Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Paris - Article Example

Pg. 1 Paris – A City Essay Project Introduction Paris is a very ancient city nearly 2000 years old. Between the years 250 BC and 200 BC, tribes like the Gauls of the Parisii had established a small fishing village situated on an island that became the epicenter around which Paris was built. Presently it has been given the name of Ile la Cite. Paris did not experience disasters such as earthquakes, fires and other disasters, but major destruction took place during the Viking raids. Since then, Paris had been experiencing a sort of gradual evolution that took place over the years and has culminated into one of the most affluent countries of the world today. In this essay, we are going to make an investigation of the changing phases of Paris and try to understand how these changes took place, in order to get a deeper understanding of its ancient past that reflects its present glory. Historical Background of Ancient Paris In ancient times the site of Paris was a seabed that had been formed by river fed by the melting snow which gradually deposited gravel and silt in huge quantities and formed the topography of the country. These swamp areas were utilized to cultivate vegetables instead of grain. It was called Lutetia (Lutece) and in 52 BC Julius Caesar, conquered it and made it the regional center of the Romans during the early Middle Ages. Later on, in 987, the Count of Paris, Hugh Capet, established the city as the nation’s capital. (Couperie, Pierre, 1970) The people of Paris were known to be high spirited and rebellious and between 1355 – 58, under the leadership of Etienne Marcel declared themselves to be an independent commune. (Couperie, Pierre, 1970) During the French Revolution, one of the major incidents that took place in 1789 was the storming of the Bastille by the Parisian people. It was this war and other revolutions that took place between 1830 – 1848, that changed the face of Paris forever. During the Franco – Prussian War in 1871, Paris was besieged by German troops until France surrendered, but soon after the Germans left, the French established the Commune of Paris. However, during World War I and World War II, Paris underwent radical change being a major target of riots and violence. (Couperie, Pierre, 1970) During the 9th century the Vikings raids was a major catastrophe that ravaged the country of Paris and many of its monuments had been destroyed. Most of Paris’ destruction was caused by her own inhabitants that resulted in extensive damage and loss of valuable buildings and documents. Some of the destruction was brought about due to the aggravated poverty of some and the ever changing tastes of the effluent by others. Paris underwent drastic changes brought on by the government through its different ventures because it was the capital city. Being the country’s principal artistic center, architects and artists were given free rein to put their innovative thoughts, ideas and ambitions into action. Before the sixteenth century the physical form and the economic life of Paris was shrouded in mystery because there were no documented plans to give us precise details since most of them were destroyed. However, there is a masterpiece in the form of the Turgot map of 1787 which presents us with minute details of the buildings that were there during that period and the progress and change it had gradually undergone. Poor sanitation contaminated Paris in the form of the ‘Bievre’ whose sewage and manure heaps blocked the Fleet in London during the 13th century. Another example of sheer inertia and lethargy of the people of Paris, is the removal of Les Halles’ by Napoleon I which took over 160 years to accomplish. The Louvre was completed after a period of 600 years. Villages cropped up along the swamps and there was a sudden growth of population. In 1261, the administration of the city was reorganized by the King who divided his government into two- 1) The Affairs of the State (provost of the King) and 2) The Local Affairs (provost of the merchants) By the thirteenth century, Paris took a change for the better by the expansion of the palace, renovation of the cathedral, the growth and excellence of the university, the establishment of two new pavilions at Les Halles and the proliferation of many convents and colleges. With the advent of the foundation of the College de Sorbonne, the flowering of the Gothic and the coming of St Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaventura, Paris soon became the seat or capital of high theology and was greatly supported by the Pope and the King. Gothic Architecture of Paris Gothic architecture had its roots in Paris during the middle of a twelfth century and passing his comments Florentine Historiographer Giorgio Vasari (1511 – 1574) states "Then arose new architects who after the manner of their barbarous nations erected buildings in that style which we call Gothic (dei Gotthi)." Gothic is used when referring to the Nordic tribes of the 16th century who overran the Roman Empire. In comparing Gothic architecture Vasari is of the opinion that they seem debased in comparison to the classical antiquity of his time. The primary focus of Gothic architecture were the high pointed arches with very high ceilings that gave it a look of great magnificence. Cathedral of Notre- Dame, Paris – The choir with flying buttresses (Picture taken from - www.witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHgreece.html) Typical Gothic architecture is an engineering challenge of wide stone surfaces that reach very great heights. The walls are thick with small windows. Gradually they adopted stone ribs so that the weight of the vault arrested on the columns and piers right down to the floor. Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, Beauvais, choir, begun 1225, restored 1284 after collapse. (Picture taken from - www.witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHgreece.html) Royal Abbey Church of Saint-Denis (near Paris), Ambulatory, 1140–1144. Royal Abbey Church of Saint-Denis (near Paris), Ambulatory, 1140–1144. Royal Abbey Church of Saint-Denis (near Paris), Ambulatory, 1140–1144. Royal Abbey Church of Saint-Denis (near Paris), Ambulatory, 1140–1144. Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris, view of the choir with flying buttresses. Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris, view of the choir with flying buttresses. Amiens Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1220, view into the choir. Amiens Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1220, north elevation of the choir. Bourges Cathedral, north nave elevation. Bourges Cathedral. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west portals Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), detail of a foliate capital. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, central portal: The Annunciation, 1230–33. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, overall view. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, central portal: The Visitation,1230–33. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, central portal: The Annunciation, 1230–33. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, flying buttresses. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, stained glass. Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, Beauvais, choir, begun 1225, restored 1284 after collapse. Cathedral of Notre–Dame, Chartres, elevation of the nave (arcade, gallery, clerestory with stained glass), 1194–1220. Cathedral of Notre–Dame, Chartres, west facade, ca. 1145–55; rose window, ca. 1200. Royal Abbey Church of Saint–Denis (near Paris), west facade, before 1140. Amiens Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1220, view into the choir. (Picture taken from - www.witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHgreece.html) Amiens Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1220, north elevation of the choir. Bourges Cathedral, north nave elevation. Bourges Cathedral. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west portals Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), detail of a foliate capital. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, central portal: The Annunciation, 1230–33. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, overall view. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, central portal: The Visitation,1230–33. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, central portal: The Annunciation, 1230–33. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, flying buttresses. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, stained glass. Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, Beauvais, choir, begun 1225, restored 1284 after collapse. Cathedral of Notre–Dame, Chartres, elevation of the nave (arcade, gallery, clerestory with stained glass), 1194–1220. Cathedral of Notre–Dame, Chartres, west facade, ca. 1145–55; rose window, ca. 1200. Royal Abbey Church of Saint–Denis (near Paris), west facade, before 1140. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, stained glass. (Picture taken from - www.witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHgreece.html) Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), detail of a foliate capital. (Picture taken from - www.witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHgreece.html) Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, central portal: The Annunciation, 1230–33. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, overall view. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, central portal: The Visitation,1230–33. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, west facade, central portal: The Annunciation, 1230–33. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, flying buttresses. Reims Cathedral (Cathedral of Notre-Dame), 1211, stained glass. Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, Beauvais, choir, begun 1225, restored 1284 after collapse. Cathedral of Notre–Dame, Chartres, elevation of the nave (arcade, gallery, clerestory with stained glass), 1194–1220. Cathedral of Notre–Dame, Chartres, west facade, ca. 1145–55; rose window, ca. 1200. Royal Abbey Church of Saint–Denis (near Paris), west facade, before 1140. Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, Beauvais, choir, begun 1225, restored 1284 after collapse. Cathedral of Notre–Dame, Chartres, elevation of the nave (arcade, gallery, clerestory with stained glass), 1194–1220. Cathedral of Notre–Dame, Chartres, west facade, ca. 1145–55; rose window, ca. 1200. Royal Abbey Church of Saint–Denis (near Paris), west facade, before 1140. Medieval Paris Medieval Paris in the sixteenth century witnessed a period of great crises that hamper the growth of the city. Population exploded and the place seemed overcrowded and people experienced huge traffic problems. The sanitation was poor and the walls built around the city stifled its inhabitants who were nearly 200,000 in number. The government was unable to meet the rising cost and the King found it difficult to maintain the very fast growing agglomeration. Many town houses were liquidated by the king such as Hotel St. Paul (1516) to Hotel des Tournelles (1565) To accommodate the