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Origin and history

The enclosure of Philippe Auguste, built between 1190 and 1215, is the second medieval wall of Paris and the oldest whose route is precisely known. Ordered by King Philippe Auguste before his departure for the third crusade, it aimed to protect the capital from the attacks of the Plantagenets, whose territories spread from Normandy to the Pyrenees. The right bank, more exposed, was fortified as a priority (1190–1209), followed by the left bank (1200–1215). With a total length of 5,385 metres (2,850 m on the right bank, 2,535 m on the left bank), it covered 253 hectares and housed approximately 50,000 inhabitants at the end of the king's reign. Its financing, estimated at more than 20,000 pounds, was provided by the Royal Treasury and partly by the Parisian bourgeois.

Designed without an initial external ditch, the enclosure consisted of a creneled wall of 6 to 9 metres high, supported by 73 semi-cylindrical towers spaced 40 to 110 metres apart. Four 25-metre-high river towers, equipped with chains, controlled access through the Seine. The 14 main gates (8 on the right bank, 6 on the left bank) were reinforced by barbacans in the 14th century. The enclosure played a major role in urban development: it integrated villages such as the Champeaux (future Halles) and stimulated the creation of streets backed by the rampart, still visible today (rue des Fossés-Saint-Bernard, rue Monsieur-le-Prince).

Over the centuries, the enclosure lost its military utility. In 1533 François I authorized the demolition of the doors, and the ditches, which had become unsanitary, were filled or transformed into sewers in the seventeenth century. Despite its gradual disappearance, remains remain, like a courtine of 60 meters rue des Jardins-Saint-Paul (4th arr.) or visible towers rue du Cardinal-Lemoine (5th arr.). Ranked historic monuments since 1889, these fragments recall the lasting impact of this fortification on the Paris plan, notably through the orientation of the streets and the delimitation of the central districts.

The enclosure also reflects the political tensions of the time: built to counter the threat Plantagenet, it symbolizes the centralization of royal power. Philippe Auguste associated the Parisian bourgeois there, marking an unprecedented collaboration between the crown and the emerging bourgeoisie. Its layout, adapted to the Seine floods and the swamps of the left bank, reveals a pragmatic defensive engineering. Subsequent changes (fossed, barbacan) illustrate the evolution of headquarters techniques, while its gradual dismantling reflects the population growth of Paris, which increased from 50,000 to 250,000 inhabitants in the 14th century.

Today, 20 portions of the enclosure are protected, often integrated into private properties (Charlemagne school, Crédit municipal). These remains, although discreet, offer a tangible glimpse of medieval Paris. Their preservation allows us to study the construction techniques (stone of medium apparatus, mortar) and the spatial organization of the city. Philippe Auguste's compound remains an essential milestone in understanding Parisian urbanization, between military heritage and transformation into a European metropolis.

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