“Carré aux Pièges” a name that might pique your curiosity. Today we explore Route du Carré aux Pièges. This isn’t your typical Parisian street. It holds secrets beneath its surface. It seems this unassuming location has a connection to the vast network of underground quarries that riddle Paris.
These quarries are not directly connected to Route du Carré aux Pièges. Yet they paint a picture of what lies beneath many Parisian streets. Imagine Paris was built with stone extracted from its own underbelly. As Paris grew, its suburbs were built over these old quarries. This created a hidden world of cavities beneath houses. It is a thought isn’t it. What we see above ground lacks support below.
The extraction of stone to build Paris dates back centuries. This massive undertaking wasn’t without its dangers. The text speaks of eight people buried in a 150-foot deep chasm. Other less known accidents prompted the authorities to take action. They began to shore up buildings with supports in these dark tunnels.
Areas like Faubourg Saint-Jacques and Rue de Tournon rest upon these old quarries. Pilasters were built to support the weight of houses. This shows how the beautiful city is supported by something else. This unseen network plays a crucial role.
One of the oldest quarries is the Carrière souterraine de Port-Mahon. Its exploitation dates back to the 15th century. It earned historical monument status on January 4 1994. A plaque engraved in the wall gave the quarry its name Chemin du Port-Mahon.
This area is called the “bain de pied des carriers”. It is the first geological drilling under Paris. It sits in the oldest medieval quarry. Port-Mahon is near the official catacombs of Denfert-Rochereau.
The Carrières de Saint-Cloud also provided building stone. Stone from here helped construct the grand fronton of the Louvre’s colonnade. It also built the Château de Saint-Cloud. Consolidation walls were partially dismantled to recover more stones. These stones were for renovating the Saint-Cloud castle. A large fire razed the foundations rendering the stolen stones useless.
The ossuary holds skeletons installed in these quarries. These remains came from the ancient cemetery of the Innocents in Les Halles.
Tragically these quarries also hold stories of loss. Philibert Aspairt was lost in the quarry on November 3 1793. His body was found eleven years later. He was buried in the same spot on April 30 1804. Aspairt was likely the portier of the Val de Grâce hospital. He was found with a set of keys. The French Revolution was happening and his disappearance went unnoticed. He was found 50 meters from an exit.
So as you walk along Route du Carré aux Pièges remember this. There is a hidden world beneath your feet. It is a world of quarries, history and forgotten stories. It shows the foundations upon which Paris was built both literally and figuratively.