“Way in Montfermeil France” might seem an unremarkable start to a story. But the Chemin du Bois Cochard holds secrets.
The Chemin du Bois Cochard is located in Montfermeil France. It is a way, a path. The Chemin du Bois Cochard is identified by the code 9300470180N. Another identifier is 991001193047018014.
The Chemin du Bois Cochard is part of Montfermeil. Montfermeil is in the Seine-Saint-Denis department. It is within the Île-de-France region and metropolitan France.
The name “Cochard” itself has some history. Several people bear the name Cochard. They include Claude Alexis Cochard. He was a jurist and politician. Françoise Cochard was an athlete. She specialized in the long jump. Jean Cochard was also a long jumper. Jean-Jacques Cochard was a handball player. Maxime Cochard is a politician. Nicolas-François Cochard was a magistrate and historian. Philibert Cochard was a politician. Violaine Cochard is a harpsichordist.
The Bois de Boulogne also has a rich history. It was once part of the ancient Forest of Rouvray. The forest was mentioned in 717. Childeric II gave the lands to the Abbey of Saint-Denis. Philippe Auguste bought a large part of the forest. He wanted to create a royal hunting reserve. In 1256, Isabelle of France founded the Royal Abbey of Longchamp.
The Bois de Boulogne got its name from the church of Notre-Dame-de-Boulogne-la-Petite. Philippe le Bel ordered its construction. This followed a pilgrimage to Boulogne-sur-Mer in 1308.
During the Hundred Years’ War, the forest became a hideout for brigands. In 1358, Bertrand Duguesclin was robbed there. In 1416-1417, Burgundian troops killed many French. They then burned part of the forest.
Under Louis XI, the forest was replanted. Two roads were opened. François I built the Château de Madrid there. The area became a place for festivities. Henri II and Henri III surrounded the hunting park with a wall. It had eight gates.
Henri IV planted 15000 mulberry trees. He hoped to develop a silk industry. But he was assassinated in 1610. His wife, Marguerite de Valois, retired to the Château de la Muette.
In 1783, Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d’Arlandes made the first hot air balloon flight. It launched from the Château de la Muette. During the Revolution, the forest sheltered people on the run.
In 1814 and 1815, 40000 English and Russian troops camped there. They damaged the forest. Reforestation began under Louis XVIII. It finished in 1830.
In 1852, Napoleon III gave the Bois de Boulogne to the city of Paris. It was to be turned into a park in four years. Jacques Hittorff and Louis-Sulpice Vare were the initial architects. Adolphe Alphand and Jean-Pierre Barillet-Deschamps later took over. They transformed it into an English-style landscape.
The Bois de Boulogne has several artificial lakes. These include the Lac Supérieur and the Lac Inférieur. The Grande Cascade is a large artificial waterfall.
The Bois de Boulogne has faced challenges too. During the Siege of Paris in 1870, it was heavily damaged. In August 1918, a shell exploded there during World War I.
Despite being owned by Paris, it remained administratively part of Boulogne and Neuilly-sur-Seine until the 1920s.
Today, the Bois de Boulogne is a place for recreation. It has a mix of high society and everyday Parisians. It has also been featured in art and literature. The Bois de Boulogne faces issues with insecurity. These include prostitution and homelessness.
The Chemin du Bois Cochard stands as a silent witness. It connects to a place of beauty, history, and ongoing challenges.