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Monnaie in Paris in Département de Paris, Île-de-France, France — Western Europe
 

L'Enceinte de la Philippe-August
⎯⎯⎯
Wall of Philip II Augustus

Histoire de Paris

 
 
L'Enceinte de la Philippe-August / Wall of Philip II Augustus Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 17, 2022
1. L'Enceinte de la Philippe-August / Wall of Philip II Augustus Marker
Inscription.  
Les remparts édifiés au début du XIlle siècle n'ont jamais servi militairement jusqu'à l'époque de Charles V sur la rive gauche, ils sont jugés en- core suffisants au XIVe siècle, et simplement consolidés puis entourés d'un fossé sec. La rue Mazarine en témoigne : cet ancien chemin extérieur de l'enceinte de Philippe-Auguste est en effet baptisé au XVIIe siècle "rue des Fossés de Nesle". Avec l'essor de la capitale, les fortifications médiévales sont lentement absorbées dans le tissu urbain : la muraille devient limite de propriété, soubasse- ment de maison ou carrière de pierres, et ses tours servent de logis, d'atelier, ou même de chapelle. Ici, un long pan de mur et la base d'une tour sont visibles à l'intérieur du parc de stationnement souterrain. Ces remplois successifs ont sauve- gardé de multiples fragments de l'enceinte monumentale, la préservant ainsi d'une démolition radicale.

(English translation:)

The ramparts on the left bank built at the beginning of the 11th century were never used militarily until the time of Charles V. They were still considered sufficient
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in the 14th century, and were simply consolidated and then surrounded by a dry moat. The rue Mazarine testifies to this: this former path outside the enclosure of Philippe-Auguste was in the 17th century called the "Street of Nesle ditch". With the rise of the capital, the medieval fortifications were slowly absorbed into the urban fabric: the wall became a property boundary, the basement of a house or a stone quarry, and its towers served as a dwelling, a workshop, or even a Chapel. Here, a long stretch of wall and the base of a tower are visible inside the underground parking lot. These successive reuses saved multiple fragments of the monumental enclosure, thus preserving it from radical demolition.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles. In addition, it is included in the Histoire de Paris series list.
 
Location. 48° 51.286′ N, 2° 20.281′ E. Marker is in Paris, Île-de-France, in Département de Paris. It is in Monnaie. It is at the intersection of Rue Mazarine and Passage Dauphine, on the right when traveling north on Rue Mazarine. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 27 Rue Mazarine, Paris, Île-de-France 75006, France. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, a coastal Mediterranean country, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a French colony and also the Roman Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Le Premiere Opéra de Paris (within shouting distance of this marker); Adam Mickiewicz, le poète exilé / the poet in exile
L'Enceinte de la Philippe-August / Wall of Philip II Augustus Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 17, 2022
2. L'Enceinte de la Philippe-August / Wall of Philip II Augustus Marker - wide view
(about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); István Keszei (about 120 meters away); Henri Lagriffoul (about 120 meters away); Marc-Antoine Gérard de Saint-Amant (about 120 meters away); a different marker also named István Keszei (about 150 meters away); Alexandre Tcherepnine / Alexander Tcherepnin (about 150 meters away); János Batsányi (about 150 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Paris.
 
Also see . . .  Wall of Philip II Augustus (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: "The Wall of Philip Augustus is the oldest city wall of Paris (France) whose plan is accurately known. Partially integrated into buildings, more traces of it remain than of the later fortifications."
(Submitted on June 11, 2022.) 
 
Additional keywords. panneau
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on May 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 11, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 418 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on June 11, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
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Jul. 1, 2026