The city walls of Paris were a succession of seven fortifications that surrounded the city from Antiquity until the 18th century, except for a period of more than a century. According to the chronology, Paris was initially associated with a hypothetical Gallic fortification, the oppidum des Parisii, before the Gallo-Roman city of Lutèce. In the Late Empire, inhabitants withdrew to the island part of the city and built a stone enclosure at the beginning of the 4th century CE. This wall, made of dry stones and partly using materials from Lutèce’s arenas, protected the eastern half of the island. Later walls were demolished from 1670 by order of Louis XIV until 1785 under Louis XVI, and the mur des Fermiers généraux began in 1785. These enceintes had a lasting impact on Paris’s urban fabric, influencing the city’s growth and leaving nearly parallel streets that trace former boundaries. Only a few architectural traces remain, including parts of the Philippe Auguste and Charles V walls, Ledoux pavilions from the mur des Fermiers généraux, and sections of the Thiers enceinte near the boulevard périphérique.
Successive Walls and Their Urban Legacy
Paris was surrounded by seven successive walls or fortifications, and the city was always enclosed from Antiquity until the 18th century except for more than a century. A hypothetical Gallic fortification, the oppidum des Parisii, is mentioned before Lutecia gallo-Roman. The walls were demolished from 1670 by order of Louis XIV until 1785 under Louis XVI, and construction of the mur des Fermiers generaux began in 1785. These enceintes, or walls of Paris, influenced the citys growth by protecting the surrounding countryside and shaping the urban fabric. They helped create nearly parallel streets that trace the lines of former walls, especially those of Philippe Auguste and Charles V. The enceinte of Philippe Auguste left a particularly strong mark on the layout of central Paris neighborhoods. Very few architectural traces remain, including some Gallo-Roman cobblestones, the name rue des Barres, parts of the Philippe Auguste and Charles V walls, Ledoux pavilions from the mur des Fermiers generaux, and parts of the Thiers enceinte near the boulevard peripherique.
The Gallo-Roman Enclosure on the Island
After several campaigns against barbarians, the inhabitants of Lutetia retreated to the island part of the city at the beginning of the 4th century CE and protected its eastern half with a stone wall. This enclosure was built of dry stones, without mortar or cement, and reused stones from the arenas of Lutetia. It stood at the edges of the Seine of the time and had an estimated base width of 4.5 meters, a top width of 3 meters, and a height of 6 meters.
The wall had a U-shaped layout and was extended westward by the citadel, the palace of the Roman prefects, located approximately at the perimeter of the old Palais de justice, now the cour d'appel et de cassation. The citadel area was bordered by swampy islets at the heads of two wooden bridges aligned on the cardo maximus axis. These bridges were protected by tall towers, among the fifteen towers in the entire city of Lutetia. The population of Lutetia at the time is estimated at about 7,000 to 8,000.
The disappearance of this enclosure is difficult to date, although it did not exist by the 4th century. Caesar Julian also mentioned it in 360. In 1829, excavations found intact parts of Caesar's wall at the corner of Rue Saint-Landry, Quai Napoleon, and Rue de la Colombe.
Early Enclosures and Traces of the Paris Walls
Chronologie presents evidence for an early enclosure around central Paris on the right bank, sometimes called the Carolingian enclosure, which is dated to the late 9th or 10th century. Paul Leon also recorded 12th century references to the names Murs du Roi and Vieux Murs de Paris. Some maps proposed approximate routes for this second enclosure without historical basis, although two gates are confirmed: Porte Baudoyer and Archet Saint-Merri. Chronologie also identifies fortifications around Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois and a gate near Rue Mauconseil and Rue Saint-Denis, and notes that INrap found traces of this enclosure during 2009 excavations at the corner of Rue de l'Arbre-Sec and Rue de Rivoli. After the Viking siege of 885, it was decided to surround the emerging suburbs north of the river with an enclosure, probably initiated by King Eudes or Robert I. This earth and wood fortification included a ditch 12 meters wide and 3 meters deep, backed by a mound likely topped with a wooden palisade. It protected Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais Church to the east, Saint-Merri and Sainte-Opportune Churches to the north, and Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois Church to the west. East to west, it corresponded to the former districts of La Greve, La Verrerie, and Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie, and four gates from the enclosure left traces in Parisian toponymy.
