Introducing La Bièvre
Everyone is aware of in regards to the Seine River, the origin and soul of Paris that bisects the town from east to west. However do you know that there’s a second river in Paris?
The Bièvre River is a 36 km water course with its supply within the Yvelines division (southwest of Paris), not removed from Versailles. The Bièvre River entered the French capital by the present Parc Kellerman within the thirteenth Arrondissement, and it ran by the present districts of Paris 13 and Paris 5 – extra exactly by La Butte aux Cailles neighborhood and Parc Montsouris, then by Sq. Le Gall and south of the Jardin des Plantes – earlier than flowing into the Seine River, not removed from Gare d’Austerlitz.
Technically talking, La Bièvre nonetheless exists in Paris, however its waterway by the capital is completely underground, that’s why maybe you didn’t learn about it. Carry on studying for the historical past and destiny of the second river of Paris!
Historical past of the Bièvre River
Maybe this lesser-known tributary doesn’t evoke romantic imagery of the French capital fairly just like the Seine River, into which it as soon as decanted. Nonetheless, it has an fascinating historical past as previous as Paris itself. The title Bièvre comes from the Gaulish phrase “bibero,” that means “beaver,” which gave the phrase bièvre in Previous French. So, the Bièvre is the “Beaver River.”
The primary exercise current on the outskirts of the Bièvre in Paris was that of limestone quarries. This exercise dates again to Roman instances and continued till the nineteenth century on the borders of the commune of Gentilly. In Roman Paris, the inhabitants of Lutetia constructed an aqueduct to steer the water to the town.
Within the eleventh century, the presence of the Bièvre additionally led to the development of many water mills alongside its course, such because the Moulin de Croulebarbe talked about in 1214, the Moulin de Prés mill, the Moulin de Pointe, and plenty of others.
In the midst of the twelfth century, the canons of Saint Victor Abbey (at this time disappeared) diverted the Bièvre River to irrigate their land and activate their flour mill. The canal, three meters large, led the waters of the river in entrance of Notre Dame close to the present Rue de Bièvre. After the development of the enclosure of Philippe Auguste (1180-1210), this canal was diverted rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard to run alongside the fortification and stream into the Seine on the peak of the Pont de Sully.
To produce the mills, the course of the river was modified, in addition to the topography of the land: a dyke and dams have been constructed, resulting in the creation of two river arms referred to as Bièvre Vive (residing Bièvre) and Bièvre Morte (lifeless Bièvre, the unique river mattress).
From as early because the 14th century, the river offered a lifeline for the native business. Within the fifteenth century, the service provider Jean Gobelin – a specialist in scarlet crimson and dyed wool – had a workshop constructed overlooking the Bièvre. The waters of this tributary of the Seine, very wealthy in nitrogen, made it attainable to acquire good colours. Quickly different artisans needing a lot of water for his or her companies adopted: tanners, shoemakers, laundry employees, brewers, and weavers.
The expansion of this type of business was the origin of the air pollution and stench of the Bièvre River to the purpose of inflicting well being issues to the inhabitants of Paris. By the early 1900s, La Bièvre had develop into so polluted that metropolis authorities determined to cowl it and divert it to the sewers.
Baron Haussmann “solved” the issue: some elements of the river have been integrated into the town’s sewer system, whereas others have been coated by concrete. By 1912, La Bièvre had disappeared completely from Paris’ cityscape.
The Bièvre River In the present day
These days, La Bièvre is a river in two elements. It flows within the open air by the southern suburbs of Paris earlier than coming into a community of pipes within the stomach of the metropolitan space.
Curious wanderers can nonetheless observe the watercourse of the Bièvre River by Paris by following the copper plates and different reminders positioned at avenue stage on the previous sidewalks of the river (Paris 5 and Paris 13).
Photograph Legend:
- The confluence of the Bièvre River into the Seine River at Port Saint-Bernard, beneath Place Valhubert
- Engraved stone 8 Rue Berbier-du-Mets indicating the size of the Bièvre to be maintained
- Previous tannery at Rue Barrault
- Moulin Coupeau (Coupeau Mill) location at Rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire
During the last 20 years, a number of native councils within the area have undertaken tasks to convey the river again into view. The most recent part of the river to be revived was within the commune of Arcueil, on the doorstep of the town middle — Paris is the following huge problem.
In the course of the marketing campaign for municipal elections in Paris final yr, the Inexperienced Get together proposed “the rebirth of l. a. Bièvre,” and Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s Socialist Get together agreed to pursue it as a part of a coalition deal. The thought is to reopen varied sections inside Paris, particularly within the parks and gardens that observe the historic pathway of the Bièvre in Paris, round six kilometers in complete.
A feasibility examine is underway, and the Metropolis Council expects to finish the primary part inside the metropolis limits by the tip of the Mayor’s present time period in 2026. It’ll be a part of a number of stretches of the Bièvre uncovered over the previous few years in smaller cities, parks, and different underdeveloped areas.
The Bièvre River is a vital a part of the town’s historical past, a bit of historical past that disappeared from the floor due to the disregard of residents. The Bièvre River also can have a big function in Paris’ ecosystem: our bodies of water, identical to timber and crops, assist settle down their surrounding areas.
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