expanding population even dumps were converted to building sites. It was during this period that the construction of the Tuileries Palace and the renovation of the Louvre took place. Since Paris was close to the Northern frontier a principle military base was set up, but the walls around the city became outdated. Paris faced problems of insufficient supply of water, chaotic traffic and sewage and cleanliness problems. Many of the districts were foul smelling and diseases in the form of epidemics spread across the country. Hospitals were built to check the spread of diseases. The economy of the country dropped low and in 1563 the Parliament prohibited the use of private carriages. Exports from Paris stopped completely and the textile and dying industry disappeared. It was during this medieval period that there was a lot of religious unrest as people lost their unity. In 1523, Protestants were executed and people became impatient by the Kings tolerance. This resulted in the springing up of a group of fanatic preachers and once again revived the Sorbonne religion that was on the decline. These fanatics urged people to cause a massacre of about 2,000 people at St. Barthelemy and even organized the military against the Protestants. The people of Paris revolted against the King who ventured to stop these fanatic preachers. Finally, the king besieged the city and stripped them of all their rights which he had given them. In 1594, King Henri IV inherited the ruined city of Paris after the many religious wars that occurred and a depleted economy. The population grew from 200,000 in 1590 to 400,000 in 1637. Violence triggered by repression was rampant and poverty stricken mobs were ready to do anything. Though the King Henri IV did not have a controlling plan in place, yet he initiated a public works program that was strictly followed and resulted in not only reviving the city but also in enhancing the respect and prestige of the king. He brought in many changes such as making the alignment of houses obligatory and prohibited the construction of overhanging stories and construction made of wood. Place Royale (1607) was the first square that was planned and constructed in Paris. The square was 321 ft and comprised of 38 pavilions made of rough cast rubble. During Louis XIII period expansion of Paris was extensive and explosive. Many of the city walls were broken down and the garbage dumps were transferred across the swamps. Construction became cheap and monasteries invested in different properties. The South Bank was revived and enhanced by the building of the Medici Palace (Luxembourg) While Protestantism made an ungraceful exit, Catholicism made its presence felt. The renovation of churches and monasteries like Ste. Genevieve, Montmart St. Germain- des- Pres., etc. took center stage and about 60 monasteries were established between 1600 and 1639. In aiding the poor, special attention were given to educating and training girls. Religion became popular were established to kindle religious spirit. Paris once again witnessed a setback during the European slump and the depression between 1650 – 1730 and progress slackened under Louis XIV. While the Bourgeoisie and the artisans prospered, the middle classes, religious people mostly female suffered a lot. The merchants were extremely greedy and maintained the high costs of rent. The city of Paris once again start by poverty and disease and there was not enough space in hospitals to maintain the sick and beggars were rampant. Paris took a turn for the better when the king and Colbert undertook to reshape and beautify the city. They cleaned out the country by removing offensive factories to Chaillot and St. Marcel. Beautiful pavements were laid and lighting was done for the streets. The two great barriers- the swamp and the wall were removed and Paris became an open and free city. Besides being the capital Paris was also a major economic power of the kingdom. Many markets and industries both private and public opened out giving it an honorable position on the map. Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, Beauvais, choir, begun 1225, restored 1284 after collapse. Cathedral of Notre–Dame, Chartres, elevation of the nave (arcade, gallery, clerestory with stained glass), 1194–1220. Cathedral of Notre–Dame, Chartres, west facade, ca. 1145–55; rose window, ca. 1200. Royal Abbey Church of Saint–Denis (near Paris), west facade, before 1140. Contemporary or Modern Paris Charles VI soon began a literate movement that heralded the period of Renaissance in Paris, but its greatness and brilliance was soon torn apart by the Plague and Wars that ravaged it and thousands of people lost their lives. Huge walls were built around in protection against their enemies and these were reinforced by six bastilles, fortified gates and huge moats. Paris now spread across 1, 084 acres of land. Paris, the capital of 19th century Europe regained its lost glory at the turn of the millennium. (Andrea Gleininger et al., 1997) It became one of the greatest architectural centres of the world attracting millions of people from every country. Paris today stands with great dignity and charm and maintains its essence of character that reflects its ancient and distorted past. However, the rebirth of Paris was extremely slow and gradual on the demographic and economic front. The face of Paris kept constantly changing as planning for the city took place through their various building programs or ‘grands projects’ as they call it. These projects were under the leadership of Francois Mitterrand and great buildings like the La Defense arch, the Bastille Opera and the Beaubourg were