Paris 12th District
Paris 12th District is located on the Rive Droite and is commonly known as Quartier de Reuilly.
It includes: Quartier des Quinze-Vingts, Quartier de Picpus, Quartier de Bel-Air and Quartier de Bercy.
Paris 12th district is associated with the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, a district that developed near the influential and long-gone Abbey of Saint-Antoine-des-Champs.
King Louis XI granted the abbey the right to administer justice on its lands, thus allowing the large community of carpenters who settled there to live and work independently, free from the constraints of guilds.
This autonomy fostered a period of remarkable creativity in cabinetmaking. In the 17th century, cabinetmakers were indeed inspired by royal workshops, using precious woods such as ebony and mahogany, as well as metals such as bronze, to create unique marquetry pieces.
However, this period of creativity ended with the French Revolution, when the guilds were abolished and the abbey demolished. The lack of competition and the advent of the industrial revolution a few decades later led to a decline in creativity in the furniture industry. Mechanisation introduced mass production and the standardisation of designs.
Despite these challenges, Paris 12th district has retained its status as France’s leading centre for wooden furniture production for three centuries. It boasts the highest number of artisans who have received the prestigious award of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman of France).
The district is also home to the renowned École Boulle, which provides artistic training in various disciplines, including woodworking. Today, the dynamic 12th district has more than a thousand small businesses and workshops specialising in wooden furniture and related crafts, thus perpetuating its tradition of excellence and creativity.
QUARTIER DES QUINZE-VINGTS: The Quinze-Vingts hospital, founded by Saint Louis to accommodate 300 blind people, was transferred to the former barracks built by the architect de Cotte in the 18th century.
QUARTIER PICUS: The Rue de Picpus replaces the old road that crossed the village of Picque-Pusse, and led to the Abbey of Saint-Denis to the north and to the Abbey of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés to the east.
QUARTIER BEL-AIR took its name after the village of Bel-Air was once the preferred destination for Parisians seeking tranquillity and fresh air!
QUARTIER DE BERCY: The district developed along the Wall of the Farmers General and its toll gates, as well as the City of Paris’s official wine cellars built in the 19th century. These warehouses were demolished in the 1970s and transformed into a vast public garden, the Parc de Bercy.
Paris 12th district is today a dynamic and welcoming district, and also one of the greenest in the capital. The Faubourg Saint-Antoine is renowned for its maze of narrow alleyways, inner courtyards and picturesque streets, which contribute to its old-world charm
Metro stations serving Paris 12th District
Line 1: Bastille, Gare de Lyon, Reuilly-Diderot, Nation, Porte de Vincennes
Line 5: Bastille, Arsenal, Quai de la Râpée
Line 6: Nation, Picpus, Bel Air, Daumesnil, Dugommier, Bercy
Line 8: Bastille, Ledru-Rollin, Faidherbe-Chaligny, Reuilly-Diderot, Montgallet, Daumesnil, Michel Bizot, Porte Dorée
