Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The gaze of La Roquette is part of the waters of Belleville, a historic hydraulic system designed to bring the waters from the sources of Belleville Hill to the neighborhoods below Paris. These developments, which extend over the 10th, 19th and 20th arrondissements, include a large aqueduct of 750 meters long, built between the 13th and 14th centuries by the city of Paris to feed the population and religious institutions such as the abbeys of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, Saint-Antoine-des-Champs and de la Roquette. The monks of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, owners of land in the area, initiated from the 12th century the first gullies to channel the waters, initially open to the sky before being buried in "pierres".

In the 17th century, hydraulic systems evolved to supply facilities such as the Saint-Louis Hospital. The various networks were gradually connected to the Grand Aqueduct of Belleville in the 18th century. The Roquette's gaze, like other eyes (Cascades, Lantern, etc.), was used to monitor water quality. These developments, some of which remain, were classified as historic monuments in 2006 for their heritage importance, reflecting the ingenuity of water management systems throughout the centuries.

The gaze of La Roquette, located at 38 rue de la Mare in the 20th arrondissement, is a concrete testimony of this heritage. Its construction, dating from the 2nd quarter of the 17th century and the 1st quarter of the 19th century, illustrates the successive technical adaptations to meet the city's growing water needs. Today, these vestiges recall the crucial role of religious orders and municipal authorities in the development of Parisian hydraulic infrastructure, long before the arrival of modern running water.

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