Place d'Italie
Encyclopedia
The Place d'Italie is a public space in the 13th arrondissement
of Paris
. The square has an average dimension somewhat less than 200 meters in extent (comprising about 30,000 m²), and the following streets meet there:
The town hall (mairie) for the 13th arrondissement is on the Place d'Italie.
).
Until the expansion of Paris was initiated by Baron Haussmann
, the site of the Place d'Italie was occupied by a section of the Wall of the Farmers-General
(the wall built, under the ancien régime, to prevent the evasion of excise taxes) that separated Paris from the suburb of Gentilly
. The architect, Claude Nicolas Ledoux
, had constructed there two pavilions for the collection of the octroi
, a local tariff levied on products entering towns, which were burned during the revolution of 1789 but rebuilt and not completely eradicated until 1877.
It was on this spot that General Jean-Baptiste Fidèle Bréa was arrested by the insurgents on 25 June 1848 during the June Uprising
, before being put to death later in a public spectacle on the Avenue d'Italie.
The annexation of communities bordering on Paris and the suppression of the city walls in 1860
allowed for the construction of a large roundabout which, it was hoped, could play the role of a Place de l'Étoile
of the left bank. It took the place of the barrière d'Italie (barrier of Italy) and part of the Avenue des Gobelins
, as well as the road leading to the Ivry interchange, and, for the most part, the Boulevard d'Italie and the Boulevard d'Ivry themselves.
The Italie 13
project, a grand exercise in urbanism, was conceived in the 1960s, and, under this plan, the Place d'Italie represented the epicenter of a district of high-rise towers stretching out along the entire length of the Avenue d'Italie, with the construction of a truly eye-catching tower, taller than the Montparnasse Tower, called the Apogee Tower, on the Place d'Italie itself. The project began with the construction, close to the Place d'Italie, of six inter-related towers, each about one hundred metres tall, but, because of scathing criticism from the Parisian citizenry and lukewarm support from the Giscard d'Estaing government, the effort, for the most part, was abandoned in 1975. Some sort of mast or multi-colored campanile
, conceived by Kenzo Tange
, is now planned for the plot of land originally expected to be used by the Apogee Tower, replaced, since 1992, by a collection of smaller buildings, an office building, a luxury residential building, as well as the famous audio-visual complex, Grand Écran Italie (Big Screen Italy).
and the rive droite (right bank). One of the largest concentrations of Parisian business activity is in the general area of the Place d'Italie.
Furthermore, it is a place for going out at night. The restaurants and cinémas of the Avenue des Gobelins attract many who are in search of diversion. One of the most important movie houses in Paris and the largest 35-millimetre screen in the capital, the Gaumont Grand Écran Italie (temporarily closed now) is directly on the square. One can truly say that the 13th arrondissement revolves around the Place d'Italie, all except for the Paris Rive Gauche
district along the Seine.
It is served by lines 5, 6, and 7.
architectural styles.
Singer Céline Dion
referenced Place d'Italie in her song "Trois heures vingt", written by the late Eddy Marnay in 1984 on her "Les oiseaux du bonheur
" album. In the song, she and her love interest plan on meeting and beginning their happily ever after at 3:20 at Place d'Italie.
XIIIe arrondissement
The 13th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France....
of 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...
. The square has an average dimension somewhat less than 200 meters in extent (comprising about 30,000 m²), and the following streets meet there:
- Boulevard Vincent-Auriol
- Boulevard de l'HôpitalBoulevard de l'HôpitalThe boulevard de l'Hôpital is a tree-lined boulevard of Paris's 13th arrondissement, which also briefly borders on the 5th arrondissement.It runs a distance of 1,395 meters, from the Place Valhubert at the pont d'Austerlitz, by the gare d'Austerlitz, rising in a gentle slope towards its end at the...
- Boulevard Auguste-BlanquiBoulevard Auguste-BlanquiThe Boulevard Auguste-Blanqui is a boulevard in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. It is one of the main arteries linking the Place d'Italie with the Place Denfert-Rochereau....
- Avenue des GobelinsGobelinGobelin was the name of a family of dyers, who in all probability came originally from Reims, and who in the middle of the 15th century established themselves in the Faubourg Saint Marcel, Paris, on the banks of the Bièvre....
- Avenue de la Sœur-Rosalie
- Avenue d'Italie
- Avenue de Choisy
- Rue Bobillot
- Rue Godefroy
The town hall (mairie) for the 13th arrondissement is on the Place d'Italie.
The barrier of Italy
The Place d'Italie takes its name from its proximity to the Avenue d'Italie, which, traditionally, has been the point of departure on the road that links Paris and Italy, a route now called the RN7 (Route nationale 7Route nationale 7
The Route nationale 7, or RN 7, is a trunk road in France between Paris and the border with Italy. It was also known as the Route Bleue and — sarcastically, during the annual rush to the Mediterranean beaches — the Route de la Mort .-History:The Romans under Marcus Agrippa established...
