FRENCH ARCHITECTURE

French architecture ranks high among France's many accomplishments. It's one of the best combinations of art and science in history.

The story of French architecture begins in the Roman period. The Romans influenced France's style in architecture. It was called Romanesque style and it was the first big thing to emerge after the fall of the Romans. From the 13th century on, the constructions were increasingly decorated by pinnacles and long spirals. These features were named Gothic style.

Between the 15th and the early 17th centuries, the Italian Renaissance inspired the new type of architecture in France. In the 18th century, French Baroque profoundly influenced all of Europe. The Luxembourg Palace in Paris was proclaimed the "role-model" for all other Baroque structures in France.

In the second half of the 19th century, France was under the regime of Napoleon III. New monumental constructions were made in an impressive, tall manner, many of the old ones were embellished, the streets were accompanied by lines of trees and street fronts became cream-colored stone tiles. In this period a trapezoid-shaped roof top was popularized, called a mansard.

After the First World War, there were two opposing streams -the tradition-based Beaux-Arts and the Modernist. Both found a way to coexist. Le Corbusier, a modernist, architectural designs marked the rest of France. One of the most iconic being the Villa Savoye in Poissy.

Reference:

• P, Natalie. "The Evolution of French Architecture." WideWalls. N.p., 2015. Web. 30 May 2017. .
• Bathija, Disha. "The History and Evolution of French Architecture." Gizmodo. N.p., 26 June 2014. Web. 7 June 2017. .

Daniela Sanchez