Les Arènes de Lutèce, Paris, France
N 48° 50.711 E 002° 21.178
31U E 452528 N 5410447
[FR] Les arènes de Lutèce, construites au Ier siècle, sont en fait un amphithéâtre romain. [EN] Lying in what is now the Quartier Latin, this amphitheater could once seat 15,000 people, and was used to present gladiatorial combats.
Waymark Code: WM31VY
Location: Île-de-France, France
Date Posted: 01/27/2008
Views: 144
[FR] Il s'agit d'un complexe hybride, de type « amphithéâtre à scène » ou encore « amphithéâtre-théâtre », comportant à la fois une scène pour les représentations théâtrales et une arène pour les combats de gladiateurs et autres jeux de l'amphithéâtre.
Cet amphithéâtre à scène, d'un type courant en Gaule, pouvait accueillir 17 000 spectateurs. La scène de théâtre d'une longueur de 41,20 m, dressée sur le podium, est de taille considérable. Les combats d'hommes et d'animaux se déroulaient sur la piste centrale elliptique de 52,50 x 46,8 m.
Il est probable que les arènes, construites au Ier siècle, restèrent en activité jusqu'à la première destruction de Lutèce, à la fin du IIIe siècle. Toutefois, Chilpéric fit réparer cet amphithéâtre en 577 ap. J.-C. et y fit donner des spectacles.
Le plus ancien texte faisant référence à cette enceinte est dû au moine anglais Alexandre Neckham (1157-1217) qui décrit ce qu'il a vu à Paris vers 1180. Il cite l'amphithéâtre romain. Un acte de novembre 1284 cite « les Areinnes devant Saint-Victor ». Adrien de Valois publie un texte en 1675 localisant l'amphithéâtre de Lutèce.
[EN] Constructed in the 1st century AD, this amphitheater is considered the longest of its kind constructed by the Romans. The sunken arena of the amphitheater was surrounded by the wall of a podium 8.2 feet (2.5m) high, surmounted by a parapet. The presence of a 135-foot (41.2m) long stage allowed scenes to alternate between theatrical productions and combat. A series of nine niches aided in improving the acoustics. Five cubbyholes were situated beneath the lower bleachers, of which three appear to have been animal cages that opened directly into the arena. Historians believe that the bleachers, which surrounded more than half of the arena's circumference, could accommodate as many as 17,000 spectators.
When Lutèce was sacked during the barbaric invasions of 280 A.D., some of the structure's stone work was carted off to reinforce the city's defenses around the Île de la Cité. Subsequently, the amphitheater became a cemetery, and then it was filled in completely following the construction of Philippe Auguste's walls (ca. 1210).
Centuries later, even though the surrounding neighborhood (quartier) had retained the name les Arènes, no one really knew exactly where the ancient arena had been. It was discovered by Théodore Vaquer 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 (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.
(Text taken from wikipedia).
Most Relevant Historical Period: Roman Empire > 27 B.C.
Admission Fee: Free / Gratuit
Opening days/times:
Elles sont ouvertes tous les jours de 8 h 30 à 17 h pendant l'hiver et 21 h pendant l'été.
The Arènes are open from 8:30 to 5pm every day during the winter, and remain open until 9:30pm during the summer.
Web Site: [Web Link]
Condition: Partly intact or reconstructed
|
Visit Instructions:
A complete sentence or two or an uploaded photo taken by the waymarker will be required in the log to confirm that the logger is participating in the hobby in good faith. Logs of only a few words like "Visited it" without an original photo are subject to deletion.