French revolution News

Paris - Last Thursday emancipation arrived in the wardrobes of Parisian women when a law in force since 1800 banning women in the French capital from wearing trousers (pants) was finally revoked.

Paris - Plans for the €40 million Maison de l’Histoire de France in Paris were finally scrapped on December 31 by Francois Hollande's socialist government. The decision delighted many who believe France's rich history is too divisive.

Barcelona - When French King Louis XVI went to the guillotine in 1793 eager Parisians rushed to dip their handkerchiefs into the blood, as souvenirs of the event. DNA analysis now shows fabric placed in an ornate gourd contains blood of the beheaded monarch.

So sang Lennon, and ‘Revolution’ is also creeping into the vocabulary of the French public and politicians. They would do well to remind themselves of the murderous outcome of the French Revolution, and it's lessons, before starting another one.

France’s most iconic institution, the smoky café, are going to become a faded memory. The café used to boast some of finest thinkers, so what will happen to the modern thinkers?