Monuments in Paris: Arènes de Lutèce

Paris is very old.  

There has been a human settlement in the area for a very long time, at least since 8,000 B.C., based on evidence from the Mesolithic period.  

When the Romans invaded Gaul (modern day France and Belgium), they arrived in the area in 52 B.C. and encountered a settlement located several miles west of the center of modern Paris.  The Gallic tribe, called the Parisii, did not welcome the Romans.  The Romans prevailed and established a new town.  

The Roman town, known as Lutetia in classical Latin (Lutèce in French), was located in what is now the center of Paris, primarily on the Left Bank of the Seine.  Following a typical Roman design, the streets of the town followed a grid, with a major north-south street and east-west street.  Below is a diagram of Lutetia after its establishment.  

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The town grew large and the typical features of a Roman town were added over time, including thermal baths and an arena.  Remnants of the Roman town have survived, including many of the streets from that era, as well as the 3rd century thermal baths, which became an abbey in the middle ages and eventually an archaeological and history museum (the Musée de Cluny).

The 1st century Roman arena, known as the Arènes de Lutèce, has survived in part.  We recently visited the arena, which is tucked away in the 5th arrondissement.   

The arena was built at the end of the 1st century A.D.  The arena could hold 15,000 people and was used as a theater and for gladiator contests.  Over time, the arena was partially demolished and then rebuilt, and later it became a cemetery and was eventually filled in.  After being hidden for hundreds of years, the arena was accidentally rediscovered in 1869 during road construction.  Since then, a large portion of the arena's location has been excavated.  Unfortunately, not much of the original structure remains.  The location has been a public square since the 1890's.

Here are a few photos from our visit.  

A view of the arena looking north.

A view of the arena looking south.  The small dark squares by the passageway were likely animal cages.

Marie-Chantal is ready for verbal battle.  She is usually victorious. 

The arena might have looked like the model below.  You can watch a video depiction of the arena and the rest of Roman Lutetia by clicking here.    

Thanks for visiting the Arènes de Lutèce with us.