Arènes de Lutèce
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The Arènes de Lutèce (, "Arenas of
Lutetia The Gallo-Roman town of ''Lutetia'' (''Lutetia Parisiorum'' in Latin, in French ''Lutèce'') was the predecessor of the modern-day city of Paris. It was founded in about the middle of the 3rd century BCE by the Parisii, a Gallic tribe. Trac ...
") are among the most important ancient Roman remains from the era in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
(known in antiquity as
Lutetia The Gallo-Roman town of ''Lutetia'' (''Lutetia Parisiorum'' in Latin, in French ''Lutèce'') was the predecessor of the modern-day city of Paris. It was founded in about the middle of the 3rd century BCE by the Parisii, a Gallic tribe. Trac ...
), together with the
Thermes de Cluny The Thermes de Cluny are the ruins of Gallo-Roman thermal baths lying in the heart of Paris' 5th arrondissement, and which are partly subsumed into the Musée national du Moyen Âge - Thermes et hôtel de Cluny. History The present bath ruins ...
. Constructed in the 1st century AD, this theatre could once seat 15,000 people and was used also as an
amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
to show gladiatorial combats. The terraced seating surrounded more than half of the arena's circumference, more typical of an ancient Greek theatre rather than a Roman one which was semi-circular. The ''
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
'' was surrounded by the wall of a podium 2.5 m (8.2 feet) high, surmounted by a
parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...
. The stage was 41m long. A series of nine niches were most likely used for statues. Five small rooms were situated beneath the lower terraces, some of which appear to have been animal cages that opened directly into the arena. Slaves, the poor, and women were relegated to the higher tiers — while the lower seating areas were reserved for Roman male citizens. For comfort, a linen awning sheltered spectators from the hot sun. From its vantage point, the theatre also afforded views of the rivers Bièvre and Seine. When Lutèce was sacked during the barbarian raids of AD 275, some of the structure's stone work was used to reinforce the city's defences around the
Île de la Cité Île de la Cité (; English: City Island) is an island in the river Seine in the center of Paris. In the 4th century, it was the site of the fortress of the Roman governor. In 508, Clovis I, the first King of the Franks, established his palace ...
. However, Chilperic I had it repaired in 577 and gave performances there."On the death of Sigebert I (575), his widow Brunehaut took refuge in Paris, but a year later, Chilperic seized the city, repairs the ancient amphitheater and gives performances in 577." Alfred Fierro , History and dictionary of Paris , p. 16 Subsequently, the theatre became a cemetery, and was filled in completely following the construction of
wall of Philippe Auguste The Wall of Philip Augustus is the oldest city walls of Paris, city wall of Paris (France) whose plan is accurately known. Partially integrated into buildings, more traces of it remain than of the later fortifications. History The wall was built ...
(ca. 1210). Centuries later, even though the surrounding neighbourhood (quartier) had retained the name ''les Arènes'', the exact location was lost. It was discovered by
Théodore Vaquer Théodore is the French version of the masculine given name Theodore. Given name * Théodore Caruelle d'Aligny (1798–1871), French landscape painter and engraver *Théodore Anne (1892–1917), French playwright, librettist, and novelist * Théo ...
during the building of the Rue Monge between 1860–1869, when the Compagnie Générale des Omnibus sought to build a tramway depot on the site. Spearheaded by the author
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
(1802–1885) and a few other intellectuals, a preservation committee called la Société des Amis des Arènes undertook to save the archaeological treasure. After the demolition of the Couvent des Filles de Jésus-Christ in 1883, one-third of the arena was uncovered. The Municipal Council dedicated funds to restoring the arena and establishing it as a public square, which was opened in 1896. After the tramway lines and depot were dismantled in 1916 and line 10 of the
Paris Métro The Paris Métro (french: Métro de Paris ; short for Métropolitain ) is a rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architec ...
was constructed, the doctor and anthropologist Jean-Louis Capitan (1854–1929) continued with additional excavation and restoration of the arena toward the end of World War I. The neighbouring Square Capitan, built on the site of the old Saint-Victor reservoir, is dedicated to his memory. However, a portion of the original arena — opposite the stage — was lost to buildings which line rue Monge. Standing in the centre of the arena one can still observe significant remnants of the stage and its nine niches, as well as the grilled cages in the wall. The stepped terraces are not original, but historians believe that 41 arched openings punctuated the façade.


See also

*
List of Roman amphitheatres The remains of at least 230 Roman amphitheatres have been found widely scattered around the area of the Roman Empire. These are large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised 360 degree seating and not to be confused with the more common ...


References


External links


The Arènes de Lutèce at discoverfrance.net


the Arènes on Google Maps {{DEFAULTSORT:Arenes De Lutece Buildings and structures completed in the 1st century Archaeological sites in France Buildings and structures in Paris Roman Paris Lutece Buildings and structures in the 5th arrondissement of Paris