Dec

29

Creation of Public Space in Europe 19th Century - part 4

Filed Under public space, research studies 

creation-of-public-space-in-europe-19th-century-part-4

 

Study Case - 3

 

National - Bastille Day, France

champ de marsWe would not discuss the details of the long history in French Revolution. I will just refresh the memory of how things were and put more emphasize in the use of public space and the actors behind it. Bastille Day was declared as French national holiday on 6th of July 1880 as the birth of the Republic. However, on 14th of July 1790, the first celebration was held at Champs-de-Mars between the Ecole Militaire and the river Seine.

 

The day hosted many festivities but I will only mention here that has relation to the using of public space:

  • A mass gathering at Champ de Mars, which was at that time considered out side of Paris. Earth steps on two sides were made to comprehend with the need of the 400,000 spectators on that day. A Triumphal Arch was built as the commemoration of the date. The Champ de Mars is a large public green-space in Paris, located in the 7th arrondissement, between the Eiffel Tower to the northwest and the École Militaire to the southeast.

  • Military parades on Champ-Elysees avenue in front of Palais de Republic in the morning. The street was celebrating the day with colours and dances. The main use of the space was a past by track for the parade, where as the sides was used by the spectators to enjoy the celebrations. Many of the Parisians dressed nicely and the joy were seen as a nationwide celebration, completed with fireworks at night.

  • Popular feast at the garden of Chateau de La Muette, where meals were offered to 22,000 before the balls took place. In the year 1790, at the height of the Revolution, the city of Paris offers a great civic banquet for 15 000 federal soldiers in the now-abandoned gardens of La Muette (the present-day site of the Ranelagh gardens). The Curiosities Cabinet is dismantled and all scientific instruments moved to the Observatory. The 18th century building, which housed the laboratory is sold off with other outbuildings of the châteaux and incorporated into the urban fabric at what is now the corner of Rue de Passy and Rue de la Pompe.[1] The garden which was particularly belonged to the royal family was used as a symbol of the over-thrown power by the Bourgeoisie. Open space like this has a quality of vast variations of uses and in this case the ball took place.

Even though the people who participated in the celebration were mostly common citizens, but the generators of this event were sitting on the parliament and in the military service, since they were the ones having the political powers and the influences. The dancing parties organised by the fire fighters was a popular tradition created by the Parisian; in addition to that there were also art festivities, and banquets. Objective of the feasts were the manifestation of power of the civil right on the public space. Characteristics of the festival were full of national values, patriotic, military related, nation-wide and the many days of celebration. Middle class roles were the support system and powerful fund source.

 

[1] http://www.oecd.org/document/63/0,2340,en_2649_201185_1956607_1_1_1_1,00.html

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