).
Until the expansion of Paris was initiated by Baron Haussmann
Baron Haussmann
Georges-Eugène Haussmann, commonly known as Baron Haussmann , was a French civic planner whose name is associated with the rebuilding of Paris...
, the site of the Place d'Italie was occupied by a section of the Wall of the Farmers-General
Wall of the Farmers-General
The Wall of the Farmers-General was built between 1784 and 1791 by the Ferme générale, the corporation of tax farmers. It was one of the several city walls of Paris built between the early Middle Ages to the mid 19th century. It was 24 kilometers long and roughly followed the route now occupied by...
(the wall built, under the ancien régime, to prevent the evasion of excise taxes) that separated Paris from the suburb of Gentilly
Gentilly
Gentilly may refer to:France* Gentilly, Val-de-Marne, a commune of the Val-de-Marne départementCanada* Gentilly, Quebec, a suburb of the city of Bécancour** Gentilly Nuclear Generating StationUnited States...
. The architect, Claude Nicolas Ledoux
Claude Nicolas Ledoux
Claude-Nicolas Ledoux was one of the earliest exponents of French Neoclassical architecture. He used his knowledge of architectural theory to design not only in domestic architecture but town planning; as a consequence of his visionary plan for the Ideal City of Chaux, he became known as a utopian...
, had constructed there two pavilions for the collection of the octroi
Octroi
Octroi is a local tax collected on various articles brought into a district for consumption.-Antiquity:Octroi taxes have a respectable antiquity, being known in Roman times as vectigalia...
, a local tariff levied on products entering towns, which were burned during the revolution of 1789 but rebuilt and not completely eradicated until 1877.
It was on this spot that General Jean-Baptiste Fidèle Bréa was arrested by the insurgents on 25 June 1848 during the June Uprising
June Days Uprising
The June Days Uprising was a revolution staged by the citizens of France, whose only source of income was the National Workshops, from 23 June to 26 June 1848. The Workshops were created by the Second Republic in order to provide work and a source of income for the unemployed, however only...
, before being put to death later in a public spectacle on the Avenue d'Italie.
The annexation of communities bordering on Paris and the suppression of the city walls in 1860
allowed for the construction of a large roundabout which, it was hoped, could play the role of a Place de l'Étoile
Place de l'Étoile
The Place Charles de Gaulle, , historically known as the Place de l'Étoile , is a large road junction in Paris, France, the meeting point of twelve straight avenues including the Champs-Élysées which continues to the east. It was renamed in 1970 following the death of General and President Charles...
of the left bank. It took the place of the barrière d'Italie (barrier of Italy) and part of the Avenue des Gobelins
Gobelin
Gobelin was the name of a family of dyers, who in all probability came originally from Reims, and who in the middle of the 15th century established themselves in the Faubourg Saint Marcel, Paris, on the banks of the Bièvre....
, as well as the road leading to the Ivry interchange, and, for the most part, the Boulevard d'Italie and the Boulevard d'Ivry themselves.
Italie 13
Italie 13 is the name of a large urbanism project in Paris which started in the 1960s and was interrupted in the 1970s. Its purpose was to profoundly modify the structure of some areas of the 13th arrondissement, mainly around the Avenue d'Italie which inspired its name...
project, a grand exercise in urbanism, was conceived in the 1960s, and, under this plan, the Place d'Italie represented the epicenter of a district of high-rise towers stretching out along the entire length of the Avenue d'Italie, with the construction of a truly eye-catching tower, taller than the Montparnasse Tower, called the Apogee Tower, on the Place d'Italie itself. The project began with the construction, close to the Place d'Italie, of six inter-related towers, each about one hundred metres tall, but, because of scathing criticism from the Parisian citizenry and lukewarm support from the Giscard d'Estaing government, the effort, for the most part, was abandoned in 1975. Some sort of mast or multi-colored campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
, conceived by Kenzo Tange
Kenzo Tange
was a Japanese architect, and winner of the 1987 Pritzker Prize for architecture. He was one of the most significant architects of the 20th century, combining traditional Japanese styles with modernism, and designed major buildings on five continents. Tange was also an influential protagonist of...
, is now planned for the plot of land originally expected to be used by the Apogee Tower, replaced, since 1992, by a collection of smaller buildings, an office building, a luxury residential building, as well as the famous audio-visual complex, Grand Écran Italie (Big Screen Italy).
The heart of the 13th arrondissement
The Place d'Italie, where the principal districts of the arrondissement (Quartier des Gobelins, the Asian quarter, Butte aux Cailles, etc.) converge, is the center of automobile traffic circulation and a crossroads for most of the métro and bus lines in this part of Paris. It is a major crossing-point for those leaving the city for the suburbs (and vice-versa) and for those traveling between MontparnasseMontparnasse
Montparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
and the rive droite (right bank). One of the largest concentrations of Parisian business activity is in the general area of the Place d'Italie.
