- The Seine river is a 483 mile (777km) long river in Northern France.
- The history of Paris, the capital of France, is linked to the Seine.
Route
- From its source 19 miles (30km) northwest of Dijon, it flows through Paris.
- Then through Rouen and into the English Channel between Le Havre and Honfleur.
Navigation
- It is navigable by large barges as far as Burgundy.
- Ocean going vessels can navigate inland up to Rouen, 75 miles (120km) from the sea. This section is known as the Seine Maritime.
- The average river depth through Paris is approximately 31 feet (9.5m) due to the construction of Locks around 1800.
Roman Paris
- 300 BCE: Paris was originally an island city of a Gallic Tribe called the Parisii, built on the Isle de la Cite in the river Seine.
- 52 BCE: Roman Paris then became known as Lutecia.
- 1st century CE: Housed inside the Frigidarium of Cluny Roman Baths is the Pillar of the Boatmen, a 1st century CE monumental column built by the Paris guild of boatmen in honour of Jupiter. it was found under Notre Dame cathedral. It carries an inscription by the Nautae Parisiaci (Guild of Paris Boatmen) who dedicated the column to the Roman Emperor Augustus, the Roman God Jupiter and various Gallic Gods. There may have been a Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter where Notre Dame now stands.
- c.400 CE: The Notitia Dignitatum stated that a naval unit operated along the Seine, the Classis Anderetianorum, and was based in Paris.
Medieval Navigation to Paris
- The motto of Paris is ‘Fluctuat nec mergitur’ which translates as ‘tossed (by the waves) but not sunk’.
- The Paris Coat of Arms depicts a silver vessel sailing on waves on a red background with a blue upper band decorated by gold Fleur de Lys. The colours of Paris are red and blue.
- The Coat of Arms was first recorded in 1358 and was used by the Parisian Hanse of Water Merchants, who between 1170 and 1672 were given the royal charter to conduct navigation along the Seine to Paris.
- From 1263 the Provost of the Water Merchants held a similar function to that of the Mayor of Paris today.
Seine Floods
- 358: The future Roman Emperor Julian (361-363 CE) recorded a flood of the River Seine in his Work ‘Misopogon’.
- 583: A flood was recorded by Gregory of Tours in History of the Franks, Book VI, Ch. XXV.
- 1280: A flood swept away the Grand Pont.
- 1296: A flood swept away all the bridges of Paris.
- 1658: 29 feet (8.96m) Most significant flood in history of Paris.
- 1740: 26 feet (7.96m)
- 1799: 25 feet (7.65m)
- 1802: 25 feet (7.62m)
- 1876: 22 feet (6.7m)
- 1910: 28 feet (8.62m) The Great flood of Paris lasted nine days.
- 1945: 22 feet (6.8m)
- 1955: 23 feet (7.14m)
- 1982: 20 feet (6.15m)
- 2016: 20 feet (6.1m)
- 2018: 19 feet (5.86m)
- 1920: 20 feet (6.2m)
- 1924: 24 feet (7.32m)
Eiffel Tower, Paris