Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The enclosure of Philippe Auguste, built between the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century, is the second medieval wall of Paris whose route is precisely known. Commanded by King Philippe Auguste before his departure for the third crusade, it was designed to protect the capital from the attacks of the Plantagenets, whose territories then spread from Normandy to the Pyrenees. Unlike later fortifications (such as Charles V's), it was not equipped with external ditches, with the Parisian roads nearby.

Construction began on the right bank (1190–1209), more exposed to threats, before the left bank (1200–1215), less urbanized. 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. Its financing was provided by the Royal Treasury (in particular £7,020 for the left bank) and partly by the bourgeois of Paris, under the joint supervision of the latter and the Royal Provost. Semi-cylindrical towers (73 in total) and 14 main doors reinforced his defence.

The forum played a key role in the urban development of Paris. Philippe Auguste incorporated peripheral towns (such as the Champeaux district) and encouraged population growth, making Paris the largest European city in the 14th century with 250,000 inhabitants. It also encouraged the emergence of the University and colleges on the left bank. Despite the construction of Charles V's enclosure in the 14th century, Philippe Auguste's was partly used, especially on the left bank, where it was modernized (fossed, barbacan) to resist new siege techniques.

His gradual disappearance began in the 16th century: Francis I demolished the doors in 1533, and the land was sold to private individuals, resulting in the dismantling of large portions. In the 17th century, unsanitary ditches were replaced by covered galleries. Today, some 20 classified remains remain, often integrated into private properties (such as at 34 Dauphine Street or in the courtyard of Jardins-Saint-Paul). These traces, though discreet, reveal the lasting imprint of this fortification on the plan of Paris.

The layout of the enclosure profoundly influenced Parisian urban planning. On the right bank, streets such as Jean-Jacques-Rousseau or Saint-Honoré followed its alignment, while on the left bank, arteries such as the streets of the Fossés-Saint-Bernard or Monsieur-le-Prince took the place of the old ditches. Four river towers (tour du Coin, tour de Nesle, tour Barbeau, tournelle des Bernardins) controlled the Seine via chains. The gates, like Saint-Honoré or Saint-Antoine, were key points in trade and defence.

Among the accessible remains are a courtine of 60 meters rue des Jardins-Saint-Paul (4th arrondissement), including a tower called "de Montgommery", as well as traces of rue Dauphine (6th) or in the basements of the Lycée Charlemagne. These relics, often unknown, testify to medieval engineering and the constant adaptation of Paris to its defensive and urban needs.

External links