Olympic Games 2024, opening ceremony: explanation of cultural references and winks

For the first time in thehistory of the modern Olympic Games, the opening ceremony took place not in a stadium, but in the heart of the city. This grandiose opening saw the athletes of the various delegations parade down the Seine to the foot of the Eiffel Tower, with a succession of tableaux revealing France and its culture from every angle. And this floating opening ceremony was rich in historical and cultural references that you may have missed.

Come on, let's relive this iconic opening by sharing with you the explanations of the various elements you were able to observe. It's a way of seeing this magical moment from a different angle, and one that might just make you appreciate this great moment in thehistory of the Olympic Games even more.

Paris 2024 Olympics: these Parisian monuments you could see during the opening ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics is revealed in a grand ode to French culture. Want to know more about the monuments that appeared during this grand opening? We tell you all about it. [Read more]

One of the red threads running through the ceremony is the mysterious masked and hooded figure, torch in hand, who crosses Paris in Parkour mode, on the capital's rooftops. On the one hand, it's a nod to Assassin's Creed, the famous video game series developed by theFrench company Ubisoft, one of whose installments is set in Paris. The company has also donated $500,000 to help rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral. It is also a reference to various masked figures from French history and culture, including theMan in the Iron Mask, a mysterious prisoner of the Bastille at the end of the 17th century whose identity has never been confirmed, and the Phantom of the Opera, a fictional character from Gaston Leroux's novel of the same name.

Paris 2024 Olympics: who was the masked man behind the hood at the opening ceremony?
The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as grandiose as it was mysterious, electrified the whole world this Friday, July 26. But then, who was this mysterious, hooded, masked torchbearer, roaming the rooftops of the capital? From Austerlitz to the Trocadero, where he passed the torch to Zidane, the secret still hangs over his identity... [Read more]

In the underground section featuring the Catacombs and Paris' s famous sewers (which can be visited, by the way), we also see a crocodile, a reference to a story that sounds like an urban legend but is nonetheless very real, that of Eleonore, the Nile crocodile who lived in the sewers of Paris. The image of this boat in an underground river could also be an echo of the mythical scene from La Grande Vadrouille, because yes, under Paris, the Bièvre also flows.

Did you know? A Nile crocodile once lived in the Paris sewers.
Yes, there's nothing legendary about it: a crocodile once lived in the sewers of Paris. Captured in 1984, the reptile was later taken in by an aquarium in Brittany. Discover the story of Éléonore, the crocodile of the Paris sewers. [Read more]

The Catacombs of Paris, an unusual visit to the bowels of the capital
Have you ever ventured into the Catacombs of Paris? Let's go and discover this creepy brown place, known to all but where most have never been. A fascinating and historic site, a guided tour of the Catacombs is well worth the detour, as well as keeping you cool on hot days. [Read more]

Lady Gaga also performed Zizi Jeanmaire 's "Mon truc en plume" on a gilded staircase echoing that of the Grand-Palais, and under a mythical Guimard sign from the Paris metro. The artist was at the heart of a tribute to French Music-Hall, followed by a nod to the world of Parisian cabaret, notably through the French Cancan. The dapper pink will be reminiscent of Edith Piaf's La Vie en Rose. In the heart of the Richelieu library, a tribute was paid to French literature, featuring Verlaine's Romances sans paroles, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' Liaisons Dangereusesand Marivaux's Triomphe de l'Amour.

Along the Seine, water jets, fountains and Jardins à la Française are a direct echo of Versailles, its great waters and its park designed by André LeNotre, and of chateau culture in general. The BMXs feature two historical figures in particular: Napoleon and Louis XIV.

