Paris, Hotel de Ville
The Hotel de Ville, the city hall is the centre of political Paris. It was built in the Renaissance style between 1553 and 1628 and enlarged in 1803 and again in 1837. Because of a fire in 1771 the city hall had to be reconstructed and Théodore Ballu and Edouard Deperthes rebuilt the Hôtel de Ville in its original style. The building is decorated with 108 statues, representing famous Parisians. 30 Other statues represent French cities. The clock at the central tower is adorned with several feminine sculptures representing the Seine River, the city of Paris, 'Work' and 'Education'. The Hôtel de Ville is situated in the 4th arrondissement, near the Seine River.
