Visited: June 25th, 2011
This is the Opera that The Phantom of the Opera was based off of. Most of the story was incorrect but according to the presentation given by one of my fellow USAC’ers the chandelier did actually fall on someone and they died. I believe it was a worker.
*I apologize for the previous mislabeling of this post. I posted the photos to the wrong post.
culturalrelativity 
So this is a big group – looks like your Pau folk, and then are you combined with the Summer I people? Another USAC site on tour? How many of the Pau Summer II people are doing the Paris excursion? And why, oh why, did you not get yourself in this picture?? (It’s cute nonetheless.)
Yes, during the Paris Tour we were combined (both Sessions 1 & 2). I was not in the picture because I was the one who thought to take one. I was hesitant to hand my camera to strangers because of the possibility of someone running off with it.
Wow – this is the Jordan staircase at the grand entrance to the Hermitage. This must be the building on which it is largely based.
OK, the Jordan Staircase has the upper level, as well, that distinguishes it from this one in structure. And it’s too late tonight for me to find a connection between Mansart and Rastrelli in a field with which I’m basically unfamiliar. I’ll leave that to you. I know this stuff tends to be all inter-pollinated in a variety of ways. Suffice it to say, the building-as-artwork here, particularly with the lofty ornate ceilings and the underground feeling in the lower level, is highly reminiscent of the Hermitage. Feels nostalgically familiar. Fantastic pix.
WOW!