built. (Couperie, Pierre, 1970) Charles Madge and Peter Wilmott’s book titled ‘Inner City Poverty in Paris and London is a study of two primary working class areas. One of them is the Stockwell in the London borough of Lambeth and the second is the Folie- Mericourt in Paris in 1973. The study that was initiated by the Environment department also included places like Liverpool and Birmingham. (Madge, Charles & Wilmott, Peter, 1981) Both the authors found great difficulty in analyzing and comparing the data they are collected from different surveys. This study is going to make an investigation into Peter Wilmott’s ‘Community, Family and Public Policy’ which is an urban planning scheme, and try to find out its strengths and weaknesses and how successful the project was. Peter Wilmott (1923 – 2000) a sociologist, researcher and communicator played a crucial role in the ‘Community, Family and Public Policy’ as he was the key founding member together with Michael Young who formed a smart, innovative team from the institute of community studies. Their dedication and service became an important milestone in the history of Britain, for their work in the development and progress of empirical sociology. Wilmott committed himself to social justice and undertook both qualitative and quantitative research for the improvement of the country at large. While working at Lambeth, he had come into contact with Michael Young who recognized Wilmott’s skill at writing and made use of it by writing pamphlets and briefings for their party and by 1954 they established the Institute of Community Studies in the east of London. Primary Aims of the Project The primary aim of the Institute of Community Studies was to initiate the social policy to bring about changes in the country through research work. The institute also aimed at imparting basic knowledge about the social policy in the society and to encourage the practical implementation of useful projects to help society make progress. In addition to this, they also had concerns about publishing its findings in an easily accessible and readable format. (Willmott, 1985) Another of the institute’s concern was to ‘to illuminate sociological enquiry’ (Willmott, 1985) by drawing upon important strengths from the social anthropology of the country. He has left behind a rich legacy of his writings which include two volumes titled ‘Urban Trends’ (1992 – 1994) which is a compilation of empirical studies based on Family, Kinship and Community Living, which is used very much even today.` Pierre Couperie in his book titled ‘Paris through the Ages’ passes his views on the urbanization of Paris. According to him, ‘Paris is a logical target for today’s urbanists.’ (Pierre Couperie, 1971) Historical precedents such as the political history, economic development and social standards are often challenging to the new urban schemes for development in the Paris area. Couperie has left us a legacy that is brilliant in its presentation spanning Parisian history that spans across 2000 years. Drawing comparisons of Paris in the 18th and 19th centuries Couperie states that it does not reflect the values on which it had been founded. He feels that the Post-industrial age towns have become centers for the government’s culture, trade and finance and face major problems, the solutions to which are difficult to analyze. In the last few decades the ambitious ideals of all the French Presidents has resulted in some of the most spectacular buildings ever to be designed. (Andrea Gleininger et al., 1997) This contemporary architecture is among the best in the world. Some of these buildings could be called masterpieces for they are breathtakingly beautiful in structure, such as the Le Grand Louvre, the Parc de la Villette or the Bibliotheque de France. (Andrea Gleininger et al., 1997) Contemporary Architecture of Paris Musee du Louvre Pyramid du Louvre Eiffel Tower Trocadero Hermitage Plaza Société Générale tower, La Défense Tour Carpe Diem Francois – Mitterrand Library www.fromparis.com/html/panoramas.php?pano=000010_01 Bibliotheque Nationale www.fromparis.com/html/panoramas.php?pano=000010_01 Conclusion Among the urban agglomerations of the world, Paris stands sixth. Considering the different cities of the world Paris seems to be unusually abnormal where density of population is concerned because it is the home of about 6 million people in the areas that are urbanized. (Pierre Couperie, 1971) Since the year 2000 the numbers have escalated anywhere from 12 to 16 million people in the greater Paris conurbation. (Pierre Couperie, 1971) This metropolis has grown so huge that population and communication are posing big problems for them. Pierrie’s book on Paris through the Ages is an enlightening piece of work on the urbanization and architecture of Paris both of the past and present ages. Present day schemes such as the government housing schemes and many community development projects are underway contributing towards providing a better life for the people of Paris. (Andrea Gleininger et al., 1997) Bibliography Andrea Gleininger et al., 1997 Prestel; illustrated edition. Pgs. 158 Art History Resources – Pictures of Gothic Art www.witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHgreece.html Charles Madge and Peter Wilmott, Inner City Poverty in Paris and London, Routeledge and Kegan, 1981, Pg. 133 From Paris – Panaromas www.fromparis.com/html/panoramas.php?pano=000010_01 Paris Architecture – Buildings, Architects, Photos www.e-architect.co.uk/paris_architecture.htm Pierre, Couperie, Paris Through the Ages, An Illustrated Historical Atlas of Urbanism and Architecture, New York, Year:1970 Read More