TRAVEL THE WORLD - PARIS

This photo of the Paris Opera, sometimes called the Palais Garnier after Charles Garnier the architect, was taken in 1994. One of the major landmarks of Paris, the Opera is a famous example of the Beaux Arts style, a type of neoclassical architecture which was taught in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and which influenced American architecture from about 1880 to 1920. Although the facade is quite ornate, I greatly admire the building. It was one of the major improvements undertaken for Paris by Emperor Louis Napoleon under the direction of Baron Haussmann. It opened its doors in 1875 and seats 2,200 people.