sommaire juillet Navigating Navigo Euro June 12: .648 Top Terraces Euro May 14: .646 L’Eau Below Rain Days: 12 Ballon Air de Paris PARIS High Temp: 76°F/24°C Livres Rares de Jean de Bonnot Low Temp: 58°F/14°C Jewelry Jewels notes Nat’l Holidays: July 14, Aug 15 July / August 2008 P Volume 17 Issue 6 Digging Deep By Mary McAuliffe With a little digging, you can uncover the earliest layers of Paris history

f you were suddenly transported back to the on the Left. Two bridges (at the present sites of Julian (soon to become emperor) chose the city Paris of 1890 and decided to take a walk, the Petit-Pont and Pont Notre-Dame) linked as his headquarters—as did one of his imperial you might soon find yourself on the edge of both sides of this thoroughfare, facilitating com- successors. Ia large construction site bordering Notre Dame. merce throughout Lutetia and beyond—south The empire continued its meltdown, and There, among the workmen and the debris, you to Orléans and north to the sea. by the late fifth century its western portion had would very likely encounter a small man with a All was well for the first three centuries, collapsed. But Lutetia, now governed by the sharp face, top hat and goatee. Under his super- and Lutetia—a strategic crossroads in the Germanic Franks and known as Paris (after the vision, the workmen have stopped their excava- Roman imperial system—grew to respectable Celtic Parisii), continued in a modest way to tion to extract a large block of stone. The prosper. That is, until the ninth century, gentleman you are watching, a man by the when the Vikings arrived, leaving devasta- name of Théodore Vacquer, has been wait- tion in their wake. For many years thereaf- ing for this moment. Because this block of ter, Paris remained a ghost town, shrunken stone is special—a fragment of sculpture to scarcely more than the Ile de la Cité. dating back almost 2,000 years, when Paris Paris began its near-miraculous recov- was part of the Roman Empire. ery in the 11th century, and its climb to Roman Empire? Yes, indeed. Here glory came soon after. By this time, its on the banks of the Seine, a Celtic tribe Gallo-Roman history was long forgotten. called the Parisii once lived in peaceful Yes, there still were a few visual reminders obscurity, until an ambitious Roman by of the past—remnants of the forum, the the name of Julius Caesar led his legions baths, the amphitheater and the Cité’s into Gaul. After soundly defeating scores walls. But these meant little or nothing of Celtic tribes, including the Parisii (in to medieval Parisians, who conjured up 52 BC), Caesar and his victorious Romans unlikely tales to explain the ruins’ presence. added Gaul to their holdings and methodi- The forum, for example, was believed to cally took over. In time, the Parisii fishing have been the family home of Ganelon, village—which the Romans named Lutetia— size, with a population of between 8,000 and legendary betrayer of Charlemagne’s noble acquired a temple and administrative buildings 10,000. During these years, the conquered Celts henchman, Roland. Moreover, when it came to on what we now call the Ile de la Cité, as well mingled with their Roman conquerors. Many practical matters, the people of medieval Paris as centrally heated houses on the Left Bank hill even became Roman citizens. The result was a could not be bothered with preservation. Many now known as Montagne Ste-Geneviève, high culture that we now call “Gallo-Roman,” a term of the stones of the ruined amphitheater (the above the marshy shores of the Seine. that acknowledges Roman influence on Gaul’s Arènes) disappeared into Paris’ 12th-century During the next several centuries, the conquered people, including those of Lutetia, wall—much as, during precarious Gallo-Roman Romans built a forum between what now are who became Romanized without entirely losing times, stones from this same source had bol- the Luxembourg Gardens and the Panthéon, their Celtic ways. stered Lutetia’s third-century fortifications. as well as a large amphitheater—a portion of This peaceful blending of cultures, which Time and neglect buried the rest, and when which is still visible along Rue Monge at Rue took place under the auspices of the Pax Roma- in 1711 workers digging a vault beneath Notre de Navarre (5th). Being Romans, they also na, began to encounter heavy weather during the Dame’s choir discovered five large carved blocks built several public baths, one of which can still last part of the third century AD, as barbarians of stone dedicated to the Roman god Jupiter be seen, dramatically adjoining the Hôtel de stepped up their probes