Things to Do in Piedmont & Liguria

A 75-foot monumental pillar fashioned from pink granite, the Obelisk of Luxor looms over Place de la Concorde, Paris’ largest and most famous square, flanked by the idyllic Jardin des Tuileries. Erected in 1836, the monument was gifted to King Charles X by the Viceroy of Egypt, one of the twin obelisks marking the entrance to the Temple of Luxor (its double remains seated at the temple entrance). Following the turbulence and bloodshed of the French Revolution, the Obelisk was erected in Place de la Concorde as a symbol of peace, replacing the former statue of Louis XV that was famously substituted for a guillotine during the uprisings and effectively erasing some of the square’s gruesome history.

Framed by fountains, the Luxor Obelisk, often-nicknamed Cleopatra’s Needle, is reminiscent of ancient Egyptian obelisks later exhumed in London and New York, and features original hieroglyphic tributes to the pharaoh Ramses II. Its original base carvings, now on display in the Louvre, have been replaced with images of its installation, a complex procedure to haul the 230-ton monolith into position. A gold leaf apex was added in 1998 to replace the missing original capstone, the most recent addition to the monument that dates back over 3000 years.

Discover the old town, Monaco-Ville, "le rocher" or "the rock" - a veritable open air museum as you wander through narrow alleyways from the Middle Ages. Explore the picturesque Place Saint Nicolas, Placette Bosio, the Chapel of Mercy, Palais de Justice and remains of ancient city walls on this magnificent rocky promontory perched above the Mediterranean Sea.

Visit the Place du Palais, to see the colourful changing of the guard in front of the Princely Palace, every day at 11:55am. The Museum of Napoleonic Souvenirs and Collections of the Historical Archives of the Palace housed in the southern wing contains a rich collection of objects and documents about the First Empire, some of which belonged to Emperor Napoleon I. Next door is the Cathedrale de Monaco, Romanesque-Byzantine burial place of past sovereigns, including Prince Rainier and Princess Grace.

Gaze at an exceptional panorama while strolling toward the Saint Martin Gardens surrounding the world famous Oceanographic Museum, built in 1910 by Prince Albert I. Dedicated to marine sciences, the museum was for a long time managed by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and houses the all new shark lagoon with hammerhead sharks and stingrays swimming in front of a coral reef, populated with a multitude of tropical fish and living corals.

On the parking terraces of the Chemin des Pecheurs, Monte-Carlo story presents "Monaco the Film" which explores the origins, history and future of the Principality. The Museum of the Chapel of Visitation is part of a Baroque style 17th century chapel with a remarkable collection of sacred art works by Rubens, Zurbaran, Ribera and masters of the Italian Baroque. Chapelle de la Misericorde (1639) is the famous starting point for the torch lit Good Friday religious procession.

Orange is a town in the Provence region of France with a mainly agricultural economy. The famous town is known because the Romans left their mark there; Orange is often cited as having the most impressive Roman architecture still standing in Europe.

The town’s Roman theatre and Triumphal Arch of Orange and surroundings were classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981. In addition, the town’s Museum holds the largest marble cadastral Roman maps ever discovered. Orange’s lovely cobblestoned pedestrian roads, plazas, and fountains make it a charming place to visit.

Designed by architects Marie-Joseph Peyre and Charles de Wailly, the Odeon, Théatre de L'Europe, or the European Theatre of Paris, was opened by Marie-Antoinette in 1782 and remains one of the city’s most popular theaters. The oldest theater auditorium in Paris, the Odeon was inaugurated in 1971 as one of France’s six national theaters and boasts a rich history of Parisian arts, including hosting the famous Comédie Française.

Located in the heart of the city’s atmospheric Left Bank, in the 6th arrondissement, the theater maintains its original colonnaded neoclassical façade and dramatic foyer, masterminded by Chalgrin, celebrated architect of the Triumphal arch. Today, the theater showcases a range classical, contemporary and experimental plays, with performances held regularly throughout the year and the emphasis on promoting national theater and nurturing upcoming talent.

Though it is no longer the residence of Singapore’s judiciary arm of government, the old Supreme Court Building is an important structure as the last building in Singapore to be constructed using classical architecture.

Located on St. Andrew’s Road, the building housed Singapore’s highest court for more than 60 years until 2005 when the Supreme Court moved into a more modern building. The structure is a spacious structure with an impressive interior featuring murals painted by Italian artists and a façade that has crafted Corinthian columns and is topped by a large green dome and pediment structure.

Today, the building is being refurbished and will be conjoined with the City Hall building next to it. The project has been delayed, but is now expected to open next year, revealing a state-of-the-art cultural center, dubbed the National Art Gallery. The state has poured in more than half a billion dollars to complete the project.

Second only to the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral (Cathedrale de Notre Dame de Paris) is one of Paris' most iconic attractions, a marvel of medieval architecture that was immortalized in Victor Hugo's classic novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Today, the Gothic grandeur and stained-glass windows of the UNESCO World Heritage site continue to reign supreme from Ile de la Cite, an island in the middle of the Seine River.