Well P'Nichers, we are really going to be pushing the pedal to the metal in the P'Niche Time Travel Machine today, so I hope you have enough snacks to last us (I've packed my macarons to go) - we are heading back to ye olde medieval Paris. Beep Beep - Allons-y (let's go!)
Today, we will be looking at walls. Wait, don't go! And no, not the charming I Love You Wall, but rather, Parisian fortifications. Keep your hands inside the time travel machine at all times and while we are in transit, let me take this brief pause to remind you that there have been eight reiterations of walls, all enlarging Paris, with each new construction. These expansions created the Paris we recognize today.
These walls were...
The Gaulish enclosure
The Gallo-Roman wall
Medieval Wall I
Medieval Wall II - The Wall of Philippe Auguste
The Wall of Charles V
The Louis XIII Wall
The Wall of the Farmers-General
The Thiers Wall
If you can imagine, our first stop lands us circa 58 and 50 BCE, and the conquering of Gaul by Caesar and his troops.
Now, here is where it gets a touch tricky - many people feel that the Gaul wall was not around Paris, but rather, Nanterre. Needless to say, the remnants of wall are no where to be found, so we choose to believe that the wall surrounded Paris (well Lutetia to those guys)...
Caesar noted in his (wildly popular?) Commentaries on the Gallic War, "Id est oppidum Parisiorum, quod positum est in insula fluminis Sequanae" Translated, we see that Paris was now an established (and fortified) camp on an island, paired with the natural protection of the Seine.
Fun Fact: Sequanae (Sequana) is the goddess of the River Seine, most notably, the springs at the source of the Seine. As we've said before - "Paris is a woman!"
As we move forward to around 285 AD, to the Gallo-Roman time period, we note that while many inhabitants of Lutetia/Paris developed and set up house on the Left Bank (avoiding the marshy right bank - we see you le Marais!), we've stumbled into a Barbarian invasion (bummer!) This led to the construction of the a new wall to protect the eastern side of the island, constructed mainly of stone curated from the Arènes de Lutèce. You can still see the original outline of this wall of you happen to look down on your stroll of rue de la Colombe.
Zooming forward to the tenth century(ish) we believe a new wall / enclosure is likely to have existed during these medieval times.
This wall would have protected the right bank.
INRAP (Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives), which is the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research, has conducted research, and in 2009, discovered traces of this wall - located at the corner of rue de l'Arbre-Sec and rue de Rivoli (75001).
Moving ever forward, we have arrived at 1190-1213 and the construction of the Wall of Philip II of France (Philippe Auguste). As it was built into already existing buildings, you can still see bits of the wall as you stroll Paris today.
He was so diligent in protecting Paris, that he largely self funded the construction - 253 hectares, flanking the Seine.
Some of these elements were even seen in...
The Wall of Charles V. Erected between 1356 to 1381, it allowed for protection of the right bank to be increased. The right bank now included mansion in Le Marais as well as the Templar Enclosure. This new fortification went well west of le Louvre (which was now a residence, not a royal palace, but did boast a new library with nearly 1,000 books - incredibly valuable of the time.
P'Niche fun fact - one of the gates of the Charles V Wall was the Porte Saint Denis. See, Paris history is all falling into place!
We are now at 1633 and the construction of the Louis XIII Wall (AKA: The Yellow Ditches Wall). Sure, why not?
This wall was the creative design of Jacques Lemercrier and served to enlarge the existing Charles V Wall.
Overconfident in the safety of his city, and his own military might, Louis XIV ordered the destruction of both the Charles V Wall and Louis III Wall, replacing it with designs for the Grands Boulevards.
Vrooming to the times of pre-French Revolution, we are at 1784 and the construction of the Wall of the Ferme Générale.
Not for protection, this wall served to enforce the payment of taxes of goods entering Paris. In fact, there were 61 taxation rotundas built into this wall, one of which can still be seen in le Parc Monceau. Named the Pavilion de Chartres, it was built to resemble a Doric temple and now serves as a public restroom to lucky park dwellers.
We've arrived at the last of our walls - the Thiers Wall - constructed between 1841 and 1844, after a law was passed by Prime Minister Adolphe Thiers requiring the refortification of Parisian barriers.
The 33km (21 mile) long wall (and ditch) completely enveloped Paris (psst - think le Périphérique) - but didn't last long, being entirely demolished before 1930. P'Niche wonders if the many American expats of the time saw this wall and incorporated into their words and works of art?
There are still several traces of these walls to be see in Paris (and beyond). One of these spots even boasts a basketball hoop for kids to play beside - can you imagine?! I won't list all the locations as the chase is part of the pleasure, but tell me, P'Nicher - have you seen traces of this history or are you now digging through ye olde medieval maps to chart your journey? Let us in the comments below et à bientôt!
Merci beaucoup for this wonderful journey. I love these tidbits of history. (What's French for tidbit?) Yes, I specifically sought out the custom house near the entrance to the Catacombs on the Place Denfert-Rochereau. One of my characters in "Her Own Legacy" was involved in tearing the wall down the day before the Storming of the Bastille. Those barriers played a big part in the "Scarlett Pimpernel," also!
You should compile these wonderful tidbits in a book, Chrissy! They are wonderful. Brava! Debra