Introduction
Begin: Hôtel de VilleEnd: Musée de ClunyIn Paris, everywhere you look you see layers of history, either superimposed or standing side by side. This first walk will take you through several of these layers and give you a chance to go underground and see how the present builds on an ancient past.Time: Four to five hours, depending on lines (the Mémorial de la Déportation is closed from noon to 2:00 p.m.; at certain times of the year, the crypte du Parvis, Sainte-Chapelle, and Conciergerie close for lunch; the Sainte-Chapelle is closed when the palais de Justice is closed or when there are high security trials).Recommended playlist: Cantus Mariales: Medieval Sacred Chants to the Virgin Mary (performed by a group of Benedictine monks) or other sacred medieval music.Note: If you are planning to visit other museums within two days following this walk, you may consider purchasing a Paris Museum Pass. A two-day pass will get you into all the fee museums and monuments on this walk (cathédrale de Notre Dame, crypte du Parvis, Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergerie) as well as most other sites in Paris. With the card, you may also skip lines to buy tickets at every site but the Notre Dame Tower tour. You may purchase the card from any participating museum or monument. If you do not have this card, you should bring enough money to pay for entry fees on this walk (you may purchase a single ticket that will get you into both the Conciergerie and the Sainte-Chapelle).Corry L. Cropper
#1 Hôtel de Ville
Begin at the Hôtel de Ville just outside of the métro exit by the same name. Walk in front of the Hôtel de Ville and continue across the river on the pont d’Arcole. To your left you see the Île Saint-Louis, and in front of you is the Île de la Cité. When you get on the island, turn left and walk along the Seine on the quai aux Fleurs. After you pass the pont Saint-Louis, you will see a small park on your left.The Hôtel de Ville itself is a Renaissance structure, reflecting the best of sixteenth-century architecture. The square in front of it is a quaint city square devoted to—depending on the season—family activities ranging from volleyball to ice-skating. Built under the reign of François I, the original hotel was destroyed during the Commune (Paris riots in 1871); the current building, built in 1873, is a pastiche of the original. The richly decorated interior is in nineteenth-century style. Until 1803, the place de l’Hôtel de Ville was known as the place de Grève; it’s best remembered for the numerous executions carried out there during the ancien régime (France under monarchical rule). The Hôtel de Ville is the governmental seat of Paris (housing the mayor’s office, etc.). Jacques Chirac served as Paris’ mayor here from 1977 until 1995, when he became president of France.Walk through the park and visit the Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation, a modern crypt dedicated to the memory of Jews and other groups deported to Nazi camps during World War II.
#2 Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
After leaving the memorial, cross the street (take the crosswalk to the right) to have an excellent view of the flying buttresses on the back of the cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. Continue to your right and walk along the side of the cathedral on the rue du Cloître Notre Dame.Notice the gargoyles and the many sculptures around the windows and doors on the side of the cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris—of particular interest are the sculptures representing the life of the Virgin Mary above the north door. Though the gargoyles themselves look somewhat demon-like, they are actually protectors of the edifice against demonic forces. As you come to the front of the cathedral, you will pass by the entrance to the towers, and the upper balconies of Notre Dame. If you have the time and the energy to climb the stairs, the view from the top is spectacular. Be aware that the line tends to move very slowly, however, you can now book a specific time to go on the tour and skip the line—a definite plus!Continue to the front of the cathedral. From here, you may take in the full grandeur of the building that took over one hundred years to build (from 1163–1300). However, what you are seeing, like the Hôtel de Ville, is more complicated than an initial glance indicates. The cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris rests on a site where a Romanesque church once stood—built during the reign of Clovis (481–511), and where, before that, Romans prayed to their gods in a temple. The cathedral was partially destroyed and then rebuilt several times over the centuries. Most notably, statues of Old Testament kings, erroneously believed to be kings of France, were destroyed during the French Revolution (what’s left of these originals may be seen in the Hôtel de Cluny, a medieval museum). Today, the cathedral is a collage made up of elements from nearly every century since it was first constructed. The interior arches are from the twelfth century, most of the pillars from the thirteenth. The choir chapel is from the fourteenth century, the bourdon (large bell) from the seventeenth, the white windows with fleur-de-lis (or fleur-de-lys, lily flower) from the eighteenth, the statues above the portals in the gallery of kings (replacing those destroyed during the revolution) from the nineteenth. Finally, some modern stained-glass windows date from 1965.The three portals of the facade each depict religious scenes linked to the Virgin Mary’s life. On the left is the Portal of the Virgin, where Mary receives a scepter from her Divine Son, while receiving a crown from an angel. On the right is the Portal of Saint Anne, the mother of Mary. The cathedral’s oldest sculptures, completed in 1160 before construction started, are located on the top of this portal and represent Mary with Christ seated on her lap. Her parents appear in scenes below. The central portal is the Portal of the Final Judgment depicting (from the bottom to the top): the resurrection, the judgment, and Christ enthroned, surrounded by the celestial court.Now walk through the cathedral. Be sure to notice the medieval rose windows above the north and south portals as well as the fourteenth-century relief sculptures depicting scenes from Christ’s life. Completed in 1683, the large sculpture at the back of the choir depicts Louis XIII making an offering to the Virgin in hopes it would help him produce an heir.
