Paru le 25/07/2005 | Broché 368 pages
Tout public
traduit du français par en anglais Charles Penwarden, John Tittensor
This guide offers a thoroughly researched and amply documented historical and architectural study of the Marais. Street by street, sometimes house by house, the author reveals the secrets of its old houses and mansions, its hidden courtyards and gardens, bringing to light this Old Paris that has survived in spite of all the wholesale demolitions, botched restorations and insolent transfigurations. And that awaits exploration.
The guide is divided up into nine copiously illustrated walks, each reflecting a specific historical and topographic reality.
An introduction reviewing the history of the Marais gives an idea of the complex evolution of this quarter that has been changing constantly for the last six centuries.
Alexandre Gady is a teacher at the Sorbonne University. He holds a doctorate in art history. A specialist on the history of Paris, he has published numerous articles on the architecture and urbanism of the capital. A former member of the Commission du Vieux Paris (1993-99), he is also a dedicated defender of the city's heritage.
In writing this book he set out both to inform and help protect the Marais.
