The Quai d'Orsay ( , ) is a

quay A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths ( mooring locatio ...

in the

7th arrondissement of Paris The 7th arrondissement of Paris (''VIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''le septième''. The arrondissement, called Palais-Bourbon in a r ...

. It is part of the

left bank In geography, a bank is the land alongside a body of water. Different structures are referred to as ''banks'' in different fields of geography, as follows. In limnology (the study of inland waters), a stream bank or river bank is the terra ...

of the

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/ Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributa ...

opposite the

Place de la Concorde The Place de la Concorde () is one of the major public squares in Paris, France. Measuring in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. ...

. The Quai becomes the

Quai Anatole-France Quai Anatole-France is a quay on the south bank of the River Seine in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. Location At 585 meters long, Quai Anatole-France begins after Quai Voltaire, at the level of rue du Bac, and continues as quai d'O ...

east of the

Palais Bourbon The Palais Bourbon () is the meeting place of the National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French Parliament. It is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, on the '' Rive Gauche'' of the Seine, across from the Place de la Con ...

, and the Quai Branly west of the

Pont de l'Alma The Pont de l'Alma ( en, Alma Bridge) is a road bridge in Paris, France, across the Seine. It was named to commemorate the Battle of Alma during the Crimean War, in which the Ottoman-Franco-British alliance achieved victory over the Russian a ...

History

The Quai ( rue du Bac) has historically played an important role in French art as a location to which many artists came to paint along the banks of the river Seine. Construction of the wharf proceeded slowly. The

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs () is the ministry of the Government of France that handles France's foreign relations. Since 1855, its headquarters have been located at 37 Quai d'Orsay, close to the National Assembly. The term Qu ...

is located on the Quai d'Orsay, between the Esplanade des Invalides and the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...

at the Palais Bourbon, and thus the ministry is often called the Quai d'Orsay by

metonymy Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept. Etymology The words ''metonymy'' and ''metonym'' come from grc, μετωνυμία, 'a change of name ...

. The building containing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was built between 1844 and 1855 by Jacques Lacornée. The statues of the facade were created by the sculptor

Henri de Triqueti Baron Henri Joseph François de Triqueti (24 October 1803 – 11 May 1874), also spelt Henry de Triqueti, was a French sculptor and artist. Early life and education Henri Joseph François de Triqueti was born in the Château du Perthuis in Conf ...

(1870). The

Treaty of Versailles (1919) The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 19 ...

was negotiated and written at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The

American Church in Paris The American Church in Paris (formerly the American Chapel in Paris) was the first American church established outside the United States. It traces its roots back to 1814, and the present church building - located at 65 Quai d'Orsay in the 7th ...

, located at 65 Quai d'Orsay, was built in 1931.American Church in Paris
accessed 1 December 2022

Name's origin

The Quai d'Orsay is named after Charles Boucher, Lord of

Orsay Orsay () is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. A fortified location of the Chevreuse valley since the 8th centur ...

, who was appointed administrator of commerce for the city of Paris from 1700 to 1708. Orsay is a town 21 km south of the centre of Paris.

Gallery

Image:Quai D'Orsay Paris.JPG, A Metro sign File:Hôtel du ministre des Affaires étrangères, façade côté jardin PA00088723 (8).jpg, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1844-1855)

References

External links

Official web site of the Ministry building
* Orsay, Quai d' Buildings and structures in the 7th arrondissement of Paris {{Paris-road-stub