Paris Gone By: Recent Episodes
Paris Gone By
Welcome to Paris Gone By, the podcast about Paris history for the curious traveler! Enthusiastic francophile? Traveling to Paris? Simply want to go deeper into the history of Paris? You are in the right place! We explore both the major monuments and the nooks and crannies of Paris and dive into the stories woven into the City of Light's rich history. Together, we'll escape to the Paris of the past, walk down forgotten streets, and experience Parisian history in a new way. As we go along, you'll also discover how to experience the past in person or virtually. Join us on our journey to the Paris of the past!
16. What was Notre Dame like before Viollet-le-Duc’s 19th Century restoration? Was it worth visiting or just a crumbling ruin to be ignored? And were the guidebooks of the day accurate or even more creative than today’s social media “guides”? Join us as we rejoin David W. Bartlett’s travel adventures in mid-19th Century Paris (and correct some of his “history” along the way)!
Speaking of corrections, yes, I did indeed misspeak the name of Bartlett’s book. It is Paris with Pen & Pencil, not pen and paper. PGB: Made by Humans.
Want to know more? Check out the full show notes on the PGB website.
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a tea, grabbing a book at the boutique, or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
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15. Le Petit Pont: The Unluckiest Bridge in Paris
Join us we explore the unluckiest bridge in Paris, le Petit Pont. Destroyed by the Vikings, a vengeful count, floods, ice, and even fire over the years, the bridge has had a wild couple of millennia!
Warning: Contains depictions of historical violence.
Check out the full show notes on the PGB website, including images of the bridge through history and a map of the walk described at the end of the episode.
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a tea, grabbing a book at the boutique, or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
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14. The 1900 Non-Olympic Olympics
The second-ever Olympics in Paris in 1900 was many things. Up to and including being both an official Olympiad and not being official Olympiad. Oh, and it included cannons. Check out the wild and chaotic 1900 Summer Olympics in this episode of Paris Gone By!
Want to know more? Check out the full show notes on the PGB website.
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a tea, grabbing a book at the boutique, or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
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13. It's the mid-19th century. You're an American with wanderlust, a bit of money, and a capacity to deal with rigors of travel by steam ship and train and carriage. But how, exactly do we get to Paris? And what will it be like when we get there? Grab your steamer trunk and get ready as we journey to the City of Light!
Want to know more? Check out the full show notes on the PGB website.
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a tea, grabbing a book at the boutique, or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
Stay In Touch
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12. Notre Dame's sarcophagi have started revealing their secrets! The two men found during the restoration have intriguing connections but couldn't be more different. Learn more about the mysterious knight and the wealthy churchman in this episode of Paris Gone By!
Note: Throughout the episode and the show notes, I refer to the first sarcophagus as Le Chevalier or The Knight. Technically the INRAP scientists nicknamed him Le Cavalier or The Rider—I misspoke in the episode. But I do believe he is likely a knight, based on the evidence at hand, so I'm going with it. Stay tuned for any updates. 😄
Check out the full show notes on the PGB website.
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a tea, grabbing a book at the boutique, or explore other ways to support the cause. Merci beaucoup!
À bientôt!
Stay In Touch
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11. France + Food + Christmas = An Amazing Feast! The French Christmas Eve meal is a culinary tradition steeped in history. Join us as we explore three holiday favorites: Oysters, Turkey with Chestnuts, and the Bûche de Noël cake on this episode of Paris Gone By!
Need to see the recipes and learn more about these foods? Check out the full show notes on the PGB website!
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a tea, grabbing a book at the boutique, or explore other ways to support the cause. Merci beaucoup!
À bientôt!
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10. King Henri IV's skull is sitting in a bank vault in Paris. Or is it? If not, whose head is it?! Join us as we follow the mummified skull of Henri IV through 400 years of history on this episode of Paris Gone By!
Want to know more? Check out the full show notes on the PGB website
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a coffee, grabbing a book at the boutique, or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
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9. Napoleon. Love him or hate him, he is a monumental figure. Buried in a huge tomb. In a hole in the ground. How did this happen? Why is one of the most important historical figures of the modern era buried not among his peers at the Pantheon or even in his own magnificent monument? Instead, he is in a sunken chamber inside a building built by Louis XIV! Find out the story of Napoleon’s journey to Les Invalides in this episode of Paris Gone By!
Links For This Episode
Visit Napoleon at Les Invalides
Ponder his victories at the Arc de Triomphe
Learn more about the conspiracy theory surrounding the tomb
Want to know more? Check out the full show notes on the PGB website
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a coffee, grabbing a book at the boutique, or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
Stay In TouchWebsite | Newsletter | Instagram | Send Me A Note
8. If you were ready to leave your provincial village, see the world and maybe party a bit, what options did you have? Then as now you went to college! Join us as we go back to school at the medieval University of Paris in this episode of Paris Gone By!
Correction: I mention the Bishops of Cluny, however their correct title was the Abbots of Cluny.
Links for the Episode:
- Musee de Cluny.
- Église Saint-Séverin.
- Church of Saint Julien le Pauvre.
