THE TRADE ROUTE DIVIDES INTO SEGMENTS

EACH REVEALS THE PAST 

Adapted from a Mappy plan

The first segment, which dates from the 13th century) goes up to the church whose steeple you glimpse (look very carefully).

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When the rampart built toward 1200 made the fortress obsolete, it became the prison, Tribunal, police headquarters and morgue. 

 The Grand Châtelet Seen from rue Saint-Denis by T.G.H. Hoffbauer / zoom, drawing based on the archives

   

This map from 1750 shows why rue Saint-Denis starts at some distance from the river.

The Châtelet quarter, 1750 / zoom

In the 1850's Paris underwent a giant transformation — more later —  and this open space replaced the Grand Châtelet.

 

The Fountain of Victories, built in 1808 to celebrate Napoleon's victories, was moved here (in 1854).

 Rue Saint-Denis begins at the east-west trade route:  

 Paris in the 11th Century / zoom (please scroll down)

The yellow arrow shows a location, the red one our route. 

 

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Next,

Touristy shops and fast-foods at the trade route's start