Sam Solomon

2.21.00

Birth of Modern Europe

Paris Group Background Information: Physical Evolution

The city of Paris was originally founded on the Ile de la CitŽ, an island in the Seine river, soon spreading onto the left and right banks of the river. The growth of the city coincided with changes in French politics and society and was the home of both the aristocracy and a growing working class.

During the middle ages, protective walls enclosed the city as it grew slowly. Most of the streets were small and curved, and there were few avenues (or other public spaces) of significance, though the aristocratic citizens had their own private spaces and palaces. One example of this is the Louvre, a huge palace built by Catherine de Medici.

With the renaissance and baroque periods came significant changes. As the power of the French monarchy, centered in Paris, grew, individual kings used their newfound control to create public spaces in their honor. These spaces included avenues, such as the Champs ƒlyseŽs, boulevards where the city walls had been, and places. These places were devoted to the Kings under whose reign they were installed, and usually included equestrian statues or obelisks to symbolize the greatness of the monarchy. Some examples are the Place des Vosges (1605-12), Place Vendome (1670-1720), Place de Victoires (1687), and Place Dauphine (?), ordered by style from Renaissance to more Baroque construction. (Morris, History of Urban Form., pp. 160-163) In addition to these enclosed spaces was the Place de la Concorde , part of a number of extensions to the Champs ƒlyseŽs . This space was constructed in honor of Louis XV, who held a contest for architects to design a place in his honor. The sites suggested were all around the city in key locations, indicating the extreme power and importance that the monarchy had in early 18th century Paris.(Morris, pp.166-168) Although there were some public spaces constructed during this period, very little was done to improve the private sectors of the city. The drainage and sewage systems were, for all purposes, non-existent, as were many other commodities that might improve the quality of life for poorer citizens. In addition, the streets in residential areas were a tangled mess, a vestige of the medieval city, and could hardly be trafficked.

During the French Revolution, little was done to change the structure of Paris, although there were plans for reform that would have affected the lives of the citizens. These plans involved building new, larger streets for the purpose of transportation (not beauty or power), which would have especially aided inhabitants of the less wealthy and developed Left Bank. When Napoleon took power, he restored some of the practices of the Bourbon Kings, such as the installment of large monuments. One example of this is his huge Arc de Triomphe, an arch over the Champs ƒlyseŽs, constructed to honor NapoleonÕs military victories. (World Book Encyclopedia 1988, p.P163)

Despite the many additions made to Paris before 1830, little was done to change the appearance and structure of this overcrowded, filthy, and unnavigable city. (Olsen, The City as a Work of Art. p.35) Paris maintained its medieval nature and much work was to be done before it could catch up with the more modern Enlightenment and other 17th-19th century movements. Ê