“A network of tunnels beneath our feet? Right here in Ivry-sur-Seine?” a curious voice might ask. It’s true! The Allée des Carrières Delacroix isn’t just a street name. It hints at a hidden world below. This seemingly ordinary street in Ivry-sur-Seine holds a gateway to the past, the Cave-carrière Delacroix. It’s a former quarry transformed into an ambitious, though ultimately unrealized vision. In the 19th century, a Parisian notary named Delacroix envisioned these underground spaces as a massive storage for grain. He dreamt of storing enough to feed all of Paris for a year. Imagine the scale of his ambition! The Allée des Carrières Delacroix leads to a network of four large galleries, each about four meters wide. They converge in a central junction, each gallery ending in a silo. Only one of these silos remains today, a silent testament to Delacroix’s grand plan. The Cave-carrière Delacroix, while never fulfilling its intended purpose, stands as a reminder of an era when Paris sought solutions to its growing pains. It’s a testament to the ambition and ingenuity of individuals like Delacroix, forever etched in the history hidden beneath our feet.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.