Category: Paris

Paris Goes Into Lockdown as COVID-19 Variant Rampages

PARIS—France imposed a month-long lockdown on Paris and parts of the north after a faltering vaccine rollout and spread of highly contagious coronavirus variants forced President Emmanuel Macron to shift course. Since late January, when he defied the calls of scientists and some in his government to lock the country down, Macron has said he…


French Actor Gerard Depardieu Charged With Rape in Revived Case

PARIS—The Paris prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday that French actor Gerard Depardieu was charged in December with rape and sexual assault after authorities revived a 2018 investigation that was initially dropped. The office told The Associated Press that Depardieu was not detained when he was handed the preliminary charges on Dec. 16, 2020. The prosecutor’s…


Paris Sold a Bill of Goods With 2024 Olympics

Commentary The only major country consistently to emerge with credit from the Olympic Games is India. It wins very few medals, certainly in proportion to its population, doing hardly better in absolute terms than San Marino. The Indian government evidently does nothing to support or encourage its athletes: bravo, I say, long may it continue…


The Breathtaking Architecture of Sainte-Chapelle, Paris

If “breathtaking” were a building, it could very well be the Sainte-Chapelle (“Holy Chapel”) in Paris, the spectacular royal chapel adjoined to King Louis IX’s palace. The chapel was commissioned between 1242 and 1248 to house the Passion relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns, which King Louis IX purchased in 1239. The chapel is a perfect example of Rayonnant…


Ivry Gitlis, a Violinist Who Spanned Genres, Dies at 98

PARIS—Ivry Gitlis, an acclaimed violinist who played with famed conductors, rock stars, and jazz bands around the world and worked to make classical music accessible to the masses, has died in Paris at 98. France’s culture minister announced his death Thursday, hailing him as “a magnificent performer, a generous musician” who dedicated his life “to…