The entrance to the Archaeological Crypt was right behind the bleachers upon which we sat to take photos of the exterior of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. This was at the western end of what is officially known as Parvis Notre Dame – Place Jean Paul II.
The current level of the Parvis is roughly 4 to 5 meters (approximately 13 to 16 feet) higher than the ancient ground level. The current riverbank of the Seine has also moved roughly 50 meters (approximately 164 feet) to the south of the original. That means that the ancient riverbank was essentially in the middle of the current square.
Workers in 1842 discovered the original western steps of Notre Dame, which had ended up under several centuries of repaving. Then, in 1847, the foundations of the Roman wall and of the cathedral of Saint Etienne were found during further excavations.
In 1965, while excavating for a new underground parking garage, even more ancient foundations were discovered. The plans for the parking garage were modified and the site was opened to the public in 1980. I have included a photo of the actual Roman Port with a video behind it to indicate what the port would have looked like back when it was being used. I also have a photo of the steps down to the port.
Then there are the remains of the 4th century Roman hot baths. The under-floor heating system is still visible. There are also some of the items that have been unearthed during the excavations, such as weapons, tools, and portions of sculptures. There was one sculpted face that I captured because I found it quite interesting. Couldn’t find any information about what it was, however. It seems like it could be a more modern piece of art included in the display.
One of the major sculptures discovered here is called The Pillar of the Boatman and is on display in the Roman frigidarium at the Musee National du Moyen Age (also known as the Musee Cluny). The next post will be about our visit to that museum.
By this time, we needed a lunch break. We headed across the Seine to the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank. Just on the other side of the bridge was a café I had visited four years earlier while in Paris on the Avalon Waterways Grand France River Cruise. One of our number remained to take ownership of our table once we could be seated. The rest of us headed downstairs to the restrooms in the cellar.
After lunch (I had a Croque Monsieur and some fresh-squeezed orange juice) we made our way through the Square René Viviani to visit the Eglise Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre. When the original 6th century Church of St. Julien existed, the area that became a square in 1909 had been a cemetery. During the 19th century some Merovingian-era graves and tombs had been found near the walls of the current Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre.
A rather odd-looking and modern fountain was erected in the square in 1995. It is known as the Saint Julien fountain and is meant to represent the legend of Saint Julien the Hospitaller, which involves a curse by witches, a talking deer, a case of mistaken identity, a horrific crime, several improbable coincidences, and a supernatural intervention. It was a popular tale back in the Middle Ages.
In addition to containing pieces of several sculptures that had once stood on portions of Notre Dame de Paris (and had been discarded during past renovations), the Square is also known for being the location of the oldest tree in Paris. It was planted back in 1601 from a Locust tree seed brought back from the Appalachian Mountains in the U.S. It is supported by a couple of concrete crutches and continues to bloom every year. It is just outside of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre.
The 6th century version of this church was torn down and rebuilt at roughly the same time as Notre Dame was being built. It was begun in the Romanesque style, but is mostly Gothic. It was begun between 1165 and 1170 upon the foundations of the older church. It is referred to as the “oldest church in Paris” (it was begun after Notre Dame but completed well before it). Of the city’s 12th century churches (Saint Germain des Pres was outside of the city when it was built), it is the only one that has survived.
Like most religious and/or royal structures, it too was treated poorly during the French Revolution and used as a storage depot for salt. In the 19th century, the church was restored and then assigned to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Since this group is adverse to sculptural decoration, there is just one statue remaining inside. It is a 17th century carved wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and Child. The Melkite Greek Catholic Church does favor icons and so the walls of the two side aisles have several icons displayed on them.
It did not take long to see the entire church as it was quite small. Since a lovely 15th church was close by along a pedestrian-only street, we headed there next to see a church that was quite different in size and style from this small gem.
The Church of Saint-Séverin was originally constructed in 1230. After a fire in 1448 during the Hundred Years’ War, it was rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th to 17th centuries. Parts of the original church still exist however. The lower portion of the bell tower remains as do other bits and pieces throughout. The portal is actually from another, earlier church and the nave was built in two different styles and eras — High Gothic (13th century) and Flamboyant (15th century). The stained-glass windows come from many different centuries and are in many different styles. Although it is a bit of a hodge podge, it all works together quite harmoniously.
The church was named after Saint Séverin of Paris. He lived on the site of the present church in the 6th century. One of his pupils was Clodoald (Saint Cloud). After Saint Séverin’s death, a chapel was erected on the site of his cell. This was destroyed during the Norman invasions in the 9th century and rebuilt in the 11th century.
After the University of Paris (now the Sorbonne) was founded in 1215, Saint Séverin became its parish church. This necessitated a much larger building which was begun in 1230.
During the French Revolution, the church was closed and used to store gunpowder. Later it was used for storing grain and church bells (which were being melted down to make cannons). Ironically, one of the oldest church bells in Paris, cast in 1412, is located at Saint Séverin.
A very distinctive feature of the apse behind the altar is the twisting central pillar and surrounding pillars that resemble stone palm trees. The branches reach up and spread into an intricate web of vaulting. The central pillar is illuminated and is quite striking.
This was another place where we sat and drank it all in for a while. Then we headed for the Musee National du Moyen Age, also known as the Musee Cluny.
Next time –Musee Cluny (Musee National du Moyen Age)
