The Grand Châtelet was a stronghold in Ancien RégimeParis, on the right bank of the Seine, on the site of what is now the Place du Châtelet; it contained a court and police headquarters and a number of prisons.
The Grand Châtelet around 1800, looking south from the rue Saint-Denis
The original building on the site may have been a wooden tower constructed by Charles the Bald in 870 to defend the then new Grand-Pont bridge (now replaced by the Pont au Change), but it is known that Louis VI built a stronger structure in stone, a châtelet ('small castle'), in 1130; it was called the Grand Châtelet in contrast to the Petit Châtelet built around the same time at the end of the Petit Pont, on the south bank of the Seine.[1] It lost its defensive purpose in 1190 when Philip Augustus built a rampart around the perimeter of the city; from then on it served as the headquarters of the prévôt de Paris, the official "charged with protection of royal rights, oversight of royal administration, and execution of royal justice" in late medieval Paris.[2] The court of the Châtelet was always subordinate to the Parlement of Paris, but it had extensive criminal and civil jurisdiction, and treason cases were frequently tried there. For centuries, the magistrates of the Châtelet clashed with those of the Hôtel de Ville over jurisdiction.[3]
The Châtelet was rebuilt by Charles V, but by 1460 it had fallen into such disrepair that the sittings of the court were held at the Louvre, not returning until 1506; in 1657 the court was once again forced to move temporarily, this time to the convent of the Grands Augustins on the Rue Dauphine.[4] In 1684 the structure was almost completely rebuilt by Louis XIV, taking on the form that it had until it was demolished after the Revolution. "The roadway which passed under the Chatelet (in effect the continuation of the Rue Saint-Denis) set apart the municipal prison on the eastern side of the structure from the various magisterial chambers to the west."[5] Under the western side lay the city morgue; the prisons on the eastern side increased in number from nine to twenty over the years, ranging from dormitories where prisoners lived "à la pistole", that is with beds, to those called "au secret", ranging from a huge hall with straw mats to subterranean dungeons.[6]
Like all edifices in the Old Regime connected with the administration of justice, the Châtelet enjoyed a very sinister reputation, even worse than the storied Bastille. Relatively few Parisians of common stock were ever able to claim the dubious distinction that a relative or friend languished in the dungeons of the Bastille; many more could make the claim for the dank chambers of the Châtelet, inherently far more fearsome than the dry and relatively comfortable prison a mile to the east.[7]
The area around the Châtelet was physically unpleasant as well, due to the smell of drying blood from nearby slaughterhouses and "the effluent of the great sewers that oozed into the Seine between the Pont Notre-Dame and the Pont-au-Change."[10] In 1790, with the abolition of the office of prévôt de Paris, the Châtelet lost its function, and as part of the general refurbishment of the area it was demolished between 1802 and 1810 and the Place du Châtelet created at the north end of the bridge.
Referencesedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grand Châtelet.
^Jacques Hillairet, Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris, 8th ed. (Éditions de Minuit, 1985), Vol. 1, p. 331.
^William W. Kibler and Grover A. Zinn, Medieval France: An Encyclopedia (Routledge, 1995: ISBN0-8240-4444-4), p. 758.
^Léon Bernard, The Emerging City: Paris in the Age of Louis XIV (Duke University Press, 1970), p. 34.
^The History of Paris, from the Earliest Period to the Present Day (A. and W. Galignani, 1825), pp. 100–01.
^Collections Louvre: Peinture "Vue de la cellule du Baron de Besenval à la prison du Châtelet" par Hubert Robert, exécuté pendant l'incarcération de Pierre Victor, Baron de Besenval, à la prison du Châtelet, Département des Peintures, salle 930, numéro d’inventaire RF 2012 22, date d’acquisition (achat en vente publique, Hôtel Drouot) 23 novembre 2012.
^Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim, Société d’Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 150.
^David Garrioch, The Making of Revolutionary Paris (University of California Press, 2002: ISBN0-520-23253-4), p. 18.
