“I love you!” – how much these words mean, and how desperately many of us want to hear them. The French artists Frederic Baron and Claire Kito did everything possible so that people would remember it more often. In 2000, on the threshold of the new millennium, the Wall of Love was opened in Paris on their initiative. It is located on one of the walls of a residential building opposite the church of Saint-Jean-l'Évangéliste. On this wall, the inscription “I love you” is written in 311 languages, including in symbols and in a special script for the blind. Thus, Paris now has 42 square meters of declarations of love. How romantic, isn't it?
But first, Frederic Baron had to work quite hard to learn how these treasured three words are written in different languages around the world. He asked neighbors, friends, acquaintances, and even contacted the embassies of different countries. He then passed these translations on to Claire Kito. She wrote them in different typefaces on 612 tiles, which were then used to create the wall. The red fragments, as if scattered across all the tiles, symbolize pieces of a heart. Its parts can be found in every corner of the world, because love drives us all.
There is now a real tradition of declaring love and making marriage proposals by this wall. And those who have not yet met their soulmate can easily draw them into their life – all they need to do is find the declaration written in their native language, place a hand on it, and make a wish. They say it is sure to come true.
Flickr, normandie2005
By the way, there is plenty more of interest in Montmartre: the snow-white Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Place du Tertre crowded with street artists, the legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret... We have gathered these and other places in a ready-made itinerary for a walk around Montmartre. You can read it, but it will be more convenient to download the audio guide to Montmartre, which you can find in the Ever.Travel mobile app.
Take a look at our other Paris guides as well:
Any of these routes, like the article about the Wall of Love in Montmartre, can be added to your favorites for inspiration ;) Or directly to your trip plan, if you intend to go to Paris soon. You can find out what else is worth seeing in the French capital on the interactive city map. Choose what you like, add it to your plans, “spread it out” over several days of your trip, and don't forget to sync it with the free Ever.Travel mobile app. That way your personal city guide will always be at hand and, unlike traditional paper guidebooks and maps, won't take up a single extra gram in your luggage!
