WHERE IS IT?
The Embassy of the French Republic is located at 11 Pariska Street, across from Kalemegdan Park. It is close to the Belgrade Cathedral, the Patriarchate, and the Austrian Embassy.
THE HISTORY
After gaining the autonomy of Serbia within the Ottoman Empire, France founded its first consulate in Belgrade in 1839. The first consul was François Duclos. The buildings of the French diplomatic mission changed, because the needs of the embassy exceeded the capacities of those buildings.
For many years, the building on the corner of Dositejeva and Braće Jugovića Streets served as an embassy and residence for French envoys. The George Eastman Museum in Rochester has a collection in its collection that is from 1900-1920. was photographed by Charles Chusseau Flaviens, and was given to our project team for use.
Although plans to buy the embassy building were made in the early 20th century, the land across from Kalemgdan was not purchased until 1923. The embassy was officially opened on December 21, 1935.
During the Second World War, the building of the French embassy was occupied by the German authorities in 1943, but in 1945 the building was returned to France. For a short period in 1999, when diplomatic relations were severed due to the NATO bombing of Serbia, the building did not serve as the French embassy.
THE EXTERIOR
The building of the French embassy was designed by the architect Roger-Henri Expert in the Art Deco style. After numerous delays, the cornerstone was finally laid in 1929, and the building was opened in 1935. Architect Expert skillfully adapted the magnificent art deco palace with sloping, uneven terrain oriented towards Kalemgdan Park. The external façade of the building is parallel to Pariska Street, and the two wings protrude at an angle of 45 degrees to the west and north. Using uneven terrain, Expert directed the building towards the height, so the main part of the building has 5 floors. The side wings are gradually lowered and are adapted for terraces that provide a beautiful view in different directions. In that way, a ruined building was obtained, made of white limestone, dominated by a central semicircular part, decorated with sculptural relief decoration and rhythmically placed window openings. The garden on the south and west sides additionally contributed to the overall elegant appearance of the exterior.
Together with Expert, the Belgrade architect Josif Najman also worked on the construction of the embassy, and the sculptor Carlo Sarrabezolles had special merits for the harmonious appearance of the building. His composition consisting of three female figures stands at the very top of the building and represents the allegories of Freedom with an olive branch, Equality in the middle, and Brotherhood on the right. The statues were cast in bronze, and due to complaints about the nudity of the central figure, a tunic was added to it. The marble relief decoration in the central semicircular part was made by sculptors led by Giuseppe Grassi, a sculptor of Swiss origin, who continued his professional career in Belgrade, where he lived and worked until his death.
The rectangular fields on the two wings of the building, above the window, symbolically depict key historical figures of France: Vercingetorix, Joan of Arc on the left, and Louis XIV on the right, and Marianne as a representation of the Republic. Above the side entrance from Gračanička Street is a bronze shield representing the figure of Mariana.
The façade on the inside towards the garden was decorated with relief compositions by Petar Palavičini, a famous Yugoslav sculptor. Relief compositions, placed symmetrically above the windows in two levels, are allegorical representations of hunting, youth and dance.
The large garden that covers the southeast side and the part towards Sime Markovića Street with a swimming pool and carefully nurtured vegetation also contributes to the beautiful appearance of the building.
THE INTERIOR
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
The establishment of diplomatic relations between France and Serbia began soon after the formation of the Principality of Serbia with the arrival of the first French consul in Belgrade in 1839. Since then, until today, Serbia and France, with short interruptions during the Second World War and during 1999, have maintained stable and friendly diplomatic ties. Relations between the two countries were especially close during the First World War, when France, its ally in the war - Serbia, provided significant financial and material assistance. Numerous Serbian soldiers and civilians stayed from 1915 until the end of the war at the French base Bizerte in North Africa (present-day Tunisia).
Improvised school for Serbian students in Bizerte, on the board you can see the inscription Vive le Serbie and Živila Francuska, private archive
In Bizerte, France provided protection and support to Serbian soldiers and civilians. The then governor of Bizerte, Admiral Emile Guepratte, stood out in that. During Admiral Guepratte visit to Belgrade in 1930, the citizens of Belgrade carried him in their arms from the railway station to Slavija, so the street they passed through was named Admiral Guepratte Street in his part, as it is still called today.
Bizerte, Admiral Geprat visits Serbian volunteers, private archive
Support continued at the end of the Great War, when France received 3,000 young Serbs by providing scholarships for their education at French schools and universities.
As a sign of gratitude for the support of Serbia, in 1930 a monument made by the sculptor Ivan Meštrović was erected in Kalemegdan Park. The monument depicts a female figure holding a sword, as an allegory of France, which provides assistance to Serbia in the assault.
Ivan Meštrović, Monument of Gratitude to France, 1930. Kalemgdan, Belgrade
In the interwar period, the French school of Saint Joseph was founded in Belgrade, founded by the nuns of the Order of the Assumption of Mary in 1926, at 4 Rankeova Street (today the Faculty of Dentistry). Due to the beginning of the Second World War, the institution ceased to operate in 1941. Classes were held in Serbian and French, and all lecturers were French. The French school still operates in Belgrade today.
After the turbulent events during the Second World War, when diplomatic relations were terminated, cooperation continued within Yugoslavia, and after the democratic changes in Serbia, relations between the two countries are strengthening and enabling cooperation at all levels.
Participants of the BELGRADE ADVENTURE project had the opportunity to visit the Embassy of the Republic of France on June 15, 2021. On that occasion, they toured the embassy building with the expert guidance of embassy officials and had the opportunity to paint all the rooms and artistic values in them. The participants of the project were warmly greeted and hosted by the French Ambassador Jean-Louis Falconi.
Written by Sofija Jovanović, Ognjen Nerandžić, Darija Njego i Jovana Dimitrijević