The Soaring Legacy of Hot Air Balloons in Paris: From 1783 to the 2024 Olympics
The history of hot air balloons is deeply intertwined with the city of Paris, where dreams of flight first became a reality. This journey, rooted in the Enlightenment, began with the audacious experiments of the Montgolfier brothers in the 18th century and continues to inspire innovation today. The 2024 Paris Olympics will pay tribute to this legacy with a unique, flying Olympic Cauldron, symbolizing France’s enduring spirit of creativity and adventure.
The Dawn of Ballooning: Paris, 1783
The 19th of September 1783 marks a pivotal moment in human history. For centuries, from Leonardo da Vinci’s designs to the ambitions of countless visionaries, humanity has yearned to conquer the skies. It was during the Age of Enlightenment that this dream took flight, thanks to the ingenuity of Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier. These brothers from Ardèche conducted a series of experiments beginning in 1782, using a fabric envelope inflated by the hot air produced from burning wool and wet straw. Their work captured the attention of the Académie royale des sciences, which invited them to demonstrate their
invention in Paris.
The Montgolfiers’ first successful captive flight occurred in 1783, a precursor to their grand demonstration before King Louis XVI at Versailles. On September 19, 1783, the Montgolfiers unveiled their balloon, named “Le Réveillon” in honor of their friend Jean-Baptiste Réveillon, who decorated the balloon with a regal azure background and golden motifs. This magnificent balloon, measuring 18.47 meters in height and 13.28 meters in width, carried an unusual crew—a sheep, a duck, and a rooster—chosen for their symbolic value and to assess the effects of flight on living beings.
At 1:00 PM, to the sound of a cannon, the balloon ascended from the courtyard of the Château de Versailles, much to the amazement of the gathered crowd, including the King and the Royal Family. The balloon soared to a height of 600 meters, traveling 3.5 kilometers before landing safely in the Bois de Vaucresson. The animals were unharmed, and the experiment was deemed a resounding success. This event paved the way for the first human flight, which took place on November 21, 1783, when Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d’Arlandes ascended in a hot air balloon from the Château de la Muette in Paris, marking the beginning of a new chapter in human achievement.
The Evolution of Ballooning and Paris’ Role
Following these early successes, Paris became a hub of aerial innovation. In December 1783, the physicist Jacques Charles launched the first hydrogen-filled balloon from the Tuileries Garden, attracting 400,000 spectators. This advancement, coupled with the Montgolfiers’ work, cemented Paris as the epicenter of ballooning. Nearly a century later, in 1878, the Tuileries Garden saw another significant innovation: Henri Giffard’s captive balloon, which brought the dream of flight to the masses.
The Tuileries Garden has remained a historic site for ballooning. In August 1946, during the Second National Congress of French Aviation, seven balloons ascended from the Tuileries, creating a spectacle that captivated Parisians despite the cloudy weather. The event was immortalized by the newsreel “Actualités françaises,” capturing one of the balloons drifting gracefully over Paris. The enduring connection between the Tuileries and aviation is a testament to the garden’s place in the history of flight.
The 2024 Paris Olympics: A Tribute to Innovation
The legacy of ballooning will once again be celebrated at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In a fitting homage to the history of flight in Paris, an immense luminous balloon will rise above the Tuileries Garden each evening, carrying the Olympic Cauldron designed by Mathieu Lehanneur, who also crafted the Olympic torch. This airborne cauldron honors the audacity and creativity that have defined French innovation for centuries. Its launch site is rich in history, as the Tuileries Garden has been a cradle for dozens of hot air balloons and gas balloons since the late 18th century, including Jacques Charles’s groundbreaking hydrogen balloon.
This modern cauldron represents more than just a nod to the past – it symbolizes the Games’ slogan, “Ouvrons Grand les Jeux” (“Let’s Open Wide the Games”), reflecting Paris’s spirit of inclusivity and imagination. The Olympic flame, soaring above the very site where early aviation history was made, will be a powerful reminder of the city’s role in pioneering human flight.
As Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, explains: “The lighting of the Cauldron is always a pivotal moment in the Games, marking their official start. For Paris 2024, we wanted to push the concept further, embodying the bold, creative, and sometimes crazy spirit of France. This flying Cauldron is not just a symbol of innovation, but a reflection of our desire to open the Games to everyone.”
In 2024, as the Olympic Cauldron soars above Paris, it will serve as a bridge between the past and the future, honoring the city’s rich history of innovation and its enduring connection to the skies, from the first hot air balloon flights to the spectacular tribute taking place at the heart of the Olympics.
AS Bordeaux