La Fabrique de la Ville of Saint-Denis

Saint-Denis is located in the northern suburbs of Paris, around 6 miles from the center of the city. Saint-Denis is home to the Basilica of Saint-Denis and to France's national stadium, the Stade de France, built for the 1998 FIFA (International Soccer Federation) World Cup. Saint-Denis is a formerly industrial suburb currently trying to diversify its economic base.

 

La Fabrique de la Ville (The City Factory) is a restoration project of what is believed to be the oldest building in the city. The building has been stripped down to a bare skeleton, and archaeologists work to discover its history from the medieval ages to the industrial era. The structure has already shown some of the transformations in architecture, society and the economy that the city has undergone throughout the years. The house has had multiple functions and residents. It has most recently been an artists’ studio, and before that a bistro, and before that, a hayloft. Scaffolding allows the visitor to enter the house and observe the interior first-hand. The colorful covering was conceived by architects to protect the stripped down structure and to give the project a distinctive flair.

 

Adjacent to the building, there is an ongoing excavation that has already revealed ditches that demarcated and protected the town from the year 869 and also a channel that was used in order to bring water to the city during the medieval and modern periods. On the day of our visit, the excavation was covered over because of rainy weather.

 

 

Above the building is a red polka-dotted tent to protect the building from the elements. Alongside the building is scaffolding and platforms that enable you to trace and observe the history of the building through the ages.

The picture in the circle shows the excavation in the foreground

and “the giant mushroom” in the background.

 

 

Looking upward at the scaffolding that flanks the building

The lookout point is higher than the tented building.

 

From the vantage point at the top of the scaffolding, you can see for miles around.

 

 

A Potter’s Kiln dating back to the 14^th century was discovered in Saint Denis.

This display was adjacent to the building.

 

Photos depicting the use of the kiln

 

 

A view of the oven from the back when it is fired up

 

 

Robert and our docent Ana are near the entry to the building.

You can see the kiln display to the far right.

 

 

Becky and Robert felt (and looked) a little goofy in our polka-dotted hard hats.

Visitors wear safety helmets and can ascend the stairs of the scaffolding to roof-top height.

From there you can also climb to the top of a belvedere (a structure for a scenic view) to see the skyline of Saint-Denis.

 

 

The excavation was covered because it was raining on and off on the day we visited.

 

The excavation site has already revealed a number of ways in which the area was used through the ages. On this day, all we could see was trenches, which may have been defensive ditches in the 12^th century or the path of an artificial river created by the Saint- Denis Abbey in the 9^th century. You can see the stacked stones around the area, which were probably lot limit walls from the medieval period.

 

 

The tour starts  by climbing the stairs at the left.

 

 

The building’s rafters have been exposed so that archaeologists can examine them carefully. They extract small cores of wood from the beams and are thus able to determine that the tree from which the wood was cut was harvested in 1482. The beams don't look precision-cut, do they? I bet the craftsmen had to "eyeball" a lot of the measurements.

 

Looking up at “the mushroom” from the scaffolding below

 

 

The woodworking craftsmanship of a joint

 

 

The second story of the house

 

 

There was once a door in the middle of this photo.

 

 

Another view through the rafters of the second floor of the house

You can see a "bridge" that enabled us to walk throughout the building.

 

 

There was once an oven on this wall.

 

A supporting beam is lodged into the wall for stability.

 

 

Looking down from the belvedere (lookout point)

 

 

 

The bonnet from above

 

 Ana Gomez, our docent for the tour, has a degree in archaeology.

We greatly enjoyed meeting her and having her as a guide.

 

 

Maison d'éducation de la Légion d'honneur of Saint-Denis from the platform

The maisons d'éducation de la Légion d'honneur were the French secondary schools set up by Napoleon and originally meant for the education of girls whose father, grandfather or great-grandfather had been awarded the Legion d’honneur. Access is still by hereditary right.

 

 

The Stade de France from the platform

The Stade de France was the main stadium for the 1998 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament

The Siemen’s Tower

You can see the circular sign on top of the building and just make out the beginning and end of “Siemen’s.” The company has a wide range of products, including electronics and scientific and industrial instruments.

 

The skyscrapers of La Defense from afar

 

 

The market place is located in the level, middle area.

The Mairie (City Hall) is the building just across the street on the right.

 

 

The Basilica of Saint-Denis from the highest point of the scaffolding

 

 

The Basilica of Saint-Denis

 

 

The Mairie of Saint-Denis (City Hall) from the lookout point

 

 

The Mairie of Saint-Denis

Guided tours of the scaffolding and the excavation are available.
Reserve for scaffolding tours: Unite d’archeologie 01.49.33.80.29 or 01.49.33.80.20 Email :
archeologie@ville-saint-denis.fr