Author name: Elizabeth S

Since I’e gotten home from Paris, everyone has been asking me about my favorite thing I saw, which is a pretty complicated question when I had a months worth of fun. I have, however, complied a shortlist of all of my favorite places in Paris that particularly suited my tastes and that I would tell… Continue reading Perfect Parts of Paris

When visiting churches across Paris and beyond, I really enjoyed looking at the art in the spaces between the depictions of obviously religious events or symbols. There were many patterns used that weren’t explicitly religious but still held some interesting symbolism.  Stars were the most common filler I saw, present in St. Germain des Prés,… Continue reading Between Saints

I was prepared for our trip to Disneyland to be a bit of a brain break for us, but it was funny how I couldn’t turn off my architectural analysis instincts because of just how many compelling elements were scattered all over Disneyland. Remembering that no matter what part of the park you’re in, you’re… Continue reading Fever Dream Theme Park

One of my favorite parts of our day trip to Amiens was the cathedral, which pleasantly shocked me with its size and the wealth of historical details and decoration. I was very interested to notice that not only were there an array of different window styles throughout the cathedral, including styles that varied even between… Continue reading Windows to Preservation Past

I was part of a party that went on a brief jaunt out of Paris to see the castle at Pierrefonds, which was restored (*cough* literally just built on top of medieval ruins *cough*) by Viollet le Duc to create an Imperial residence for Napoleon III. I would do anything to ask him and his… Continue reading Carved Confusion

In such spaces as the Palace of Versaille, the Nation Archives (formerly the home of the wealthy Soubise family), and the Carnavalet Museum (which also is a converted residence) I was interested to note that there was a type of material on the walls which appeared to be some sort of woven textile. One location… Continue reading What the Flock is on the Walls?

Visitors to the Opera Garnier find breathtaking mosaic art both high above and directly below their feet. It seemed to me as if the entire building was a set built for high society’s social drama with nearly every surface in the building decorated in some extravagant and mind boggling manner. Nearly everywhere I looked I… Continue reading Myth and Music in Marble

Wandering the gardens at Versaille, I found that my favorite area was the Grove of Enceladus, a clearing in the trees surrounded by arched trellises and smaller fountains carved to look organic and almost fluid. The centerpiece of the space is the fountain that depicts Enceladus sinking into the ground. Made of lead and created… Continue reading The Giant in the Grove

Welcome to my site! I’m Ellie and I’ll be blogging about my adventures in Paris this summer of 2025 for my Historic Preservation class in the city. Please feel free to follow along and comment!