Not too far from our apartment hangs an educational Paris landmark. 
It's right across the street from the Sénat, in the arcade. This is another Parisian line, in front of number 36 rue de Vaugirard and not far from the church of Saint Sulpice. ... Today only two of these marble standards are still in existence, and this is the only one in its original location.
PARIS (Reuters) - France returned to its rightful owners on Thursday a painting by French master Henri Matisse which was seized by the Nazis in 1941 after its Jewish owner fled anti-Semitic persecutions in Germany. ... In a story right out of the 2007 film, " The Rape of Europa ," the heirs and the painting were only paired after a German art historian made the connection using an internet database set up for this purpose. Anyone interested in the great art of Europe must see "The Rape of Europa" The film tells the story of the Nazi theft of thousands and thousands of artworks from private and museum collection before and during World War II, and details a lot of the destruction of priceless treasures due to the war.
If you happen to be in France this year for the 14th, or just have an interest in revolutions, here's a good "revolutionary" walking tour that starts in our favorite neighborhood and ends at the Madeleine. ... Start your tour in Rue St André-des-Arts, which remains as narrow and dense as it was at the time of the Revolution This year, as you will have noticed, is the 40th anniversary of 1968. ... So let us ignore 1968 and turn instead to the real French Revolution, the one of 1789: the one that overthrew an absolute monarchy, turned France upside down and set the template for revolutions (and totalitarianism) to come.
I don't know if the stories here are really that secret, but are a little more arcane then the broad sweep of history you get in "Seven Ages."... "The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography, from the Revolution to the First World War" (Graham Robb) - Less a book about Paris than about France, you mihgt still guess who the main star is.
