Paris

The Louvre was closed on Monday as security and reception staff went on strike over what they say are deteriorating working conditions as the museum draws record crowds. Here, visitors queue outside the Louvre in July 2015.

'The Louvre Is Suffocating': Museum Closed As Workers Strike, Citing Overcrowding

2:22pm May 28, 2019

by Laurel Wamsley

Staff at the Paris museum went on strike Monday, citing deteriorating conditions for tourists and staff amid record-setting attendance. It's unclear whether the galleries will re-open Wednesday.

Hannah Bloch, an editor on NPR's international desk, shared this photo her great-grandfather took in 1931, with Notre Dame in the background. He had served as a U.S. Army doctor in France during World War I and returned on holiday years later.

World News

Here Are Some Of Your Favorite Memories Of Notre Dame

6:06pm April 17, 2019

We asked our audience to share thoughts after fire devastated the beloved Paris cathedral on Monday. We received hundreds of responses — photos, memories, even watercolor sketches. Here are a few.

Gargoyles watch over the streets of Paris from the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral in 1996.

How Notre Dame, 'Vast Symphony In Stone,' Weaves Its Way Through Parisian History

6:04pm April 16, 2019

by Andrew Lapin

Victor Hugo wrote Notre Dame de Paris, or The Hunchback of Notre Dame, in the 19th century to draw attention to the cathedral, which had fallen into neglect and disrepair. It worked.

People attend a vigil in Paris on Tuesday following the devastating fire that destroyed much of the beloved Notre Dame Cathedral.

World News

Paris Holds Vigil To Mourn Notre Dame Fire Damage, Macron Vows Swift Reconstruction

6:02pm April 16, 2019

by Amy Held

The French president set a goal of completing the work in five years. Hundreds of millions of dollars were raised toward the effort one day after a fire at the cathedral.

A view from inside Notre Dame Cathedral during the fire in Paris on Monday.

World News

Notre Dame Cathedral Fire Extinguished; Spire Collapsed, Towers Still Standing

7:56am April 16, 2019

by Amy Held

The building burned for hours on Monday, with smoke billowing into the sky. The cause of the cathedral's blaze was not immediately known, but the initial investigation points to an accident.

Guards stand in front the Bataclan concert hall in Paris in November 2018, during a ceremony to remember the victims of the attacks in November 2015. On Friday, a man who rented an apartment to two fleeing terrorists received a four-year prison sentence.

Man In France, Accused Of Sheltering ISIS Terrorists, Sentenced To 4 Years In Prison

8:01pm March 29, 2019

by Sasha Ingber

Jawad Bendaoud denied knowing that the two men seeking refuge in Paris were involved in a devastating attack on the city, which killed 130 people and injured hundreds more in 2015.

A fire rages through the top floors of an apartment building in Paris. At least 10 people have been killed and dozens injured. Fire officials say arson is to blame.

World News

At Least 10 Killed, Dozens Injured In Paris Apartment Fire

1:52pm February 05, 2019

by Matthew S. Schwartz

Officials say arson is to blame in the fire that swept through an apartment building in the French capital early Tuesday. It took hundreds of firefighters several hours to put out the blaze.

Tear gas was hurled as protesters, known as yellow vests, took part in a fourth demonstration in Paris on Saturday.

Police Deploy Armored Vehicles, Tear Gas Against Paris Protesters; Hundreds Detained

5:54pm December 08, 2018

by Sasha Ingber

Protesters took to the streets of the French capital on Saturday in the fourth demonstration since unrest began in November.

More than 350 people were arrested in demonstrations Saturday in Paris. The protests began on November 17th over a hike in gas prices.

World News

French President Holds Security Meeting On Yellow Vest Protests

2:06pm December 02, 2018

by Shannon Van Sant

The demonstrations have drawn hundreds of thousands of people across the country who say the cost of living in France has risen too high.

"Little Dancer," a sculpture by French artist Edgar Degas, is seen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., on July 16, 2014.

Books
Arts

'Little Dancer' Brings Us To See The Person Behind The Famous Degas Sculpture

5:07pm November 20, 2018

by Heller McAlpin

Degas's sculpture "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen" is known the world over. But who is that young lady he depicts? Camille Laurens aims to find out — and realizes something about herself in the process.