Questions about 14th century Paris
 

I have a large reproduction of a "Paris vers la fin du XIV siecle" and have several questions: There are many places called "Hotel ...." such as Hotel de Bourbon next to Le Louvre. Were these actually hotels? There are several canals such as one leading from the Seine to and around La Bastille and on the left bank "Chemin de la Petite Seine" to and around a "Chapelle de la Vierge". What happened to them? Also one of the main streets on the left bank is called Rue de la Harpe leading to Porte St. Michel is connected on the right bank with the Grande rue St. Denis. Also a college named St. Andre des Ars? Does anyone know about these? Rather vague questions I know. Anyone have suggestions on books regarding the growth of Paris (in English)?

Hotel in that usage doesn't mean a "hotel" where folks stay overnight. It means a place that is public and/or gets lots of visitors. Like Hotel de Ville = city hall.

I believe "hotel" in a historical building name refers to a large structure, not to a place for travelers to spend the night. The Hotel de Ville is city hall, for example.

The canal leading from the Seine to and around the Bastille is now the Bassin de l'Arsenal, which goes underground at Place de la Bastille and reemerges near Place de la Republique as the Canal St. Martin.

Well, in the 14th c. a hotel wasn't a hotel...
from Wiki: "In French contexts an hôtel particulier is an urban "private house" of a grand sort"
The only book about the growth of Paris that I'm familiar with (but I'm no expert on Paris) is about the 19th c. However, that was the era that removed much of medieval Paris and replaced it with what we see today. "Transforming Paris: The Life and Labors of Baron Haussmann".

Where did the nobility spend nights when they were in Paris? I considered that Hotel de Bourdon would be a place where that family had residence at times? Which sort of reinforces nfidbeothuk's reference of a "large private house". Curiouser and curiouser.

Maile, You would appreciate one of the books I have on my bookshelf - namely Leonard Pitt's "Walks Through Lost Paris" describing a journey into the heart of historic Paris.
I think I acquired it from Amamzon.
Hundreds of photos and the comparison of what one would see today looking at the same view/building etc.

As for detailed historical facts you can do no better that the 3 paperbacks by Thirza Vallois "Around And About Paris Vol 1, 2, 3"

This is in fact not 'curious' at all, just a difference in vocabulary, and how languages have evolved.

A 'hotel particulier' is a large, luxurious house. Unlike most city houses, which have adjoining wall,s a 'hotel particulier' usually stands on its own.

Have a look at the Wikipedia article, which talks about hotels and hostels, including why Hotel-Dieu is the old name for hospital.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B4tel_particulier

Also Alistair Horne's Seven Ages of Paris.

"Where did the nobility spend nights when they were in Paris?"

Either in their "hotel particulier" or at friends/family mansions. There were also "hostelleries", "auberges" and tavernes, the last two being more rustic.

Rue Saint-André des Arts was originally called Saint-André des Arcs (arrows) because there were several arrow merchants in this street which lead to an eponymous church. The church was destroyed during the French revolution.
The college (15 students !) was funded in the 13th century by the bishop of Autun (and was also called the Collège d'Autun). It was part of the Sorbonne. This explains how Saint-André des Arcs became Saint-André des (Fine) Arts.
Rue de la Harpe (harpsichord) because there was a harpsichord merchant in the street.

The canal called Petite Seine was built to bring
more water to the Abbey of St Germain. It must have been filled in ages ago.

Does your map show the Bievre River on the Left Bank flowing into the Seine where the current Rue
de Bievre now is? It was lined with tanneries hundreds of years ago but now flows below ground if I recall correctly.

Rob

A lot of the old names of nobility mansions carried the name of the family...ths Hotel des Bourbons, Hotel de Montmorency,etc...

Near the church of St Julien le Pauvre they used to have outdoor university classes in Latin...thus the reason it was called the Latin Quarter.

Ile St Louis was a cow pasture.

I collect historical french documents.

ParisAmersterdam - I was marking the flow of the River Bievre from around Rue Berbier where it still probably flows underground and undetected. If you walk down Rue de Bievre, you are walking on top of the final few metres of the river before it met the Seine. The course of this river was repeatedly deviated by the Monks of Saint Victor for agricultural reasons.
President Francois Mitterand resided ( maybe still?) at number 22 rue Bievre.
By the by, there is a little secret garden in that street........

For a historical overview, try Andrew Hussey's Paris - the Secret History (though this is more about the people than the geography).

"President Francois Mitterand resided ( maybe still?) at number 22 rue Bievre."

He died in 1996.

I'd recommend:

For Paris, specifically: "Seven Ages of Paris" by Alistair Horne

For France: "The Discovery of France:A Historical Geography From Revolution to the First World War" by Graham Robb

Tod,

Yes, I have checked out both that little garden
and the old Mitterand address.

I once read the immediate area was once slated to be 'redeveloped' (somehow Haussmann missed it in the previous century) but that plans stopped when Mitterand bought his place and people started renovating instead of demolishing.

We ate at a little restaurant where the street narrows just off Boul St Germain 3 years ago. A little old North African couple with Madame in the kitchen and Monsieur waiting tables... a 3 course meal for 10 euros!

Great. I have ordered the books suggested. And yes, Tod, my map does show the River Bieve and also the canal of that name. Its mouth is shown directly across from the cow pasture island St louis. And how comes everyone seems to know about that little garden and how does one find it?

"Bievre" is old French for "beaver" and there are 2 beavers on the coat of arms of the 13th Paris arrondissement.
Alas, nowadays the river Bievre flows directly into Paris main sewer :-((

The little garden is next to Mitterand's house, 22 rue de Bièvre.

Very difficult now to think of beavers in Paris. Wonder when the last of them tried to dam the Seine?

Here's a link to a Google Streetview of the little park... it's a tinyurl as the Google link is very long:

http://tinyurl.com/24uhbaq

If you shift the view a bit to the left looking up the street the letter "A" is in front of Mitterand's number 22.

Also, Hosptials used (or may still?) to be called "Hotel Dieu" which is literally, "House of God." Thus the name "House of God" for a popular 70's novel of that name lampooning the life of a medical intern in Beth Israel Hospital, a tongue in cheek reference for medical slang, where any high ranking, Ivory Tower mentality academic hosptial affiliated with a faith based group, would be derisively referred to as "House of God" by those working at competing non-faith based hosptials.