#3 Crypte Archéologique (Crypte du Parvis)
It’s time to see some of Paris’ older layers up close. As you leave the cathedral, walk straight across the square, parvis Notre-Dame. Place Jean-Paul II was added to the name of the parvis in 2006 despite the protests of many Parisians who saw the name change as a breach of the French law separating church and state. On the far side, you will see a sign marked Crypte Archéologique next to some stairs that lead underground. Go down the stairs to the small museum/archeological site.La Crypte archéologique de l'île de la Cité (Crypte du Parvis), now associated with musée Carnavalet (and a very inexpensive visit) exposes the ancient layers of the city. Under the feet of the tourists above, you may see all the historical layers upon which modern Paris is built. Nineteenth-century foundations are built over sixteenth-century basements, which in turn rest on twelfth-century hearths that are themselves built on stones hewn in the third century. The nice open parvis of today has been, in the past, covered in buildings dating from Roman times to the nineteenth century.
#4 Palais de Justice
When you leave the Crypte du Parvis, walk away from the cathedral to the right on rue de la Cité and turn left onto rue de Lutèce (just before the flower markets). There is a flower market to your right that is worth walking through if you have the time. As you continue up rue de Lutèce you will see the palais de Justice in front of you.The palais de Justice houses the highest court in France, the Cour de cassation (France’s version of the Supreme Court), and trials are still regularly conducted here. French kings lived on this site and in the neighboring Conciergerie until the fourteenth century when they moved across the river to the Louvre.
#5 Conciergerie
At the end of rue de Lutèce, go to your right to the end of the street.On the corner tower of the Conciergerie is a large clock, the oldest in Paris. It has been ticking away since 1370! From this corner, look across the river and see both the place du Châtelet, with its fountain commemorating the victories of Napoléon, and to the right, the top of the tour Saint-Jacques, the one remaining tower of a sixteenth-century church torn down in 1802.Now go to the Conciergerie entrance. This building provides yet another example of the way a place unites different historical moments. During the middle ages, the Conciergerie served as a royal residence (the word conciergerie comes from the word concierge, the name of the person responsible for taking care of the king’s lodgings). At the time of the revolution, the Conciergerie served as a prison, at times holding over a thousand prisoners awaiting execution. It was here that Marie-Antoinette, Charlotte Corday (Marat’s assassin), and the poet André Chénier spent their last hours before being led to the guillotine at the place de la Concorde. As you tour the palace, in addition to Marie-Antoinette’s cell, be sure to notice the stunning medieval architecture, particularly the arches inla salle des gens d’armes (the large hall).
#6 Sainte-Chapelle
After touring the Conciergerie, return to the entrance of the palais de Justice where you will undergo security screening to be allowed inside (to the left of the main gates). You must go through this entrance in order to get to the Sainte-Chapelle. If you have a Paris Museum Pass, you will not need tickets but may go straight to the church. If you do not have the pass, you’ll need to queue up and buy a ticket (this is one of the rare churches that costs money to enter, because the French government, not the church, controls it).Saint Louis (King Louis IX) had the Sainte-Chapelle built in the thirteenth century to house relics brought back from the crusades (the crown of thorns, the holy nail, part of the cross—now in Notre Dame). The top level of the church is still worth the visit though the relics are no longer here. Its spectacular stained-glass windows depict scenes from the Bible and scenes from the Crusades. There are maps describing each window and sculpture located in the upper chapel.
#7 Roman bath remains
As you leave the Sainte-Chapelle, walk down boulevard du Palais and cross over pont Saint-Michel to le Quartier Latin (Latin Quarter). Walk down boulevard Saint-Michel past boulevard Saint-Germain, turn left on rue des Écoles. The musée de Cluny is at 6 place Paul Painlevé.On the outside of the musée de Cluny, you will see the remains of Roman baths that date from the second century. This museum is part of another walk, but a good ending place for this one because of the various layers that are visible from where you now stand. Above the second century baths is a medieval monastery restored in the nineteenth century. Below your feet is the métro (built just over a century ago). If you look around, you will find stores that sell electronic equipment or the trendiest shoes money can buy.
The End
After the WalkThink about how the architecture must affect the people that live in and around it. In most American cities, anything built over twenty years ago is considered old (if it hasn’t been torn down to make room for a new shopping center). Our perception of time and of space is a reflection of our values. Do we think long term, beginning projects that may not be completed until the next generation, or do we focus our efforts on the next year or the next fiscal quarter? Do we build something to last or something to be consumed? Do we see something old as a cultural treasure or as something that could be torn down and rebuilt newer and better? Certainly, both ways of thinking have their advantages. These walks are designed to enable you to begin to appreciate the way Paris has shaped the values of those that live in the city and the way Paris has been shaped by them.
