Le Marais

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Place des Vosges is Paris' oldest square still with its original buildings, and also, according to some, Paris' most beautiful square.

Le Marais (pronounced /maʁɛ/ and meaning “the marsh” in French) is a district in Paris, France, traditionally a bourgeois area, but now also well-known for its gay nightlife.

It spreads across parts of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements in Paris (on the Rive Droite, or Right Bank, of the Seine).

1 History
2 Le Marais today
3 Places and monuments of note
4 External links

[edit] History

In the 12th century, the Ordre du Temple (Order of the Temple) cleared the marshlands to the north of Philippe Auguste's enclosure. From the 16th century onwards, the aristocracy built large residences in the area, a trend which was accelerated by the creation of the Place Royale (which would become the Place des Vosges) by Henri IV in 1605.

The departure of the royal court to Versailles led to a decline in the district. Haussmann's urban redevelopment only marginally affected the Marais through new alignment rules and constructions, lending irregular width to many of the neighbourhood's streets.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century and in the first half of the twentieth century, the area surrounding the Rue des Rosiers became home to many Jews from Eastern Europe, further specializing local labour in the clothing industry. The Marais was therefore a target for the Nazis when they controlled the city.

In 1969, André Malraux made the Marais the first protected sector (secteur sauvegardé), with the area being home to many museums, art galleries and historic sites. As with other parts of Paris, where shops are sold but their front not entirely redone when changing business, this protection measure can lead to certain comical results, such as a shop with a "bakery" front selling shoes.

[edit] Le Marais today

The restaurant Chez Marianne is often considered a fixture of the Marais

The rue des Rosiers is still a major center of the Jewish community. Walls feature announcements of Jewish events; there are bookstores specialized in Jewish books; and also there are a vast amount of restaurants and other outlets selling kosher food, especially traditional Israeli/Jewish fare such as falafel.

One of the most interesting streets is the famous rue des Francs-Bourgeois, one of the rare streets of Paris completely open on Sunday.

The neighbourhood has experienced a growing gay presence since the 1980s, as evidenced by the existence of many gay cafés, nightclubs, cabarets and shops.