Paris (France) -- Description and travel; Paris (France) -- History
On their left, where now stands the Lycee St. Louis, would be the
theatre of Lutetia, and further on, the imposing and magnificent
palace of the Caesars, with its gardens sloping down to the Seine. The
turbulent little stream of the Bievre flowed by the foot of Mons
Lutetius on the east, entering the main river opposite the eastern
limit of the _civitas_ of Lutetia, gleaming white before them and
girdled by the waters of the Seine. A narrow eel-shaped island,
subsequently known as the Isle de Galilee, lay between the Isle of the
Cite and the southern bank; two islands, the Isles de Notre Dame and
des Vaches, divided by a narrow channel to the east, and two eyots,
the Isles des Juifs and de Bussy, to the west. Another islet, the Isle
de Javiaux or de Louviers, lay near the northern bank beyond the two
eastern islands. Crossing a wooden bridge, where now stands the Petit
Pont, they would enter the forum under a triumphal arch. Here would be
the very foyer of the city; a little way to the left the prefect's
palace and the basilica, or hall of justice;[10] to the right the
temple of Jupiter. As they crossed the island they would find it
linked to the northern bank by another wooden bridge (the Grand Pont)
replaced by the present Pont Notre Dame.[11] In the distance to the
north stood Mons Martis (Montmartre), villas nestling on its slopes
and crowned with the temples of Mars and Mercury, four of whose
columns are preserved in the church of St. Pierre: to the west the
aqueduct from Passy bringing its waters to the mineral baths located
on the site of the present Palais Royal. A road, now the Rue St.
Martin, led to the north; to the east, fed by the streams of
Menilmontant and Belleville, lay the marshy land which is still known
as the quarter of the Marais.
[Footnote 10: In 1848 some remains were found of the old halls of this
building, and of its columns, worn by the ropes of the boatmen who
used to moor their craft to them. In 1866 fragments of the triumphal
arch were found in digging the foundations of the new Hotel Dieu.]
[Footnote 11: In 860 a new bridge was built east of the Grand Pont by
Charles the Bold and defended by a tower at its head. The
money-changers were established on the bridge by Louis VI., and it
became known subsequently as the Pont au Change.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account