of soft spots along the and dating from the reign of emperor Tiberius, Cluny (5th). To supplement their water supply, Empire’s periphery. Although situated some it created a sensation. Those eagerly deciphering they constructed a lengthy aqueduct leading distance from the frontier, Lutetia was neverthe- the roughly carved Latin inscription learned that in from the south and paralleling what now is less vulnerable. In response to growing insecurity these stones, which originally were mounted on Rue St-Jacques. And, as elsewhere throughout throughout the region, Lutetia’s residents erected top of one another, had been erected early in the the empire, the Romans provided Lutetia with a wall around the Ile de la Cité as well as around first century AD by the Nautes, a group of boat- a grid of well-built roads, including a major their forum, and the city (now bolstered by a men who controlled river traffic on the Seine. north-south thoroughfare that now is Rue St- military camp) developed into a garrison. In the This Pilier des Nautes (shown), or Boatmen’s Martin on the Right Bank and Rue St-Jacques middle of the fourth century, the Roman general Pillar, which today is (continued on page 7) Digging Deep, continued from page 1 Boulevard St-Michel (5th). Gallo-Roman collection back into public view. During these years, public outcry managed Now displayed in the museum’s Orangerie, it regarded as the oldest surviving sculpture from to preserve a portion of the Gallo-Roman includes an astonishing variety of survivors from Gallo-Roman Lutetia, has long been a special amphitheater (the Arènes), although unfortu- Paris’ Gallo-Roman age: glass bottles and vases, prize of the Musée National du Moyen Age, nately this outcry occurred too late to save the jewelry and hair pins, an inkwell and a lovely Thermes et Hôtel de Cluny (6 Place Paul- rest, which had already been demolished to statuette of Mercury, who was a popular deity Painlevé, 5th). After a recent four-year absence make way for Rue Monge and a bus depot. But among the Romanized Gauls. An especially win- for restoration, this pillar currently resides perhaps by way of compensation, two additional ning ring-shaped vessel bears the Latin words, with other antiquities in the frigidarium of the baths were discovered (the one beneath the Col- “Hostess, fill my flask with beer!” In addition, Roman baths, or thermes, which are one of the lège de France on Rue des Ecoles, and the other a variety of intriguing items were gleaned from museum’s highlights. on Rue Gay-Lussac, 5th), as well as a theater (on those quiet cemeteries located outside the Antiquities continued to turn up at con- the site of the Lycée St-Louis, Rue Racine, 6th). ancient city limits. Nearby are scale models of struction sites, such as the Luxembourg Gardens Remnants of the Gallo-Roman aqueduct were Lutetia’s forum and amphitheater—both of and the Panthéon, but the antiquarians who also found along present-day Rue St-Jacques them impressive structures for what was, in fact, collected and even catalogued these rarities did (5th), where it entered Lutetia from the south. a small town. not really know what to make of them. Nor In addition to these large architectural My favorite Carnavalet treasure is a pair did royalty, even when Louis XVIII came of shoes with studded soles, buried with to the rescue of Cluny’s ruined Roman their owner. Accompanying the shoes are baths by clearing out the tradesmen who a utilitarian-looking plate and ceramic had set up shop inside and removing bottle—items from the fellow’s daily life. encroaching structures, such as a garden on These provide a nice homey touch, but the roof. Soon after, King Louis-Philippe it is the presence of the well-worn shoes had the idea of integrating these baths that I find especially moving. Given the with a museum meant to hold the Pilier footwear, the man probably was a soldier, des Nautes—a forerunner of today’s Musée and the humble elements of his life have National du Moyen Age. Yet despite these miraculously survived for almost two mil- monarchs’ good intent, the spirit that lennia. moved them seems to have been heavily Finds like this are still going on laced with romanticism and civic pride. throughout the heart of what used to be Not surprisingly, the story of Paris’ origins Lutetia. In the early 1990s, the Commis- remained muddled. sion du Vieux Paris discovered a small And then, around the middle of the group of first-century habitations in Place 19th century, an architect named Théodore André-Honnorat, in the Luxembourg Vacquer began to visit the numerous construc- discoveries, there