A History Lover’s Guide to Medieval Paris

07/23/22

Paris has a long and rich history, and the Medieval period is particularly interesting. Though much of Medieval Paris has been lost, remaining structures like Notre Dame Cathedral or the Sainte Chapelle still attract tourists millennia later. And if you look closely, other lesser-known remnants of Paris in the Middle Ages can be found throughout the city. Keep on reading…

Paris in the Middle Ages

What was Paris like in the Middle Ages? The 13th century was a period of great prosperity for Paris, which saw the birth of some of the greatest buildings we know today: the Notre-Dame cathedral, the Sainte Chapelle, the first covered market of Les Halles, and the Palais de la Cité.

Paris in Medieval times was much smaller than today, with 150,000 to 200,000 inhabitants. The map of Medieval Paris was delimited by Philippe Auguste’s walls (#1 on the map). It consisted of Ile de la Cité – the political and religious center of Paris –, the University area on the Seine’s Left Bank, and a small area on the Right Bank where the people lived.

1. Notre Dame de Paris

Located on Ile de la Cité, Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) was the beating heart of Medieval Paris. The construction of one of the first Gothic Cathedrals in France started in 1163 and was completed in 1345.

Notre Dame was severely damaged during a fire in April 2019 and is currently closed to the public. During the fire, parts of the roof and the spire was destroyed forever; however, the main façade and its twin towers were saved, as were the Cathedral’s treasures.

From the Parvis of Notre Dame, look out for the huge rose window, the statue of Our Lady of Paris, and the 28 sculptures below representing the kings of Judah and Israel, the ancestors of Christ.

2. The Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie

In Medieval times, the Royal Palace was located on Ile de la Cité, not far from Notre Dame. From this former Palace, only two buildings remain: the Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie.

The Sainte Chapelle was the royal chapel. It was built in Gothic style in just 7 years from 1238 to 1248 to host the Holy Crown of Thorns, a piece of the True Cross, and various other relics of the Passion. The chapel has two floors, the upper floor for the Royal Family and the lower floor for the staff of the Palace. Today the Sainte-Chapelle has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained glass collections in the world!

• Sainte Chapelle
• Address: 10 Boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris
• Open: every day, 9 am-7 pm. Click here to buy your tickets

3. Medieval Louvre

The construction of the Louvre Palace started in the 12th century under the rule of King Philippe Auguste. The new Royal Palace was a small medieval castle, part of the fortress protecting the city.

This first Louvre building was square in plan, with circular defensive towers and an imposing central keep. The Louvre was separated and protected from the Seine by a moat fed by the river’s waters.

4. Paris’ Medieval Walls

In the 12th century, the city’s urban heart was delimited by the Walls of Philippe Auguste. The King wanted to protect Paris from a possible military attack before leaving for the Crusades, so he built a solid wall with 10 gates and punctuated by almost 80 turrets.

Today, visitors can still see some remains of Paris’ Medieval walls (1180-1223). The most impressive parts are located in Le Marais: at the corner of Rue Charlemagne and Rue des Jardins Saint-Paul, you will discover a wall section of almost 60 meters!

At the beginning of the Hundred Years War, in the 14th century, Philippe Auguste’s enclosure turned out to be unsuitable for the new war techniques and weapons; that’s why King Charles V reinforced and modified the walls’ layout.  Unfortunately, there are not many parts of this wall left.

5. The Bastille

Anxious to protect his new hotel Saint-Pol in Le Marais and the Porte Saint-Antoine, King Charles V built a remarkable bastion, La Bastille, which had the fame and fate we know until its destruction in 1789.

The Bastille was located at today’s Place de la Bastille, and visitors can still see its layout marked on the floor. The remains of one of the turrets were moved to Place Henri-Galli, and it is one of the must-stops of our French Revolution walking tour.

6. Château de Vincennes

In his desire to fortify the east of Paris, King Charles V had an exemplary defensive structure built in Vincennes that could also accommodate the court. Château de Vincennes’ imposing keep contained the royal apartments and the King’s working space from where he ruled France.

7. Hotel Cluny – Musée National du Moyen Age

Musée de Cluny is one of the most remarkable Medival Paris buildings. This beautiful private mansion built in flamboyant Gothic style was the residence of the Abbots of Cluny in Paris in the Middle Ages.

8. Tour Jean Sans Peur

This beautiful keep located on the lively Rue Etienne Marcel (Paris 2) is one of the most interesting Medieval buildings in Paris and the only vestige of military architecture in Paris in Medieval times.

9. Houses in Medieval Paris

The half-timbered houses at 11-13  Rue François Miron, even if deeply reformed, give an idea of the typical constructions of Medieval Paris until the 15th century.

10. Parish Churches

Certain Parish churches in the city are partially or entirely Medieval. The 12th-century Romanesque church Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, in Square Viviani, is one of the city’s oldest religious buildings. You will also find a Medieval well from the 12th century in this square.

The most beautiful examples are Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois Church – in front of the Louvre Museum -, Saint-Gilles-Saint-Leu, Saint-Germain – attached to the former village of Charonne –, and Saint-Severin, with its extraordinary deambulatory in flamboyant Gothic style.

There were also a significant number of monastic and collegiate establishments in and around Medieval Paris. Parts of Saint-Germain-des-Près are amongst the oldest architectural elements of Paris, while the Saint-Pierre Church is the last remaining vestige of the Abbey of Montmartre, founded in 1134. Today part of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Saint-Martin-des-Champs bears witness to the passage from Romanesque to Gothic art.

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