There are twenty arrondissements in Paris, following each other like a spiral on the map. But why choose numbers? The decision goes back over 100 years…
Why do Paris arrondissements have numbers?
Before they were numbered from 1 to 20, there were twelve arrondissements. In 1795, the different districts of Paris were distinguished according to their geographical position: from west to east and from north to south. If we refer to the current numbering, this would be equivalent to placing the Champs-Élysées in the 1ᵉʳ arrondissement and Montmartre in the 3ᵉ.
It wasn’t until 1859 that a law imposed numbering as we know it today. But then, why? Well, it all came… from an expression. Baron Haussmann was planning to redraw the map of Paris once again. He assigned the number 13 to an area encompassing Passy and Auteuil.
At the time, a popular expression,“se marier à la mairie du 13e” (“getting married at the 13th arrondissement town hall“) meant living in concubinage, which was frowned upon by bourgeois society. Not a very flattering expression, therefore, and one that drew the wrath of the locals, to the point of prompting the mayor of Passy to take action. Under pressure, he proposed to Baron Haussmann a spiral numbering system, running from the city center to the rest of the capital. The project was accepted, and the map of Paris became the one we know today.
The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Opéra Garnier… As you’ve probably noticed, each arrondissement has at least one landmark or Parisian landmark. What’s your favorite arrondissement?