| The Paris Guide |
| Architecture of the Early Renaissance |
| The architectural history of Paris began in the first century BC when
the Romans first settled on what is now the Ile de la Cite and founded
the city of Lutetia. They spread to the left bank (now Latin Quarter)
of the Seine. Today the baths and amphitheater still exist and can
be visitied. It was became the largest city in Western Europe by
the 13th century. In the Middle Ages, a change occured and instead
of building porrly built structures, new permenant hotels were built
for the wealthy, such as the Hotel de Sens. The city of Paris
was becoming very dense and very dirty. Even the bridges over the
Seine had buildings built on them, thus there was no place to escape the
city, as the Pont Notre Dame was when completed in 1513 with 34
identical houses built on each side. So many hotels had gardens
and open space to give their owners refuge from the dense inner city.
Italien Renaissance styles played an important role influencing the design
of the new royal residences.
At the end of the 16th century Henri IV helped to start the modernization of Paris. Although he only reigned for a short period of time, he did more for Paris than any other king before him or that followed. He instituted a city-wide program of improvements that included royal and common building projects. Houses could no longer be built with wood or wood frames and other rules were laid down regarding construction. He had a gallery built connecting the Tuileries Palace (now gone) to the Louvre along the Seine, ordered the completion of the Pont Neuf, and issued the beginnings of piazzas in the city included the Place des Vosges (formerly the Place Royale) in the Marais and Place Dauphine on the Ile de la Cite. He laid down the pattern for what would become three centuries of urban design. |
| Questions? Comments? Send 'em to [email protected]
Go on back to Paris Guide Index |