Medieval Enclosures of Paris
The third enclosure, known as the enceinte de Philippe Auguste, was built from 1190 to 1213 and enclosed 253 hectares around the Seine. Chronologie notes that it contained an estimated population, though no number is specified. The fourth enclosure, the enceinte de Charles V, was constructed from 1356 to 1383 during the reign of Charles V. It extended the earlier enclosure on the right bank and covered 439 hectares. This later wall also enclosed several important areas, including the hotels particuliers of Marais, the enclos des Templiers, and the Palais du Louvre. Chronologie again refers to an estimated population enclosed by the walls during this period, without giving a figure.
From Fortifications to Boulevards
The Chronologie records several gates from this period, including Richelieu on rue de Richelieu, Gaillon on rue de la Michodiere, Saint-Honore, and de la Conference on quai des Tuileries. It also notes that the poterne de la Poisonnerie, on rue Poissonniere, was pierced in 1645 and renamed porte Sainte-Anne in 1685. At the same time, part of the enclosure was parceled out, leading to the creation of the jardin du Palais-Cardinal, rues du Mail, and des Remparts, now rue Sainte-Foy. Under Louis XIV, Colbert was ordered to demolish the fortifications of Paris. From 1668 to 1705, the embankments and moats of the ramparts were replaced by a wide earth boulevard bordered with elms, called the Nouveau-Cours. This route corresponds to the present grands boulevards, forming an arc from Concorde to Bastille via Republique. Its paving was completed in 1778. Other sections of the enceinte were also removed, including the stretch from Louvre to porte Saint-Denis, which was replaced by place des Victoires and rue des Fosses-Montmartre. Several gates were demolished over time, while four were replaced by triumphal arches honoring the king: porte Saint-Antoine, porte Saint-Denis and porte Saint-Bernard, and porte Saint-Martin. The Chronologie also notes further expansion of Paris under Louis XVI, through the Chaussee-d'Antin quarter and the Roule village becoming a suburb.
The Octroi Wall and the Thiers Enclosure
In 1784, the minister Calonne decided to surround Paris with a wall for octroi tax collection at the request of the Ferme generale. The architect Ledoux was assigned the design and direction of the construction. Work on the octroi wall began in 1785 and continued for a few years. The wall enclosed an area later extended to include 32 others from 1818 after the incorporation of the Austerlitz village. Its layout corresponded to the second belt of the current outer boulevards.
The wall included about fifty buildings called propylees, placed at passage points named barrieres. These barrieres were guarded by octroi employees. Almost the entire wall was demolished during the expansion of Paris to the Thiers enclosure in 1860. Only four propylees designed by Ledoux survive, including the Barriere d'Enfer at place Denfert-Rochereau, the north pavilion of the Barriere du Trone near place de la Nation, and the Rotonde de la Villette for the Barriere Saint-Martin at place de la Bataille-de-Stalingrad.
A later fortified ring, the seventh enclosure, was constructed under Louis-Philippe and President Adolphe Thiers. A credit of 140 million was approved by the chambers despite opposition from newspapers and Marshal Soult. Built from 1841 to 1844 following a law by Thiers, it enclosed approximately the area of the present boulevards des Marechaux, with a glacis extending to the location of the boulevard peripherique. The Thiers enclosure was destroyed between 1919 and 1929, and the Poterne des Peupliers is among the few remaining visible vestiges. The fortifs zone was located at Saint-Ouen, and the Porte d'Allemagne, around 1908, was renamed Porte de Pantin in 1914.