Pop Quiz #4, Answers

Here are the answers for yesterday's pop quiz.

1.  What is the "hexagon"?  Answer: The l'hexagone is France.  If you look at a map of mainland France, you can discern a 6-sided shape, consisting of three coastlines and three land borders.  Check it out.

Apparently, the term was first used in 1860's to explain the geographic shape of mainland France to elementary school students.  Over time, the term became commonplace and today it is used frequently in the media to refer to mainland France.  

The hexagon image also appears in many places:  on logos, like the logo of the French Football Federation, and even on coins, like the 1 Euro French coin.

2.  In the photo below, what does the symbol represent?

La Ville Paris entourée de Muses by Jean-Antoine Injalbert (1900), on the Petit Palais 

Answer: The ship symbol above represents the city of Paris.  No joke.  The symbol of Paris has long been a sailing ship, because of the historical importance of water commerce.  After all, Paris started as an island village and its growth over the centuries was fueled by shipping on the Seine.

According to the Parisian design firm Carre Noir:  "The logo is based on the nave - the historical symbol of Paris representing a boat, symbol of the capital for over a thousand years. The city’s motto is Fluctuat Nec Mergitur - Fluctuates but never sinks."

Below is the modern logo of Paris, which appears all around the city.  

3.  In the photo below, the area near the white van is a famous site.  What happened there?

Answer:  The site is the former location of the guillotine used during the Reign of Terror (1793-794) to execute Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, along with more than a 1,000 others.

One of those executed by guillotine during the Revolution was the Duke of Biron.  His last words to his executioner were:  "Mon ami, veux-tu bien permettre que je finisse ma dernière douzaine d’huitres?  ("My friend will you let me finish my last dozen oysters?")

If you correctly answered three questions, then give yourself a pat on the back and enjoy a croissant or glass of French wine, because you must be at least a little bit French to answer all three questions correctly.  

P.S.  Below is a photo of the brass marker near the center of the Place de la Concorde.  The marker recalls the 1763 founding of the square as the Place Louis XIV.  During the Revolution, it was renamed the Place de la Revolution and was the principal site of public executions from 1792-1795, including the 1793 executions of Loius XVI and Marie-Antoinette.