Bercy
Encyclopedia
Bercy is a neighborhood in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. It is the city's 47th administrative neighborhood.

History

Some of the oldest vestiges of human occupation in Paris were found on the territory of Bercy, dating from the late Neolithic (between 4000 and 3800 BC).

The name of Bercy, or Bercix, appeared for the first time in property deeds in the twelfth century. The area belonged for a time to the Montmorency
Montmorency
- Places :In Australia:* Montmorency, Victoria, suburb of Melbourne** Montmorency railway stationIn Canada:* Montmorency Falls, Quebec* Montmorency , Quebec* Montmorency , Quebec...

 family before passing to the Malons family, who had an old manor house expanded by Le Vau.

In the eighteenth century, a large site located along the Seine, contiguous to the Paris city limits of the time, began to be used as a warehousing area, particularly for wine. For two hundred years, the area was the thriving center of the Paris wine trade and a place with a unique life and culture.

Bercy was formerly a commune. In 1860, when Paris annexed its suburban zone, the commune of Bercy was dissolved. The north-west portion of its territory was consolidated into Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 while the south-east portion, beyond the fortifications, was consolidated into Charenton-le-Pont
Charenton-le-Pont
Charenton-le-Pont is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe....

.

Features

The area features a number of well-known landmarks:
  • The Ministry of Finances
    Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (France)
    The Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment , or Minister of Finance for short, is one of the most prominent positions in the cabinet of France after the Prime Minister....

     (often known simply as "Bercy"), built in the 1980s; the extremity of the building plunges into the river Seine, where two fast boats dedicated to VIP transportation are moored.
  • The Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
    Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
    Opened in 1984, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, often abbreviated as POPB or Bercy, is an indoor sports arena on boulevard de Bercy located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris...

    (POPB) is a large sports hall often used for concerts.
  • The Parc de Bercy
    Parc de Bercy
    Parc de Bercy is a group of three connected gardens in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. With a combined area of some 14 hectares, it is one of the most important parks in the city...

  • The Cinémathèque Française
    Cinémathèque Française
    The Cinémathèque Française holds one of the largest archives of films, movie documents and film-related objects in the world. Located in Paris, the Cinémathèque holds daily screenings of films from around the world.-History:...

    , formerly the American Center, designed by Frank Gehry
    Frank Gehry
    Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...

  • The Cour Saint-Émilion shopping complex
  • The UGC Ciné Cité Bercy movie complex
  • The Musée des Arts Forains
    Musée des Arts Forains
    The Musée des Arts Forains - Collection Jean-Paul Favand is a private museum of funfair objects located within the Pavillons de Bercy in the XIIe arrondissement at 53, avenue des Terroirs de France, Paris, France, with temporary exhibition space at 64, rue des Pirogues de Bercy...

      ("The Fairground Art Museum").


Line 14 of the Métro
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...

 crosses the neighborhood. There are two stations: Bercy
Bercy (Paris Metro)
Bercy is a station of the Paris Métro, serving lines 6 and 14 at the intersection of the Boulevard de Bercy and the Rue de Bercy in the neighbourhood of Bercy and the 12th arrondissement.-History:...

 and Cour Saint-Émilion
Cour Saint-Émilion (Paris Metro)
Cour Saint-Émilion is a station of the Paris Métro, located on the Line 14, which opened in 1998.It is named after the French wine Saint-Émilion because it was built at the old railway station of Bercy where wine from south of France arrived in Paris....


External links

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