"...As lively as the city is, there's a stillness to it, a peace that lures you in. In Paris, with a glass of wine in your hand, you can just be."
Ahh Paris how I love thee. Serendipity brought me to a 171-foot Gothic Tower built in the year 1509. This majestic tower is what remains of a former 16th-century Church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie that translates to Saint James of the Butchers. Yup a Butcher, quite a sought after profession in the 1500's!
Sadly, the Church was demolished in 1797, during the French Revolution, with the sole purpose of recycling the material for other projects. However, it was agreed that the Gothic Tower would remain, where it still stands today, at the intersection of Rue de Rivoli + Rue Nicolas Flamel in the 4th arrondissement of Paris.
I didn't get to actually climb the tower, as I was told small tours are available to the public. I am sure the views are breathtaking up there, so once COVID restrictions allow I certainly will trek up those ancient steps... one century at a time. For now, we can only admire this historic landmark from street level.
In the end, I can imagine all the stories she witnessed from the birth of the French Renaissance to the fall of Napoleon. A survivor of the dark days of WWII to the dark days of 2020. La Tour Saint-Jacques still stands.. a towering reminder of another great Parisian love story.. read more