Ever imagine standing at the very tip of an island shaped like a ship? That’s Place de l’Île-de-France. It is located at the eastern end of Île de la Cité behind the Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Place de l’Île-de-France holds a unique history. It was once its own small island called La Motte-aux-Papelards. This island was partially formed from debris of the Notre-Dame construction.
In 1864 Baron Haussmann made a big change. He chose this spot for the new Paris morgue. For fifty years people came here for that somber purpose.
Today Place de l’Île-de-France offers a different experience. It stands as a serene park. However it also holds a powerful memorial.
Next to the square stands the Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation. This memorial honors the 200000 people sent to Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Charles de Gaulle dedicated it in 1962.
The memorial is below the park. You reach it by a narrow stairway. The design is stark. It is triangular. This leads to a crypt and a corridor.
Inside the crypt the walls bear the names of concentration camps. Quotations from writers are also inscribed. The corridor holds 200000 small glass crystals. Each represents a victim of the deportations.
Île de la Cité itself boasts a rich past. It was once the Roman city of Lutetia. In the 4th century it became a fortress. Later Clovis I the King of the Franks established his palace here in 508.
Over time Île de la Cité became a religious center. Notre-Dame Cathedral and Sainte-Chapelle were built. The city’s oldest hospital Hôtel-Dieu also found its home here.
Even after the kings moved to the Louvre and Versailles Île de la Cité remained important. It housed law courts and administrative offices. The first meeting of the Parlement of Paris took place here in 1302.
Today Île de la Cité is home to the Préfecture de Police. You can also find the Palais de Justice and Tribunal de commerce. The Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation is a solemn reminder of history.
As you stand in Place de l’Île-de-France take a moment. Reflect on the layers of history beneath your feet. From its beginnings as a separate island to its current role as a place of remembrance. This square offers a powerful connection to Paris’s past. It links back to both its resilience and its capacity for remembrance.