The city limits of Paris from the 4th century to 2015

The city walls of Paris ( French: ''enceintes de Paris'' or ''murs de Paris'') refers to the city walls that surrounded

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, as it grew from

ancient times Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...

until the 20th century, built primarily to defend the city but also for administrative reasons. Several successive city walls were built over the centuries, either adding to existing walls or replacing demolished ones, through 1846, when construction of the

Thiers wall The Thiers wall (''Enceinte de Thiers'') was the last of the defensive walls of Paris. It was an enclosure constructed between 1841 and 1846 and was proposed by the French prime minister Adolphe Thiers but was actually implemented by his succe ...

was completed.

Overview

The city walls of Paris include: *a Gaulish enclosure (precise location unknown) *a Gallo-Roman wall *two medieval walls, one of which was the Wall of Philip II Augustus *the

Wall of Charles V The wall of Charles V, built from 1356 to 1383 is one of the city walls of Paris. It was built on the right bank of the river Seine outside the wall of Philippe Auguste. In the 1640s, the western part of the wall of Charles V was demolished and ...

, extending on the right bank of the River Seine *the , extending on the western part of the right bank *the Wall of the Farmers-General, for tax purposes *the

. As Paris rapidly expanded to become one of the largest cities in Europe, new walls were built to consolidate the existing city with new houses, gardens, and vegetable fields. Many historical walls were eventually destroyed (as in 1670, when

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

ordered the demolition of the Louis XIII Wall), and the paths formerly occupied by the walls were often repurposed into streets or boulevards. Only a few sections of the Wall of the Farmers-General (pavilions of

Claude Nicolas Ledoux Claude-Nicolas Ledoux (21 March 1736 – 18 November 1806) was one of the earliest exponents of French Neoclassical architecture. He used his knowledge of architectural theory to design not only domestic architecture but also town planning; as ...

) and the Wall of Philippe Auguste survive to the present day. The walls' influence on modern Paris can still be seen on some of its major streets and boulevards, such as: *the

Grands boulevards The Boulevards of Paris are boulevards which form an important part of the urban landscape of Paris. The boulevards were constructed in several phases by central government initiative as infrastructure improvements, but are very much associated w ...

(main streets), built by replacing the Charles V and Louis XIII Walls *the parallel streets Rue de Cléry and

Rue d'Aboukir ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of ''Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluis ...

(2nd Arrondissement), tracing the route of the Charles V Wall *the outer boulevards, built in place of the Wall of the Farmers-General *the

Boulevards of the Marshals The Boulevards of the Marshals (french: link=no, Boulevards des Maréchaux) are a collection of thoroughfares that encircle the city of Paris, France, just inside its city limits. Most bear the name of a Marshal of the Empire, marshal of the Firs ...

, a loop encircling the city consisting of boulevards named for the

Marshals of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

, built to replace the Thiers wall *the

Boulevard Périphérique The Boulevard Périphérique (), often called the Périph', is a controlled-access dual-carriageway ring road in Paris, France. With a few exceptions (see '' Structure and Layout''), it is situated along Paris's administrative limit. The sp ...

(ring road or beltway), built beyond the loop of the Boulevards of the Marshals.

Gaulish enclosure

Prior to the Roman occupation of

Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...

, the settlement that eventually became the city of Paris was known to the Romans as

Lutetia The Gallo-Roman town of ''Lutetia'' (''Lutetia Parisiorum'' in Latin, in French ''Lutèce'') was the predecessor of the modern-day city of Paris. It was founded in about the middle of the 3rd century BCE by the Parisii, a Gallic tribe. Trac ...

and inhabited by the Parisii tribe. The town lacked proper defenses and was therefore partially demolished at the beginning of the Roman occupation. The first wall of Paris was probably built by the Gauls on the River Seine, although its exact location is unknown. In his ''

Commentaries on the Gallic War ''Commentarii de Bello Gallico'' (; en, Commentaries on the Gallic War, italic=yes), also ''Bellum Gallicum'' ( en, Gallic War, italic=yes), is Julius Caesar's firsthand account of the Gallic Wars, written as a third-person narrative. In it Ca ...

