The Roman Forum in Paris—then known as Lutetia—was situated in the present-day Latin Quarter, more precisely in the vicinity of rue Soufflot and rue Saint-Jacques.
Did you know that you could see part of it today?
Follow me in the Boul’Mich in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, and I’ll tell you where exactly to go to see it.
The Roman Forum in Paris
Do you think that Paris dates back only to the Middle Ages?
Not quite.
In fact, Paris was already there during the Roman era under the name of Lutetia.
Unlike major Roman sites in Lyon, Provence, or Languedoc, little remains of that period in Paris.
But if you look closely you’ll find some astonishing remains of that past long gone.
The ancient Forum is one of them.
The Roman Forum in Paris was the economic and religious centre of Lutetia.
It was the emblem of Roman supremacy in the town, which had up to 10,000 inhabitants.
It comprised a basilica and a temple facing each other, connected by arcaded galleries that sheltered several shops.
It was an impressive monument, 180 m long by 90 m wide.
Check out what it looked like on this [French-speaking] video – at 00:55:
The rediscovery of the ancient forum was made by Théodore Vacquer (1824-1899) during the construction of rue Soufflot that started in 1847.
He revealed the remains of the wall in 1853.
The same archaeologist excavated the Roman theatre (Arènes de Lutèce) in 1869.
From a Banal Car Park to Lutetia
Head to 61 Boulevard Saint-Michel in the 5th arrondissement.
A small staircase leading down to a public car park is facing the building.
You wouldn’t take it unless you knew you had a rendez vous with Asterix and the Romans!
On the tiled-covered wall of the corridor, you’ll find the fantastic 2,000-year-old Roman forum in Paris.
Well, actually, just a little piece of it.
What you see behind the protective screen is part of the forum’s external wall.
GOOD TO KNOW!
Access to the car park is restricted to its customers.
However, you can spot the wall just as I did through the glass door at the bottom of the stairs.
Where to Find the Roman Forum in Paris?
Closest métro stations: Cluny-La Sorbonne (line 10) or Luxembourg (RER B).
Read more about Lutetia (Paris during the Roman era) on Wikipedia.
Other Remains of Roman Paris
There are quite a few remains of the Roman past of Paris.
I’ve discovered and photographed most of them, but I still need to write about this Roman evidence.
Here are three Gallo-Romain sites in Paris:
- The Archealogical Crypt under the square of Notre-Dame (4th arrondissement).
- The Lutetia Arena (5th arrondissement)
- The baths at the Cluny Museum (5th arrondissement)
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Thanks for the great information on Roman remnants in Paris. Can you tell me when the below ground remains of the Forum were first discovered (and when they were first put on display underground).
Perhaps you can write an article on the various archaeological discoveries (Roman, medieval,etc.) in Paris, in order of discovery. e.g. Arenes de Lutece-1869, Notre Dame-1960s, Louvre-1984,1991, Institute of France-2015, etc.
Thanks.
In my previous post, I asked when the Forum remains were discovered. I still don’t know!
I would love to read a brief archeological history of Paris, not in the order of the original sites, but in the order of the discoveries, themselves. When did we first find out about the forum remains, the Arenes de Lutece, the Kings of Judah heads from Notre Dame, the Archeological Crypt, the Medieval Louvre under the Cour Carrere, etc. The order of discovery fascinates me.
Also, I was in Paris in May and went down the stairs to see the Forum remnant. But the gate was locked. There was a keypad for entry, but I did not know the code. I was able to spy out the forum wall behind glass through the gare and from a distsnce. Better than nothing, but not great. Any ideas on how to gain entry? Maybe at different times it’s open. We were not there at night. You should warn your readers.
Hello ! Thank you so much for your feedback – you’re right, access is restricted but the remains can be seen through the glass door (I got my photo from that door)… but I agree it would be nice to be closer! 🙂
I also found some information about the year when the Forum was rediscovered, that is 1853 by archaeologist Theodore Vacquer. I retrieved that date from https://geoapps.huma-num.fr/adws/app/a031b266-40f4-11e9-8252-9bef4db631c3/ which is a fantastic source of info for those interested with archaeological maps. I have updated the article with that info. Thank you and have a nice day! 🙂