Die Spuren des Temple in Paris

 

Der Aufsatz ist leider in Englisch, ich habe noch keine Zeit gefunden, zu übersetzen und zu überarbeiten. Also hier die „Beta-Version“ zum Schnuppern.

 

Visible Traces of the ancient Temple in Paris?

The Author visited Paris in Oct. 2008 to see – amongst other tasks – if there are still some visible traces of the temple left.

One hint came from the unfortunately recently deceased Jean Markale, in his book Gisors et l’Enigme des Templiers, Pygmalion 1986, Paris. I quote his page 110:

„Actuellement, en dehors du nom des rues, qui gardent fidèlement le nom des chevaliers à la Croix Rouge, seuls quelques vestiges épars peuvent se reconnaitre, telle la partie inférieure d’une tour d’angle de l’ancienne enceinte située entre le 32 de la rue de Picardie et le 73 de la rue Charlot, ….“

 

This map shows the major streets of the related area:

 

Fig. 1, (source: Via Michelin)

So I went to the spottet place and by walking down the Rue Dupetit-Thouars and finally approached No. 32 de la rue de Picardie:

 

Fig. 2, 32, Rue Picardie (Foto M.M.)

Closed, no access to the backyards. I then surrounded the block to find the quoted address in 73, Rue Charlot:

Fig. 3 : 73, Rue Charlot, 3eme Arr. (M.M.)

 

 

Again, no entry. No chance. The tower should be behind this door, somewhere in the backyards of the block

From this point I turned to show Rue Charlot southbound. This street is supposed to pass the old temple on its eastern side…The street coming in from the left side is Rue de la Normandie.

I show this photo, because this remarkable angle of this crossing will be helpful later.

 

Fig. 4 Crossing of Rue Charlot and Rue de la Normandie, southbound view (M.M.)

 

Having walked some fifty meters down south I remarked some obviously ancient stones, used to build the first floor of the house at the corner Rue du Forez and Rue Charlot. The following picture shows clearly, that these stones have been brought to daylight recently. The surface of these stones appear to have been handicraftet in medieval times and they seem to have the size and the colour of stones, which could have been used to erect the remparts of the templars estate.

 

Fig. 5: Corner of Rue Charlot and Rue du Forez, northbound view

This picture seems to show dramatically, that the actual name of the quarter „Le Marais“ (i.e. swamp) was justified even in time of Haussmanns visions. After the erection of the first levels these houses sank a little downwards, so that the second level got another angle to correct this.

As there were no further hints in situ, more desktop research shows to be necessary.

This is a sketch of the former templar site dated 1652.

Fig. 6: Drawing from 1652, source Wikipedia

North is left at this drawing. One can clearly see the Rue du Temple heading towards the porte du temple giving way through the city remparts of Paris.

I turned the actual map of the temple to the left, to compare the grid of the streets. Then I marked the possible situation of the temple walls in red. On top of the map there is the referred corner in the yards within the block between Picardie and Charlot

Fig. 7

I focussed the drawing of 1652 to the referred corner with the tower. (Rue Charlot did not exist these days)

Fig 8

and the same part of the rempart on the so called Turgot-Plan of 1734

 

Fig: 9 (source: Wikipedia)

This detail of the plan shows once again the remarkable angle between Rue de Normandie (above) and the Rue Charlot. The small street on the right is Rue du Foret. Rue de Normandie and the eastern temple wall form together an angle of almost 90°. The same angle shows at the wall of the temple and the Rue Beranger in the north of the temple. Rue Beranger follows the former position of the city walls. Rue Charlot has ben added later tho this system. But the last sketch shows clearly, that the Tower referred by Markale is closely behind the front row of buildings of Rue Charlot. And it shows, that the eastern temple wall cuts the crossing of Rue du Forez and the southern part of Rue Picardie. This is shown also above in Fig. 7 with a dark blue spot.

I checked this block on google earth and found a little sensation: The curious angle of the former eastern temple wall and the two parallel streets Rue Picardie and Rue Charlot ist to be seen even today! From the aerial view one can easily see the referred corner of the wall in the backyards. The northern temple wall follows the direction given by Rue Normandie and determined these days by the ancient city wall.

 

Fig. 10 (source google earth)

 

The road down right is Rue Normandie, which meets Rue Charlot. Left of Rue Charlot and almost diagonal runs Rue Picardie. The house row in this backyard system shows the same declination like the former templar wall. Down left of this picture one can see the crossing of Rue du Forez with Rue Picardie.

This is evidence, that an at least seven hundred years old real estate border survived until now.

And there is another evidence, when one takes a closer look on the northern wall of the ancient temple.

Again I refer to the Turgot Plan, which shows the northern wall on its left side:

Fig. 11: Turgot plan

I concentrate on the northwestern corner which is shown down left. The house at the corner of Rue du Temple and Rue de Vendôme (today Rue Beranger) still exists today, as shown by the following two pictures:

The last picture shows the former temple boundaries in the middle of the picture. It is not much, what was left over from the old temple. But at least this short report found evidence, that one can still trace some of the former boundaries and wall positions.

This report shows also, that it will be absolute necessary to enter the backyard system between Charlot and Picardie, to have a closer look on the said remains of the ancient tower.

Markus Menzendorff, Frankfurt, 19.01.2009

 

 

 

 

 

Turgot Plan of 1734: The northern wall of the temple is to be seen on the left. Rue de Normandie is on top of this picture. The north-eastern corner of the wall form an estimated 90° angle and the wall on top of this painting is the eastern border of the temple area. The edge touches the Rue Charlot, crosses the Rue Picardie at the crossing of Rue du Forez and forms thus the curious angle to Rue Charlot.

(source: google earth)

I tried to get the same point of view by some rotations. Down there is Rue du Temple. Some 15 mm from todays Rue Beranger on the left side of this picture one can clearly see the former northern border of the temple having survived as todays real estate borders. On top of this picture, one sees once again the templars border and the edge in the backyards between Rue Picardie and Rue Charlot.

And some bonus material:

 

Nôtre-Dame de Paris

Basilique de St. Denis