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Key figures

Origin and history

Bastion No. 1 is a preserved element of Thiers' enclosure, built between 1841 and 1845 to protect Paris. Located in the 12th arrondissement, below Poniatowski Boulevard, it escaped the massive destruction of the enclosure in 1919. Its current location, between Bercy wharf and Robert Etlin Street, makes it a rare witness to this fortified period.

The bastion was included in the inventory of historic monuments on 21 May 1970, recognizing its heritage value. Unlike the majority of fortifications dismantled at the beginning of the 20th century, this bastion remains as a tangible vestige of the defensive strategies of the 19th century. Its access, via a staircase near the National Bridge, highlights its discreet integration into the modern urban landscape.

Thiers' compound, of which he is part, was a series of 94 bastions surrounding Paris for 33 km. Designed by Marshal Thiers, it responded to fears of invasions after the defeat of 1815. Although demolished to facilitate urbanization, some elements such as this bastion or No. 44 recall its existence, providing insight into the military and urban history of the capital.

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