were countless smaller finds— Gardens (6th). Recently, work on the remains tion sites that were emerging under the direction fragments of sarcophagi and pieces of sculpture, of some of the earliest dwellings in Lutetia, of Napoleon III’s prefect of the Seine, Baron broken bits of friezes and other architectural located in the courtyard of the Institut Curie Georges Haussmann. Baron Haussmann had in decorations. Many of these had come from (26 Rue d’Ulm, 5th) has been completed. mind a city of the future, of broad boulevards Gallo-Roman trash-heaps, used to reinforce For a video of this exciting discovery, click on and flattened cityscapes as well as a monumental Lutetia’s fortifications during perilous times. www.inrap.fr/archeologie-preventive/Decouvrir/ new sewer system. To achieve this, Haussmann More of Paris’ Gallo-Roman history turned Audiovisuels/Reportages_videos/p-1178- tore out the narrow winding streets of medieval up in the second half of the 20th century, Aux_origines_de_la_Lutece_romaine.htm. Paris, leveled the city’s innumerable hills and during a spate of excavations for underground Like others throughout Paris, this dig has rises, and dug deep into the accumulated dirt parking garages. Most important of these was been covered over, and a new building now and rubbish of the centuries. Vacquer was there the striking discovery beneath the Parvis of hides it forever. So where do you go to find the to record and save what the workmen uncov- Notre Dame: multiple layers of houses, streets remains of Gallo-Roman Paris? First, head to the ered, and since so much of Haussmann’s projects and fortifications—an accumulation of Parisian stunning Crypte Archéologique de Notre-Dame, took place in the center of Paris, directly above life going back to Gallo-Roman times (now located on the Ile de la Cité beneath the Parvis ancient Lutetia, the antiquities that the work- preserved in the Crypte Archéologique de de Notre-Dame (open Tues-Sun, 10am-6pm). men uncovered were frequently Gallo-Roman. Notre-Dame). In addition, archaeologists con- Then wander over to Place Paul-Painlevé on As a result, the outlines of Gallo-Roman Paris tinued to track down Gallo-Roman burial sites, the Left Bank, where you will find the glorious began to emerge—for the first time in 1,500 locating a new find along the Rue Pierre-Nicole ruins of the thermes, or baths, of Cluny as well years. (5th). Here they discovered a wealth of funerary as the Pilier des Nautes (Musée National du Vacquer, who began his career as foreman items that had been buried with their owners, Moyen Age, Thermes et Hôtel de Cluny, open of city works, became an inspector for the city’s including revealing mementos of everyday life. Wed-Mon, 9:15am-5:45pm). A short jaunt Service Historique before spending the last 18 Movingly, when archaeologists removed the lid away are the remains of the Arènes, or arena, de years of his life (1880-98) as an assistant curator of one small sarcophagus, they found the body Lutece—now a public park, located on Rue de at the Museum of the City (now known as the of an infant, whose face—accidentally covered Navarre at Rue Monge, 5th. Musée Carnavalet). Over the course of half a by what must have been wet cement beneath the To complete your tour, save a morning century, he made an enormous contribution to lid—had created a kind of death mask, leaving or an afternoon for the ever-surprising Musée the rediscovery of Paris’ Gallo-Roman past. So for us a portrait of one of Lutetia’s youngest Carnavalet, the museum of the history of Paris. did others, especially the Commission du Vieux residents. Located at 23 Rue de Sévigné, 3rd (and open Paris, founded in 1897. Thanks to finds uncov- After these digs were completed, most Tues-Sun, 10am-6pm), the Carnavalet has ered during extensive Métro excavation at the were covered over, their contents removed to a since Théodore Vacquer’s time served as the turn of the 20th century, Paris discovered even variety of warehouses. The best pieces went to primary repository for the remains of ancient more of its ancient heritage, including sections the Musée Carnavalet, but after 1921 they were Gallo-Roman Paris. Pay a visit to my Roman of the Gallo-Roman wall that once fortified the removed from public view and sent into storage. soldier, and let his worn shoes reach out to you Cité, as well as pieces of the forum that emerged Not until 1991 did the museum—prodded by a across the ages. Vacquer would understand—and on Rue Soufflot between Rue St-Jacques and younger generation of archaeologists—bring its would be quietly pleased.

Paris Notes / july-august 2008 7