Queen Anne of Austria once made a daring escape through a gate near this very spot. Can you picture the scene? It’s 1649. Paris is in the throes of the Fronde, a time of rebellion against the monarchy. Anne, fearing for her safety and that of her young son, Louis XIV, flees the Palais du Louvre under the cover of darkness. Their escape route leads them westward, through a gate known as the Porte de la Conférence. This gate, now long gone, marked the western edge of Paris for centuries. It stood as a silent witness to history, its name a whisper of intrigue dating back to the reign of Henry IV. You see, Henry, a former Huguenot, had returned to the Protestant faith and laid siege to Paris. Representatives of the Catholic League would use this very gate to travel to Suresnes for negotiations with the king’s men. These clandestine meetings at the Porte de la Conférence cemented its place in history. Imagine their hushed voices as they brokered a peace, one that would see Henry renounce Protestantism with the now legendary phrase “Paris vaut bien une messe.” Today, only the Port de la Conférence remains, a bustling marina on the Seine. But as you stroll along its banks, remember the gate that once stood here, a silent sentinel to the dramatic events that shaped the destiny of kings and a nation.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.