Île à La Gourdaine
Île à la Gourdaine (or Îlot de la Gourdaine) is a former eyot (islet) in the river Seine in central Paris. It was built over in 1607 to create the current Place Dauphine. Location The island lay immediately downstream (west) of the Île de la Cité and immediately north of the Île aux Juifs. Historically there were many more islands in Paris than the two that remain today, the Île de la Cité and the Île Saint-Louis. In medieval times there were ten low lying, sandy islands that were frequently flooded. Name One suggested origin of the name ‘gourdaine’ is that the term means ferry or skiff, because of the ferries that were used to approach the island. Another suggested etymology is that the name means ‘difficult to approach’. A third explanation of the name is that “gourdain” was the name of the watermill which can be seen close by the island on early maps. Some records suggest that the island was known as “île du-Pasteur-aux-vaches” (“cowherd island ...
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