The Temple area

In my last post about the “Carreau du Temple” I promised to revert with something more.

Despite the fact that I already wrote (see here) about the long history of this area, I cannot resist against some more history and mapping.

Just round the corner of the covered market, you can find some kind of wall map of what the area looked like in 1793, before some demolition was started. Some illustrations “stolen” on the net, show the aspect of what once was the home of the Templars by the end of the 18^th century, when Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were imprisoned in the old tower / castle-keep. This tower stood just in front of where now the 3^rd arrondissement Town Hall stands – see the blue marks on the pavement.  

I also made a comparison between today and the Turgot-plan from 1739 and with the city plan from 1790 (the tower encircled).

I amused myself by trying to incorporate these plans with the present look of Paris.

In the beginning of the 19^th century the area was completely remodelled. We could then find the “Rotonde du Temple” (already there since 1788) and wooden covered markets were added early 19^th century. This became an important centre for clothes and tissue merchants.

All this was replaced around 1863 and a vast area was covered by a steel, brick and glass complex, still specializing in the same trade. In this illustration from the end of the 19^th century, we can see what it all looked like – including a new little park and the local Town Hall (3^rd arrondissment).

Four of originally six pavilions were dismantled 1905 and today remain only the two we know. The space of the four disappeared ones is now occupied by some imposing, well decorated, official and school buildings from the early 19^th century.

So, now coming to what we can see today. My previous post already described the remodelled covered market buildings. What is really attractive is the beautiful little park, Square du Temple, opened around 1860, once again thanks to J-C Alphand, who was involved in the creation of the majority of the still existing Paris parks and squares. (I mentioned him in a number of my previous posts.) I found some of this year’s first ducklings.  

The area is getting more and more attractive for strolling around, with a great number of cafés, restaurants, art galleries, libraries, flower shops…

In one of the courtyards I found this beautiful and very alert cat. 

Carreau du Temple

“Carreau du Temple” was one of the covered market places in Paris, constructed in 1863, typical for those days in brick, steel and glass, then replacing a wooden structure. I wrote about the place in a post some five years ago and then took these pictures.

The market which specialised in clothes and textiles was originally three times bigger. It lost in importance and after some abandoned plans to have it replaced by a parking space, it was a few years ago decided to transform the place to a centre for basically cultural and sport activities. The transformation is now more or less completed, a first part opened to public in February, used for exhibitions, fashion shows and similar events. The other part, including an auditorium will open late April.

Last weekend I visited the art exhibition “Drawing Now”. A large number of international galleries and artists exposed. A lot to see…

My attention was especially drawn to “Ben”, easily recognised for a famous wall painting in Paris, rue de Belleville (see previous post) and by the Belgian cartoonist, Philippe Geluck.

Part of the exhibition was to be found on a lower level, newly created...  

… and a further part in another space, “Espace Commines”, previously an 19^th century industrial locale.

I ran into Mme Anne Hidalgo, who the following day (yesterday) was elected the new mayor of Paris.

I will revert to more views from the area around the “Temple”, full of history (see previous posts), now becoming more and more attractive.