Application: Master in ManagementCamille Petit

K. If all of the world's cultural heritage (sports, music, fashion, architecture, literature, painting)

was contained in a time capsule, what would you include to demonstrate the legacy of your

country?

The French Legacy

The French culture

• France is an old country with a rich

and long History.

• It is composed by one big territory in

western Europe and overseas regions

and territories (e.g. French Guiana,

Réunion, French Polynesia, Saint

Martin).

• Even though Paris is the most famous

city of the country, the French culture

is a lot more than Paris.

• Therefore, the French culture is rich

and very diverse.

The legacy of

• The values of France and of its

people

• French Cuisine

• Fashion and « Haute-Couture »

• Landmarks

• Architecture

• French Literature

• France, a sports nation

• Traditions and celebrations

The values of France and its people

Freedom, Equality, Fraternity

• Those three words are the national motto of France and

are defined in The Declaration of the Rights of Man and

of the Citizen of 1789.

• E.g. “Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything

which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the

natural rights of each man has no limits except

those which assure to the other members of the

society the enjoyment of the same rights. These

limits can only be determined by law.”*

• French people are very attached to their freedoms

especially the Freedom of speech that they will keep

defending.

“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend

to the death your right to say it” - Voltaire

* Article 4, The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

French Cuisine

• France is famous for its cuisine and its local products. It is an

important part of the French culture.

• France is also known for its traditional full meal composed of a

starter, a main dish, cheese and a dessert.

In order to demonstrate the legacy of my country, I would include:

• Food: raclette, ratatouille, cheeses (e.g. camembert, roquefort), bread (baguette),

pastries (e.g. macarons, canelé, Mille-Feuille), viennoiserie (e.g. croissant), desserts

(e.g. crêpes, crème brûlée)

• Beverages: wine, champagne, spirits (e.g. Pastis, Cognac, Calvados), cider

Fashion and « Haute-Couture »

• Paris has often been considered

as one of the world’s fashion

capitals. Several international

and most famous fashion brands

are French such as Christian Dior,

Chanel, Givenchy or Jean-Paul

Gaultier.

• We also often speak about « élégance à

la française », which is a sophisticated

style used by many French people.

Landmarks

Like any country, France has monuments and places that

demonstrate its legacy throughout its History.

Palace of Versailles The Louvre Museum Mont Saint Michel

Eiffel Tower Pont du Gard Carcassonne City

Landmarks

Arc de Triomphe Arènes de Nîmes Loire Valley castles

La Défense (Business District)

Architecture

• Each French region has its specific

architectural style. This diversity is

what makes the French culture so

rich.

• We also have some very famous

Architects:

• Louis Le Vau (e.g. Palace of

Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte)

• Jules Hardouin Mansart (e.g.

extension of the palace of

Versailles, Place Vendôme)

• Gustave Eiffel (e.g. Eiffel Tower)

• Jean Nouvel (e.g. Arab World

Institute, Cartier Foundation)

• Auguste Bartholdi (e.g. The Statue

of the Liberty, Lion of Belfort)

French Literature

Among the world classic novels and plays, several French titles and

authors appear:

• Victor Hugo (Les Misérables, The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

• Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (The Little Prince)

• Jules Verne (Around the World in 80 Days)

• Molière (The Misanthrope, The Imaginary Invalid)

• Emile Zola (The Rougon-Macquart)

• Alexandre Dumas (The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers)

France, a sports nation

Sports are very important in France and form the pattern of the

French sport addicts’ lives throughout the year.

The most popular sports are soccer (called football), rugby, cycling

(Tour de France), basketball, handball, tennis and pétanque (mostly

in the South).

Traditions and Celebrations

• Bastille Day (14th July): It is a tribute to the storming of the Bastille in 1789

with a military parade along the Champs-Elysées and in other French

cities. It is also the French national day.

• Epiphany (6th January): This is the day we eat kings cakes with charms

inside

• Candlemas: This is the day we eat crepes

• Mardi Gras: This is the day of Carnival throughout the whole country

• April 1st (called « Poisson d’Avril » in French, or literally « the fish of

April »): It is mostly celebrated at school where the children stick paper

fish on each other’s back