La Conciergerie
1 quai de l'Horloge 75001 Paris Ouvert: |
The
Palace Concierge was a person of high standing who
collected rent debts from Palace boutiques. The
Conciergerie quickly became a prison: the police cells
held the accused while they awaited judgment. Many famous prisoners have passed through the cells of the Conciergerie, capable of holding 1000 prisoners in all. It gained a sad infamy during the Revolution when Marie Antoinette stayed there shortly before being decapitated; today, you can visit a reconstruction of her cell. During the Terror, the Conciergerie became the antechamber of the Revolutionary Tribunal. The Girondins were locked here by Danton, later to be sentenced here by Robespierre, who was in turn condemned by the Thermidor Convention. Outside the Conciergerie lies the Tour de l'Horloge, the first public clock in Paris. It was restored in the 19th century. |