- Collège de Bernardins. The nave is available for free. If you want a guided tour of the full building (for a fee), scroll to the bottom of their info page. They will resume Sept. 21 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 4 p.m. Reserve day-of only.
- Notre Dame De Paris.
- La Chappelle de la Sorbonne. Available for pre-booked group tours (includes other parts of the Sorbonne as well)
Want to know more? Check out the full show notes—with a walking map of Medieval Student Paris!—on the PGB website.
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a coffee, shopping at the boutique, or exploring other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
007. What would Bond do in Paris? Take in the Louvre or take out the bad guy? Where does he like to eat? Or sleep? And where can we be like Bond in Paris today? Follow literary Bond on his Parisian assignments in this episode of Paris Gone By!
And yes, I'm rooting for Henry Cavill as the next Bond! 🤞🏻🤞🏻
For links to all of the places mentioned in this episode, ways to armchair travel with Bond, and more, check out the show notes.
Want to go straight to grabbing the books for yourself? You can find them in the PGB Boutique (includes affiliate links)!
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a tea or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
6. Join us as we visit the Eiffel Tower when it opened in 1889! Using a guide from the Exposition Universelle, we see the tower from a different view. How did they describe this new colossus? What did it cost to visit? How could you get there? And most importantly, were there toilets? Hop in our time machine as we go back to the opening of the Eiffel Tower!
Links for the Episode:
The Guide in Full: The Practical Guide to the Exposition Universelle
[Note: The guide is a product of its time. Like many works from the 19th century, some content may uncomfortable or objectionable for some readers.]
To read just the Eiffel Tower Extract, head over the Full Show Notes Page on the website!
The Official Eiffel Tower Website
2025 Osaka World Expo
Bureau International des Expositions
Want to know more? Check out the full show notes on Paris Gone By.com!
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please considerbuying me a tea, grabbing a new book in the Boutique, or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
5. High atop the Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel used to have an apartment with the most coveted view in the city. But did he live in it? What happened in that exclusive space? And is it still there? Find out more about Eiffel's apartment on the Eiffel Tower in this episode of Paris Gone By!
Links for the Show
Eiffel Tower Official Site. Buy tickets, get hours and transit info, and all your tower info!
Jill Jonnes Article. The article mentioned in the episode about Edison's visit to the tower.
Want to see pictures of the apartment and more? Check out the full show notes on the PGB website.
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a cup of tea or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
4. Mary Tudor, Henry VIII's sister, defied convention and married the man she wanted! But first she had to marry the King of France. How does she pull this off?! Discover what Tudor secrets the very French Hôtel de Cluny (Musée National du Moyen Âge) holds in this episode of Paris Gone By!
To visit the Cluny, check out these sites:
Cluny Museum Website (The French version of the site has more detailed info on the collections).
Paris Museum Pass
Want to know more? Check out the full show notes on the PGB website!
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a tea or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
Safety Warning: Don't try a drinking a game using "Mary" or "marry" with this episode. It would be extremely detrimental to your health! 😉
3. L'Hotel de la Marine, the museum on the Place de la Concorde, has witnessed many events over the years—including the theft of the Crown Jewels in 1792! Who did it? Did they get away with it? Find out more in this episode of Paris Gone By!
Links for this episode's resources:
L'Hotel de la Marine Museum
Al Thani Collection
The Foundation for the Memory of Slavery
The Louvre
Mobilier National
Paris Museum Pass
Le Monde Article [in French]
Centre des Monuments Nationeaux
Ministry of Culture
Want to know more? Check out the full show notes on the PGB website!
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a tea or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
2. A 14th Century Sarcophagus was found at Notre Dame! Who is inside? Who found it? What comes next? Is it a mummy?! [SPOILER: Not a mummy] Find out more in this episode of Paris Gone By!
Discover what we know so far, more about the group who did the archeological dig, and a bit about what comes next as they begin restoring the interior of the church.
Quick Show Notes:
First and foremost, the theory of how the sarcophagus ended up where it did in the layers of history under the floor is my own (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) speculation. Please do not consider it archeological fact.
A Few Sources Mentioned In the Episode:INRAP
Time Team Official YouTube Channel You can find old BBC episodes on the official Classics YouTube Channel, Amazon Prime and (unofficially) on other YouTube channels
Notre Dame Construction Controversy: Smithsonian Article in English and Le Parisien Article in French
Parts of the rood screen and other medieval and renaissance pieces of Notre Dame at the Louvre
Cluny Museum (Musée national du Moyen Âge) is re-opening after its own extensive renovation on May 12, 2022
Triangle Tower (Tour Triangle), being built in the 15th arrondissement
Want to know more? Check out the full show notes on the PGB website!
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a tea or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!
1. The Premier Episode: Learn about Paris Gone By and Notre Dame’s ownership! Hint: It isn’t Paris Gone By (sadly). Or the Catholic Church. It is La France herself! Find out how Notre Dame remains the property of the nation in this inaugural episode of the Paris Gone By: Paris History for the Curious Traveler podcast.
Want to know more? Check out the full show notes on the PGB website.
Like what you heard and would like to support the podcast further? Please consider buying me a cup of tea or explore other ways to support the cause. Thank you so much!
À bientôt!