Arènes de Lutèce

Welcome to the the second stop on our walk through the 5th arrondissement. Behind this fence, tucked between apartment blocks, sits a genuine Roman amphitheater, right here in the middle of Paris.

This arena was built in the 1st century AD, when Paris was still called Lutetia. It could hold up to 17,000 spectators, which was roughly twice the entire population of the city at the time. So on game days, basically everyone in town was sitting here, watching gladiators, animal fights, and theatrical performances.

Then the barbarians arrived. After the invasions of 280 AD, the Romans literally dismantled the amphitheater to build defensive walls on the Île de la Cité. After that, the site became a cemetery, then slowly disappeared underground entirely. For centuries, no one knew exactly where it was, even though the neighborhood had always been called "Clos des Arènes." 

In 1869, workers digging for the Rue Monge stumbled upon the ruins by accident. A tram company wanted to build a depot here. Victor Hugo, who also helped save Notre-Dame, stepped in and formed a protection committee. The trams lost. History won.