Stockdale Map of Paris 3 — Reading the City

One last entry about the 1800 Paris map. At least for now. About the inside, the outside and the boundary.

These days it woudn't be easy to put a finger on a map and say "here, this it where the city ends." Or if you did, you'd be pointing at a rather blury edge that most likely is shifting rapidly. Perhaps the end of the 18th century was the last time you could do that. The traces of defensive walls were still there one way or another. Our map shows a clean poligonal line with two rows of trees encircling the core of the city. At some points--such as the Bastille and the Arsenal to the east--it even has traces of the characteristic renaissanse bastions with their angular geometries.

Inside the boundary, mostly a dense mass of irregular blocks tighly hatched to indicate a dense built fabric with narrow streets. Outside mostly, dotted lines, little circles and other lighter marks depicting a rural landscape, farms and gardens. But there are some hatched ribbons outside of the line--particularly to the northwest and northeast--already linning the streets that radiate towards the larger city of the 19th century. The first eight Arrondissments of Paris are clearly in place and the next four (9 to 12) are pretty much on their way.

Originally published: November 4, 2012