'',

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

wrote: ''"Id est oppidum Parisiorum, quod positum est in insula fluminis Sequanae"'' ("This is a town of the Parisii, situated on an island on the river of the Seine"), indicating that Lutetia was a fortified camp on an island. The relationship between this island and the

Île de la Cité Île de la Cité (; English: City Island) is an island in the river Seine in the center of Paris. In the 4th century, it was the site of the fortress of the Roman governor. In 508, Clovis I, the first King of the Franks, established his palace ...

has not been demonstrated, and excavations have not uncovered anything predating the reign of

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

, the first Roman Emperor. Adding to the uncertainty is the 2003 discovery of the remains of a city on a site now occupied by

Nanterre Nanterre (, ) is the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department in the western suburbs of Paris. It is located some northwest of the centre of Paris. In 2018, the commune had a population of 96,807. The eastern part of Nanterre, bordering t ...

Gallo-Roman wall

Lutetia developed on the left bank of the Seine during Roman times, and to a lesser extent on the Île de la Cité. The right bank was largely uninhabitable due to marshes. During the first barbarian invasions in AD 285, the people of Lutetia abandoned the left bank, taking refuge on the

and destroying the bridges. The eastern half of the island was protected by a wall, constructed of rocks collected from the Arènes de Lutèce.

First medieval wall

Traces of an enclosure at the corner of the rue de l'Arbre-Sec and the

rue de Rivoli Rue de Rivoli (; English: "Rivoli Street") is a street in central Paris, France. It is a commercial street whose shops include leading fashionable brands. It bears the name of Napoleon's early victory against the Austrian army, at the Battle of R ...

were discovered in 2009 during excavations made by (INRAP), the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. This confirmed the probable existence of an enclosure around the centre of Paris on the right bank around the 10th century. This wall was most likely built as a result of a Viking siege in 885 and was constructed by either

Odo of France Odo (french: Eudes; c. 857 – 1 January 898) was the elected King of West Francia from 888 to 898. He was the first king from the Robertian dynasty. Before assuming the kingship, Odo was the count of Paris. His reign marked the definitive sepa ...

Robert I of France The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

. The fortification had a ditch and was likely supported by a wooden fence.

Wall of Philip Augustus

Paris grew very quickly during the early Middle Ages and soon extended from the

Montagne Sainte-Geneviève The Montagne Sainte-Geneviève is a hill overlooking the left bank of the Seine in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. It was known to the ancient Romans as .Hilaire Belloc, ''Paris (Methuen & Company, 1900)'' Retrieved June 14, 2016 Atop the Mont ...

to the roads leading to the abbey of Saint-Denis. A new wall was begun in 1190 on the order and funding of King

Philip II of France Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), byname Philip Augustus (french: Philippe Auguste), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks, but from 1190 onward, Philip became the first French m ...

(also known as Philip Augustus) and was completed by 1213, enclosing 253 hectares on both sides of the Seine. This new wall was thick in some places, protected by wide and deep ditches, and was fortified with as many as five hundred towers. The Wall of Philippe Auguste ran from the current location of the

Pont des Arts The Pont des Arts or Passerelle des Arts is a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the River Seine. It links the Institut de France and the central square (''cour carrée'') of the Palais du Louvre, (which had been termed the "Palais des Ar ...

