There can be few more pleasant places to be on a Sunday morning in Europe than Paris and few more pleasant places in Paris than the Marais. Parisians, by nature, are not the earliest of risers and a Sunday morning stroll through this most fashionable of districts is a quiet delight. The Marais, once the home of aristocracy, fell into a slump post revolution and somehow escaped Haussman’s re-planning of the City. It retains its medieval street layout and many of its historic buildings and mansions. As such, it has a very distinct character to most of central Paris and has become a centre of cultural and social life for the LBTG community as well as bohemians, hipsters and artists.
At the heart of the Marais is the Place des Vosges, the most beautiful town square in Paris, many would say in the world. Not only is it beautiful, it is also the first – the first planned square, the precursor of all the formal town squares in England and Europe. Built between 1605-1612 by Henry IV, it became one of the most fashionable places to live in Paris, even though no monarch ever took up residence in the Square. Its perfect 140m by 140m proportion and its rigid geometry and uniform, symmetrical terraces became the template for squares throughout Europe.
Covent Garden, the first planned square in London, was begun in 1630 by Inigo Jones and appears to have been influenced by Place des Vosges. There is no evidence that Inigo Jones ever visited Paris and most attribute the genesis of Covent Garden to Jones’ Italian travels, but the contemporary fame of the Place des Vosges surely means that he must have been aware of its existence. The similarities between the two seem too much for coincidence to be a factor – look at the north east corner of Covent Garden, rebuilt by Henry Clutton in C19, but heavily influenced by Jones’ original design, with its brick and stone facades and vaulted arches providing a sheltered arcade for pedestrians. Then compare it to the brick and stone buildings over the vaulted arcade of the Place des Vosges. More generally, the idea of a formal planned square with symmetrical compositions of terraces around a central garden was to sweep fashionable British society and is most clearly evidenced by the numerous garden squares of London.
Sunday morning is the prime time to visit, before the crowds arrive. Galleries and upmarket shops line the arcades, along with a couple of fine cafes. Victor Hugo lived at no 6 and his apartment is now a museum with free entry. It provides an interesting insight into his life and also an opportunity to see a typical interior of one of the grand apartments that lined the Place.
Nearby, the biggest draw is the Musee Picasso with a fine permanent collection and important exhibitions around the C20 most celebrated artist. It is located in a fine C17 mansion. The Marais was once one of the biggest Jewish quarters in Europe and what remains today is centred around the Rue des Rosiers. You may notice plaques on some of the buildings, naming those taken away by the German occupation forces “with the assistance of the Vichy Government” – a very dark chapter in the history of the Marais. The Musee d’art et d’histoire du Judaisme is located in a magnificent C17 mansion and tells the story of Judaism in Europe. The nearby Holocaust Museum concentrates on that dark period in Europe’s recent history.
The Marais now has a vibrant nightlife with myriad cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs nestling in the narrow cobbled streets. At times, the crowds can get excessive and that may be the time to wend your way home. However, an early Sunday morning stroll is going to shake off those crowds and reveal the Marais and the Place des Vosges at their brightest and most appealing.
