The Ile de la Cité, one of two islands in the Seine within the city of Paris (the other being Ile Saint-Louis), is the spiritual and geographical centre of Paris. Here’s a brief introduction to some of the history and sights of this magical place.
The Ile de la Cite is the center of Paris (and France) in more than one way. In fact, all road distances in France are calculated from the "zero kilometer", located in the Place du Parvis de Notre-Dame, the square facing Notre-Dame's west end towers.
Some of Paris’ most famous sights are to be found on the Ile de la Cite. Many first-time visitors to Paris don’t realize that the Notre Dame itself, among other sights, is located on this beautiful, ancient island.
The Pont Neuf is here – the "new bridge" that is now the oldest bridge in Paris. One can see the bronze equestrian statue of Henri IV here, who inaugurated the bridge in 1607. It was destroyed in 1792 during the French Revolution, but was recreated from surviving casts in 1818.
While the ile contains some of Paris’ most impressive sights, the small things may also enchant you. As you take in a stroll from one our nearby apartments in Paris, visit the vendors selling roasted chestnuts. The chestnuts, which are quite delicious, will warm both the body and soul on a cold autumn or winter day. Roasted on the spot, they are sold in small bags for a modest fee.
The Ile de la Cité is the cradle of Parisian civilization. The Parisii tribe of celtic hunters and fisherman lived here, and left Paris its name. After the Romans, led by Caesar's lieutenant Labenius, conquered the Parisii in 52 AD, the city was given the name Lutecia, from the Latin “lutum” meaning "mud". During the barbarian invasion, Lutecia's inhabitants, consolidated by the young Sainte Geneviève, took refuge on this easily defended island. Clovis, king of the Francs and defeater of the Romans, made the island his capital. As such, it stayed the area's hub of activity throughout the Middle Ages.
Even today that the city has spread out to both banks, the Ile de la Cite can still be considered the heart of the present city. Look for the bronze star in the pavement in front of the entrance of the Notre Dame to find France’s official geographical center. At the Ile de la Cite you will find the Notre Dame, the Conciergerie, the Sainte Chapelle, the Palais de Justice, and the Memorial des Martyrs de la Deportation. We have many apartments in Paris within walking distance of this historically profound place.
The oldest remaining residential quarter is the Ancien Cloître. Baron Haussmann demolished some of the network of narrow streets, but was dismissed in 1869 before the entire quarter was lost. Consider a Paris apartment rental Ile de la Cite to see it all without hurry.
Old engraved maps of Paris show how, when the Pont Neuf was built, it grazed the downstream tip of the island. Since that time, a natural sandbar building of a mid-river island, aided by stone-faced embankments (“quais”), has extended the island. The small Vert Galant park now sits here, named for Henri IV of France, the "Green Gallant" king. If you look closely, you can see a discreet plaque marking the spot where Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burnt at the stake in 1314.
Why not choose a Paris apartment long term or short term rental to see the sights at a leisurely, unhurried pace?
The most important work on the island took place under Louis-Philippe and Napoleon III, when the Law Courts were doubled, Place du Parvis in front of Notre-Dame was quadrupled and Boulevard du Palais was increased tenfold in width.
The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, once of Paris’ most breathtakingly famous sights, was built beginning in 1163 on the site of a church dedicated to Saint Étienne, which in turn occupied a sacred pagan site of the Roman era. During the French Revolution the cathedral was badly damaged, then restored by Viollet-le-Duc.
Louis IX's Sainte-Chapelle (1245) is also here, built as a reliquary to house the Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross, enclosed within the Palais de Justice. So is the Conciergerie prison, where Marie Antoinette awaited execution in 1793.
