Cour Carrée – Paris, France

We arrived at our next tourist destination. This entrance sits in front of the Pont de Arts bridge on the Right Bank or north of the River Seine across from the Bureau des Longitudes I featured yesterday.

The sprawling complex has a long and complicated history and was built over centuries. According to my quick research, Cour Carrée is one of the oldest sections dating back to the late 11th century and starting as a castle. Over the years, as Paris grew, the structure was repurposed into a palace adding windows and other adornments.

This angle shows a more castle-like framing. I’m assuming, though unsure, the recessed area in the front was once a moat. With its sturdy walls, you can easily imagine it being a defensive structure long ago. In the present day, the building and complex have transformed into something completely different. The facility is rather famous, but I’ll reveal its current function slowly over the next few posts.

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