• To be read
• Tips for the week of November 18 to 24, 2024 in Paris: free or inexpensive outings

A visit to the Château de Versailles and its program
The Château de Versailles, its gardens and grounds, are a world heritage site. The official residence of the kings of France, the Château de Versailles holds the record as the largest château in the world, and of course the most visited in France. [Read more]

Napoleon in Paris: in the Emperor's footsteps
Napoleon I's reign was short, but intense: in just a few years, the Emperor managed to leave a lasting imprint on France. In Paris, this legacy is clearly visible. Hôtel des Invalides, Arc de Triomphe, Eglise de la Madeleine, rue de Rivoli... Let's take an imperial stroll through the streets of the capital. [Read more]

Following a reconstruction of Eugène Delacroix's painting of Liberty Guiding the People at the Conciergerie, French metal band Gojira reinterpret a revolutionary song, "Ah! ça ira", which opens with a scene of a scarlet Marie-Antoinette holding her own head in her hands. which opens with a scene of a scarlet Marie-Antoinette holding her own head in her hands. As you may have guessed, it's the French Revolution that's at the heart of this picture. The Conciergerie is where the queen was imprisoned before her execution. We then see a revolutionary figure embodied by Marina Viotti on a boat emblematic of the Parisian coat of arms, performing"L'Amour est un oiseau rebelle" ("Love is a rebellious bird"). A symbolic image that also echoes Paris's motto: Fluctuat nec Mergitur, it floats but doesn't sink.

The Conciergerie in Paris: a monument symbolic of the French Revolution
The Conciergerie is a historic building on the Ile de la Cité in Paris. Since its construction in the 10th century, this monument has been the seat of the Palais de Justice and a prison in turn. It was here that Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned. [Read more]

Fluctuat nec mergitur: what does the City of Paris’ motto mean?
Fluctuat nec mergitur, here is a motto heard in the city after the 2015’s terror attacks. But do you know the story of this Latin locution and what it means to the City of Paris? [Read more]

At the Louvre, the theft of the Mona Lisa takes us back to the story of the 1911 disappearance of Leonardo da Vinci's world-famous painting. The works of art half-submerged in the Seine, contemplating the passing athletes, are references to the paintings on display at the Louvre.

Ephemeris for August 22 in Paris: The theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre Museum
On August 22, 1911, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa disappeared from the Musée du Louvre, under the noses of the guards. It was a shock. It would be another two years before Mona Lisa's smile could be seen again in sunny Florence. [Read more]

Musée du Louvre: discover the artistic and tourist heart of the capital
The Musée du Louvre, one of the capital's must-see museums, promotes French and European culture through its many masterpieces on display, as evidenced by the 8 million visitors a year who come to contemplate the smile of the Mona Lisa or the fervor of Liberty Guiding the People. A place steeped in history, where art has been flourishing for two centuries already, to discover if you're staying in Paris! [Read more]

On the Passerelle Debilly, too, we find a familiar-looking scene re-enacted by drag queens, including the famous Nicki Doll flanking Barbara Butch at her turntables. It looked like a recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper (" La Cène" in French), with the Seine in the background. It could also have been a multiple pun in French. Philippe Katerine's figure, his body painted blue, is reminiscent of Dyonisos or Bacchus, the ancient god of feasting and wine. Thomas Jolly, the ceremony's artistic director, explains that this is a reference to another painting, the Feast of the Gods, directly linked to Olympus. This is followed by a fashion show that pays homage to the capital of fashion.

As for the mysterious horsewoman riding down the Seine, she is both a tribute to the goddess Sequana, a figure from Gallic mythology from whom the river takes its name, and to Joan of Arc, the famous heroine of French history.

The spectacular vasque-montgolfière (hot-air balloon) awaiting us in the Tuileries gardens is a tribute to the Montgolfier brothers, the inventors of this aerostat. The first hot-air balloon trip reached its highest point, 1000m, as it flew over the Tuileries Gardens.

Paris 2024 Olympics: the Olympic flame cauldron at the Jardin des Tuileries, an unusual cauldron
What a cauldron, my friends, what a cauldron! The Olympic flame for the Paris 2024 Olympics will take up residence in the central Jardin des Tuileries. We had imagined it on the Eiffel Tower, but it's finally in the heart of the emblematic Parisian park that the Olympic cauldron is taking up residence. But a cauldron that changes everything... A world first. We tell you all about it! [Read more]