We seems to think after all those novels, and movies that Paris started in the 1920’s but is actually way back. We think of French history and is old, but really it goes way back. And I did a couple of posts on medieval Paris but will do this one with new pictures found in my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me. Therefore, here is my take on the arénes de Lutéce of Paris !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I
The arènes de Lutèce or the Arena of Lutetia,with an area of 12,168 m² ; built in the 2C, is a Gallo-Roman amphitheater. It is a hybrid complex, of the “amphitheater with stage” or “amphitheater-theater” type, comprising both a stage for theatrical performances and an arena for gladiatorial combats and other amphitheater games. It was during the Haussmannian renovations of Rue Monge that part of the arena was discovered in 1869. At that time, institutions and figures such as Victor Hugo (the famous writer) and Victor Duruy (the French minister and historian) mobilized. The square incorporating the arena was opened in 1892. Restoration continued until 1918, overseen by the anthropologist and prehistorian Louis Capitan, whose name was given in 1931 to the neighboring square dedicated to relaxation and play, created on the site of the former Saint-Victor water reservoir, which was destroyed in 1922. The two squares now form a single green space. It is today a public place which sometimes hosts theatrical performances and concerts on its large central stage, when it is not the playing field for amateur footballers or pétanque players. On the stands and benches surrounding it, people come to sit for a lunch break or to revise if they are students. The theater stage, erected on the podium, measures 41 meters in length. The central track, elliptical in shape, has a major axis of 52 meters and a minor axis of 44 meters. The square contains a stone monument to Gabriel Mortillet by A Penne from 1905, The site is located and accessible by the rue Monge, rue de Navarre and rue des Arènes. They are now accessible through the building at 49, rue Monge , where the entrance can be recognized thanks to a bust of a gladiator located on the entablature of the access door. The arénes de Lutèce are served by the metro stations Place Monge ,line 7, and Jussieu lines 7 and 10.
The metro Place Monge is part of the line 7 , located in the 5éme arrondissement of Paris. The station is located under Rue Monge near the Place Monge that this street runs into it. It owes its name to its location under Place Monge on the one hand and Rue Monge on the other, these two lines paying homage to Gaspard Monge, a French mathematician who enabled the construction of the École Normale Supérieure and founded the École Polytechnique. The station has two entrances divided into three metro entrances: Access 1, “Place Monge,” consists of a fixed staircase adorned with a balustrade and a Dervaux-style candelabra, located in the square, and an exit with a surround designed by Joseph Cassien-Bernard, comprising two escalators leading to the square; Access 2, “Rue de Navarre located on the even-numbered sidewalk of Rue de Navarre, adjacent to the square des arènes de Lutèce and square Capitan. The station opened on February 15, 1930, with the commissioning of the third extension of Line 10 from Odéon to Place d’Italie. On April 26, 1931, it was transferred to Line 7, which then ran from Pré-Saint-Gervais or Porte de la Villette to the southern terminus at Porte d’Ivry, which was inaugurated on the same date, while Line 10 was redirected to the temporary terminus at Jussieu. The station’s subtitle is Jardin des Plantes – Arènes de Lutèce, due to its proximity to the Jardin des Plantes,(see post), the headquarters and main site of the National Museum of Natural History, and the Arènes de Lutèce, a former Gallo-Roman amphitheater. However, this subtitle is absent from the platforms, as the typography incorporated into the wall tiles is not well suited to it.
The Paris tourist office on the Arénes de Lutéce: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/culture/arenes-de-lutece-et-square-capitan-p1094
The City of Paris on the Arénes de Lutéce : https://www.paris.fr/lieux/square-des-arenes-de-lutece-et-square-capitan-1760
The RATP regional public transports on line 7 : https://www.ratp.fr/en/plans-lignes/metro/7
The Paris tourist office on the 7éme arrondissement de Paris : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/explore-paris-s-7th-arrondissement-a825
The Île de France region tourist office on the Arénes de Lutéce : https://www.visitparisregion.com/en/arenes-de-lutece
There you go folks, a historical architecturally stunning walk of my eternal Paris, going way back indeed, We love to walk this wonderfully beautiful city, and finding its treasures is awesome. A truly beautiful city where anyone can fall in love, Again, hope you enjoy this post on the arénes de Lutéce of Paris !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
