14 July 2008

To celebrate the birth of our Republic

Today is France’s Bastille Day as we would say in English or, if you are French, Fête Nationale or quatorze juillet. No matter what you call it, if it is your national day of pride, I hope you are enjoying it!

For those of you who are unclear as to what precisely Bastille Day is, it is France’s national holiday honoring the1790 Fête de la Fédération. It is not, as commonly assumed, the celebration of the storming of the Bastille, which occurred on 14 July 1789. Instead Bastille Day is held in remembrance of the Fête de la Fédération, which was itself an event demarking a satisfactory conclusion to the French Revolution.

In celebration of Bastille Day, enjoy these concept pieces from Epcot’s France pavilion, along with descriptions, from Walt Disney’s EPCOT


The sketch for a little street of shops housed in old buildings with mansard roofs captures the delightful ambience of provincial France.


The artist’s rendering of a projected tourist information center evokes the old central marketplace of Paris, Les Halles, with its open system of girders and skylight.


Au Petit Café, the quintessential Parisian sidewalk café, faces the lagoon in from of the France pavilion.

2 comments:

Greg said...

I miss the Au Petit Café. You could have a nice glass of wine, enjoy a selection of chesses, and watch the people walk by. What could be more Parisian than that?

Princess Fee said...

I love the France Pavilion - one of the best places in World Showcase, especially when you go in to the little street (or Rue!) past the Perfume Shop. I love how immersed one can feel.
Beautiful pictures too - I can't recall seeing them before!