Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The wood of Vincennes is a vestige of the forest surrounding Paris in Antiquity, became a royal hunting ground from the 11th century under Hugues Capet. In 1183, Philippe Auguste enclosed a wall of 12 km, and the estate extended by successive acquisitions, notably under Louis XIV in 1659. The wood then houses royal mansions such as the Château de Vincennes and a menagerie, while remaining reserved for royal hunting.

Abandoned in the 18th century, the wood was renovated from 1731 to 1739 by Robert de Cotte, with a network of starways and massive reforestation. It opens up to the public and becomes a popular place for walks with guinguettes. The French Revolution led to the sale of dependencies as national goods, but wood remained largely preserved, despite the deterioration during the sieges of Paris in 1814 and 1815.

Under Napoleon III (1855–66), Adolphe Alphand and Jean-Pierre Barillet-Deschamps transformed the wood into a public park in English, with artificial lakes, waterfalls and picturesque facilities such as the Vincennes pagoda. The military estate, present since 1808, occupies up to 350 hectares during the First World War. The wood was officially attached to Paris in 1929 and hosted major events, such as the 1931 Colonial Exhibition.

In the 20th century, the gradual demilitarization frees spaces for cultural and sporting facilities, including the floral park (1969), the INSP and the Cartoucherie, today theatre. Listed as a protected site in 1960, the wood has also been home to a naturist space since 2017. Despite its administrative membership in Paris, its management remains a source of tension with the municipalities bordering Val-de-Marne.

The wood of Vincennes retains a duality between nature and urbanity, with lakes such as Daumesnil or Gravelle, forests, and infrastructures such as the hippodrome or zoo. Its history reflects the political and social transformations of France, from royal hunting to its present role as a major green space for Parisians.

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