, approached the porte Saint-Honoré, opened at the porte Coquillière, reached the porte Saint-Denis, porte Mauconseil, porte Babette, came to rue Vielle-du-Temple, the rue des Francs-Bourgeois, to the porte Baudoyer and the quai des Célestins. On the south side, the wall picked up at the Palais de la Tournelle, opened at the porte Saint-Victor, porte Bordet, porte Saint-Jacques, Porte Saint-Michel, porte des Corderliers, near the cour de la Commerce, the porte de Buci, and ended at the Tour de Nesle. Many elements of the wall's structure were later incorporated into private buildings or into the subsequent

Wall of Charles V

The Wall of Charles V was built from 1356 to 1383, during the reign of

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

and his son and successor Charles VI. The area enclosed on the left bank remained the same as with the Wall of Philippe Auguste, but the area enclosed on the right bank increased to include the mansions of the

Marais Marais (, meaning "marsh") may refer to: People * Marais (given name) * Marais (surname) Other uses * Le Marais, historic district of Paris * Théâtre du Marais, the name of several theatres and theatrical troupes in Paris, France * Marais (c ...

and the Templar enclosure. The new city limits totaled 439 hectares across the two banks. During the construction of the Wall of Louis XIII, the Wall of Charles V was partly incorporated into the new wall and partly destroyed.

Louis XIII Wall

The

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

Wall, also known as the "yellow ditches wall", was designed by Jacques Lemercier and built between 1633 and 1636. It enlarged the Wall of Charles V over the western part of the right bank (now the First and Second Arrondissements). From 1670 onward,

believed that Paris had been made a secure city as a result of his conquests, and he therefore ordered the wall destroyed. Its route was later replaced with the

grands boulevards The Boulevards of Paris are boulevards which form an important part of the urban landscape of Paris. The boulevards were constructed in several phases by central government initiative as infrastructure improvements, but are very much associated w ...

Wall of the Farmers-General

The Wall of the Farmers-General was built in the years between 1784 and 1791 under the direction of

and at the request of the

Ferme Générale The ''ferme générale'' (, "general farm") was, in ''ancien régime'' France, essentially an outsourced customs, excise and indirect tax operation. It collected duties on behalf of the King (plus hefty bonus fees for themselves), under renewable ...

. It enclosed 3,402 hectares, including the village of Austerlitz, which was incorporated into Paris in 1818. Unlike previous walls, the goal of this wall was not to defend Paris, but to collect taxes and fees on behalf of the government which caused much resentment from the public. It was destroyed when the city limits were extended to the Thiers wall in 1860. This wall was later replaced by a second belt of boulevards: Charonne, Ménilmontant, Belleville, La Villette, La Chapelle, Clichy, Batignolles, Courcelles, avenue de Wagram and Iena, streets Benjamin Franklin and Alboni, boulevard de Grenelle, Garibaldi, Pasteur, Montparnasse, Edgar Quinet, Raspail, Saint-Jacques, Auguste-Blanqui, Vincent Auriol, Bercy, and Picpus.

Thiers Wall

The Thiers wall was constructed from 1841 to 1846 after being proposed by prime minister and future President of France Adolphe Thiers. It enclosed 7,802 hectares along the present-day Boulevards des Maréchaux and a glacis extending to the location of today's

. It was demolished between 1919 and 1929. Image:Poterne-des-peupliers.jpg, The poterne des Peupliers, the only remaining trace of the Thiers wall Image:PANTIN - La Porte d'Allemagne.JPG, The porte de Pantin about 1908 Image:Abeille 2 - STO - Vue générale - Vue des Fortifications.JPG, The ''fortifs zone'', in Saint-Ouen

References

Bibliography

*Renaud Gagneux et Denis Prouvost, ''Sur les traces des enceintes de Paris'', Parigramme, 2004. *Jacques Hillairet, ''Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris''. *Guy le Hallé, ''Histoire des fortifications de Paris et leur extension en Île-de-France'', Éditions Horvath, 1995. *Guy le Hallé, in « Paris aux cent villages », mensuel (mai 1975–janvier 1982) :

External links

Paris walls (with a map)

Guy Le Hallé, ''The history of "fortifications" (Thiers wall) à Saint-Ouen''