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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 and the oldest 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 did not have external ditches, with the Parisian roads located in the immediate vicinity.

The construction ran between 1190 and 1215, with priority given to the right bank (1190–1209), more exposed to threats from the northwest, while the left bank, less urbanized, was fortified between 1200 and 1215. The enclosure was 2,850 metres on the right bank and 2,535 metres on the left bank, covering 253 hectares and protecting an estimated population of 50,000. Its financing was provided in part by the Royal Treasury (more than 7,020 pounds for the left bank) and partly by the bourgeois of Paris, under the joint supervision of the latter and the royal provost.

The forum played a key role in the urban development of Paris. Philippe Auguste encouraged the growth of the neighbourhoods included in the wall, such as the Champeaux merchant district, by transferring economic activities (such as the Saint-Ladre fair) and housing lots. Paris thus became the largest city in medieval Europe in the 14th century, with 250,000 inhabitants, thanks to its status as a royal residence, a political centre (seat of a central administration) and a cultural pole (colleges and university on the left bank).

On the military level, the enclosure consisted of a creneled wall of 6 to 9 metres high, flanked by 73 semi-cylindrical towers (39 on the right bank, 34 on the left bank) and pierced 14 main doors, supplemented by poternes. Four massive towers at the ends (turn of the Corner, tower of Nesle, tower Barbeau, tournelle Saint-Bernard) made it possible to control navigation on the Seine via chains. Although reinforced in the 14th century (severely ditches, addition of barbacans), it was gradually dismantled from the 16th century, under Francis I, to facilitate urban expansion.

Today, the enclosure is almost invisible, but remains remain, especially in the 6th arrondissement (Court du Commerce-Saint-André, rue Dauphine) or the 4th (rue des Jardins-Saint-Paul). Twenty portions, often included in private properties, have been classified as historical monuments since 1889. Among the remarkable elements are a partial tower on Rue des Jardins-Saint-Paul (tour Montgommery) and traces of courtesies in the Cour du Crédit municipal (rue des Francs-Bourgeois).

The layout of the enclosure has long marked the plan of Paris: the streets of the Fossés-Saint-Bernard, of the Fossés-Saint-Jacques or Monsieur-le-Prince (formerly rue des Fossés Monsieur-le-Prince) on the left bank follow the footprint, while on the right bank, streets such as Jean-Jacques-Rousseau or Saint-Honoré reveal its oblique orientation. These remains, though discreet, recall the strategic and urban importance of this fortification in the history of the capital.

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