La rue de la Convention is located in the 15th arrondissement in the southwestern part of Paris. Despite it not being smack dab in the center of Paris, its still a pretty prime location I think. My home-stay is only a few minutes away from the Seine River, 1.3 miles from la tour Eiffel (had my room been on the opposite side of the apartment complex, I would have been able to see it from my window) and anything I could possibly need is within a 5 minute radius. The street itself has been around since 1888 and I found that its name is derived from “la Convention nationale”, an elected assembly formed in France in 1792, during the time of the French Revolution. With there being so much discontent with the rule of King Louis XVI, members of the preceding assembly, the Legislative Assembly, decided to suspend the King and form a new assembly, la Convention nationale, that would draw up a constitution that would effectively protect the people of France. Because of this, la Convention nationale was able to form the First Republic through which they had legislative and executive powers. The members of la Convention nationale came from all classes of society but the majority of them were lawyers. There were a total of 749 deputies. It was also decided that the deputies would be elected by all Frenchmen 25 years and older or domiciled for a year and living by the product of their labor. As a result, la Convention nationale became the first French Assembly elected by universal male suffrage, without distinctions of class. I’m not quite sure if la Convention nationale itself has something to do with the actual location of la rue de la Convention but its very interesting to know that there is a meaning behind it.
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| La Convention Nationale sculpture at Pantheon |
It amazes me how much history Paris has. Being a very ancient city, every inch of it is packed with history. Of course Chicago also has a very rich history but it does not compare, seeing as it is a relatively new city compared to Paris. I'll be sure to take advantage of this amazing study abroad opportunity and continue unraveling all of the history that Paris has to offer.
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