Furthermore, it is a place for going out at night. The restaurants and cinémas of the Avenue des Gobelins attract many who are in search of diversion. One of the most important movie houses in Paris and the largest 35-millimetre screen in the capital, the Gaumont Grand Écran Italie (temporarily closed now) is directly on the square. One can truly say that the 13th arrondissement revolves around the Place d'Italie, all except for the Paris Rive Gauche
Paris Rive Gauche
Paris Rive Gauche is a neighbourhood on the left bank of the thirteenth arrondissement of Paris. The district is bordered by the Seine, the railway tracks of Gare d'Austerlitz and the Périphérique...
district along the Seine.
Sites of interest
- The center of the square is devoted to a small green-space. Facing the Avenue d'Italie, there is a monument in memory of the Marshal of FranceMarshal of FranceThe Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
, Alphonse JuinAlphonse Juin- Early years :Juin was born at Bône in French Algeria, and enlisted in the French Army, graduating from the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr in 1912.- Career :...
, executed by the architect, Henri Cantie, the sculptor, André Greck, and the foundryman, Daniel Landowski, in 1983.
- Two subway entrances, the works of Hector GuimardHector GuimardHector Guimard was an architect, who is now the best-known representative of the French Art Nouveau style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries....
, have been registered in the supplemental list of historic placesMonument historiqueA monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
since 1978.
- At number 17 on the access road, Rue Godefroy, located between the Boulevard de l'Hôpital and the Bouevard Vincent Auriol, a plaque recalls that the Chinese premier, Chou En-laiZhou EnlaiZhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
lived on this site, then a modest rooming house, during his time in Paris, 1922 to 1924.
- In the small garden behind the municipal building for the arrondissement, there is a sculpture, "Return of the Prodigal Son", executed in 1964 by Ossip ZadkineOssip ZadkineOssip Zadkine was a Belarusian-born artist who lived in France. He is primarily known as a sculptor, but also produced paintings and lithographs.-Early years and career:...
.
- A large shopping mall whose modern look was designed by the famed architect, Kenzo TangeKenzo Tangewas a Japanese architect, and winner of the 1987 Pritzker Prize for architecture. He was one of the most significant architects of the 20th century, combining traditional Japanese styles with modernism, and designed major buildings on five continents. Tange was also an influential protagonist of...
, is also located on the square. It is called Italie 2Italie 2Italie 2 is the name of a large shopping centre in Paris' south east in the 13th arrondissement. It features a Printemps, fnac and over 130 stores, most of which are based overseas. The centre is situated over 3 levels with one level being subterranean , one at ground level and one above ground...
.
- The esplanade on the side of the mall nearest the Avenue d'Italie was named Place Henri-Langlois in 1995 to honor Henri LangloisHenri LangloisHenri Langlois was a French film archivist and cinephile. A pioneer of film preservation, Langlois was an influential figure in the history of cinema...
, a French pioneer of the film archive movement.
Metro station
The Place d'Italie is:It is served by lines 5, 6, and 7.
Cultural references
A fictionalized Place d'Italie was the setting of several lessons in Voix et Images de France, an audio-visual French language instruction method used widely in schools in the 1960s and 1970s. Developed by the Centre de Recherche et d'Etude pour la Diffusion du Français (CREDIF) at the Ecole Normale Superieure de Saint-Cloud in France, this method matched lines of prerecorded French dialogue to corresponding projected images of French people and locales to enable students to learn the language by placing it in various visual and conversational contexts. The program's fictional characters included Monsieur Thibaut, Madame Thibaut and their children, Catherine and Paul, who all lived at No. 10 Place d'Italie. This is a real apartment building with street-level stores in the square (pictured in the insert above), built around the turn of the 20th century in a combination of French Mansard and English JacobethanJacobethan
Jacobethan is the style designation coined in 1933 by John Betjeman to describe the mixed national Renaissance revival style that was made popular in England from the late 1820s, which derived most of its inspiration and its repertory from the English Renaissance , with elements of Elizabethan and...
architectural styles.
Singer Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
referenced Place d'Italie in her song "Trois heures vingt", written by the late Eddy Marnay in 1984 on her "Les oiseaux du bonheur
Les Oiseaux Du Bonheur
Les oiseaux du bonheur is a French compilation album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released in France in 1984. It's her ninth French album, and her second released in France.-Album information:...
" album. In the song, she and her love interest plan on meeting and beginning their happily ever after at 3:20 at Place d'Italie.
See also
- Place d'Italie (Paris Metro)Place d'Italie (Paris Metro)Place d'Italie is a rapid transit station of the Paris Métro located in the heart of the 13th arrondissement of Paris, at the Place d'Italie. It is the terminus of Line 5 and is also served by Line 6 and Line 7.-History:...