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The Grand Chatelet was a stronghold in Ancien Regime Paris on the right bank of the Seine on the site of what is now the Place du Chatelet it contained a court and police headquarters and a number of prisons The Grand Chatelet around 1800 looking south from the rue Saint Denis The original building on the site may have been a wooden tower constructed by Charles the Bald in 870 to defend the then new Grand Pont bridge now replaced by the Pont au Change but it is known that Louis VI built a stronger structure in stone a chatelet small castle in 1130 it was called the Grand Chatelet in contrast to the Petit Chatelet built around the same time at the end of the Petit Pont on the south bank of the Seine 1 It lost its defensive purpose in 1190 when Philip Augustus built a rampart around the perimeter of the city from then on it served as the headquarters of the prevot de Paris the official charged with protection of royal rights oversight of royal administration and execution of royal justice in late medieval Paris 2 The court of the Chatelet was always subordinate to the Parlement of Paris but it had extensive criminal and civil jurisdiction and treason cases were frequently tried there For centuries the magistrates of the Chatelet clashed with those of the Hotel de Ville over jurisdiction 3 The Chatelet was rebuilt by Charles V but by 1460 it had fallen into such disrepair that the sittings of the court were held at the Louvre not returning until 1506 in 1657 the court was once again forced to move temporarily this time to the convent of the Grands Augustins on the Rue Dauphine 4 In 1684 the structure was almost completely rebuilt by Louis XIV taking on the form that it had until it was demolished after the Revolution The roadway which passed under the Chatelet in effect the continuation of the Rue Saint Denis set apart the municipal prison on the eastern side of the structure from the various magisterial chambers to the west 5 Under the western side lay the city morgue the prisons on the eastern side increased in number from nine to twenty over the years ranging from dormitories where prisoners lived a la pistole that is with beds to those called au secret ranging from a huge hall with straw mats to subterranean dungeons 6 Like all edifices in the Old Regime connected with the administration of justice the Chatelet enjoyed a very sinister reputation even worse than the storied Bastille Relatively few Parisians of common stock were ever able to claim the dubious distinction that a relative or friend languished in the dungeons of the Bastille many more could make the claim for the dank chambers of the Chatelet inherently far more fearsome than the dry and relatively comfortable prison a mile to the east 7 Among the famous prisoners who spent time in the Chatelet were Pierre Victor Baron de Besenval de Brunstatt 8 9 Clement Marot who composed his Enfer there the famous highwayman Cartouche the poisoner Antoine Francois Desrues 1744 1777 and the marquis de Favras The area around the Chatelet was physically unpleasant as well due to the smell of drying blood from nearby slaughterhouses and the effluent of the great sewers that oozed into the Seine between the Pont Notre Dame and the Pont au Change 10 In 1790 with the abolition of the office of prevot de Paris the Chatelet lost its function and as part of the general refurbishment of the area it was demolished between 1802 and 1810 and the Place du Chatelet created at the north end of the bridge References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grand Chatelet Jacques Hillairet Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris 8th ed Editions de Minuit 1985 Vol 1 p 331 William W Kibler and Grover A Zinn Medieval France An Encyclopedia Routledge 1995 ISBN 0 8240 4444 4 p 758 Leon Bernard The Emerging City Paris in the Age of Louis XIV Duke University Press 1970 p 34 The History of Paris from the Earliest Period to the Present Day A and W Galignani 1825 pp 100 01 Bernard The Emerging City p 34 Hillairet Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris p 332 Bernard The Emerging City p 33 Collections Louvre Peinture Vue de la cellule du Baron de Besenval a la prison du Chatelet par Hubert Robert execute pendant l incarceration de Pierre Victor Baron de Besenval a la prison du Chatelet Departement des Peintures salle 930 numero d inventaire RF 2012 22 date d acquisition achat en vente publique Hotel Drouot 23 novembre 2012 Gabrielle Claerr Stamm De Soleure a Paris La saga de la famille de Besenval seigneurs de Brunstatt Riedisheim et Didenheim Societe d Histoire du Sundgau 2015 p 150 David Garrioch The Making of Revolutionary Paris University of California Press 2002 ISBN 0 520 23253 4 p 18 48 51 27 N 2 20 50 E 48 8574 N 2 3471 E 48 8574 2 3471 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Grand Chatelet amp oldid 1191922560, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
