A wave of Parisian air greets you. Welcome to Parc départemental des Cormailles. This isn’t just any park. It’s a living history book.
For centuries this land held different stories. The name Cormailles itself hints at a past. It may come from the cormier tree. A single survivor stands proudly today. Its story is tied to this place.
Imagine the site’s past. Religious women once raised the Duchess Dowager of Orleans here. She was the mother of King Louis-Philippe I. She died in the Ivry-sur-Seine chateau. The famous rose grower Louis Lévêque later cultivated roses on this very soil. The area was transformed. A health facility arose. It housed notable figures. Sadi Carnot and Antonin Artaud were patients. Artaud even died here.
Later market gardeners and factories appeared. Affordable housing replaced the health center. The Maurice-Thorez housing estate was built in 1953. In the 1970s the area became a wasteland. A hill of landfill dominated the landscape. This came from the Marat zone’s redevelopment.
Then came the transformation. The Parc départemental des Cormailles opened in phases. First in 2003 then in 2006. It won the 2007 National Landscape Grand Prize. The park lies between the Maurice-Thorez estate and the train tracks. It is a remarkable achievement.
Notice the three levels of the design. A viewpoint offers distant views. The park’s paths extend the city’s streets. Play areas and benches provide intimate spaces. The park has a unique design. It harmonizes different scales and views.
Beneath the park is a remarkable structure. A complex of underground hydrotechnical works prevents flooding. It regulates rainwater flow to the Seine. This is a subtle but important feature.
The park’s history isn’t just in its structures. It is in its very earth. It is in the lives it has touched. From royalty to revolutionaries to artists. The Parc départemental des Cormailles is a testament to time. It stands as a reminder of layers of history. Enjoy your time in this remarkable Parisian park.