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| Colonne Astrologique |
Location: Rue de Viarmes [sign disappeared after September 2016]
English translation
"Perhaps used as an observatory by Catherine de Médicis' astrologers, this column was part of the hotel built by Jean Bullant between 1572 and 1584 and connected to the queen's apartments via a door on the first-floor. The Hôtel de la Reine, then known as the Hôtel de Soissons, was purchased in 1606, restored and enlarged by Charles de Bourbon-Condé, Count of Soissons, and occupied a quadrangle that today would be bounded by the Rue Berger, Rue Vauvilliers, Rue Coquillière and Rue Sauval. Its garden extended as far as the Rue du Louvre. Transformed into a gaming house in the early 18th century, this vast building was demolished in 1748." (Transated by DeepL and ChatGPT)
Background notes
- With a fluted design, the Colonne Astrologique (or the Medici column) is 31 metres tall and contains 147 spiral steps leading to a viewing platform (which is no longer publicly accessible). Inspired by the Trajan's column (built in Rome in the 2nd century AD on the ancient forum of Emperor Trajan), it is built of limestone from the Oise (around 35km north of Paris).
- Catherine de' Medici was a powerful figure in 16th-century France. Born in 1519 in Florence, Italy, she became Queen consort of Henry II of France (1547–59) and later served as regent of France (1560–74). She was the mother of three French kings: Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. Catherine was known for her political influence, especially during the tumultuous period of the French Religious Wars (1562-1598).
- Moving from the Louvre, she lived in the Hôtel de la Reine from 1572 until her death in 1589. Some conjecture that the move to the hôtel may have been due to an astrological prediction by the astrologer Cosimo Ruggeri (a renowned Italian astrologer), who predicted that Catherine would die "near Saint-Germain", an ominous sign given that the Tuileries Palace was being constructed near the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois.
- Although for modern audiences, this may sound fanciful, Catherine de' Medici had a strong connection to astrology. She was a firm believer in divination and surrounded herself with astrologers and scholars whom she consulted on various matters (such as Ruggieri). Catherine's reliance on astrology was not mere superstition but reflected a Renaissance worldview where celestial events were believed to influence earthly matters. Consistent with this, the Medici column was likely used as an astrological observatory
- Jean Bullant (c. 1515-1578) was a prominent French Renaissance architect and sculptor who made significant contributions to 16th-century French architecture. Apart from building the Hotel de la Reine for Catherine de Medici, he worked for Anne de Montmorency, transforming Château d'Écouen around 1550; he built the "petit château" at Chantilly; he was appointed royal architect (1571-1578), working on the Tuileries Palace, and constructed the gallery at Chenonceaux spanning the river (1576-1577).
- After the demolition of the Hôtel de Soissons in 1748, the Halle aux blés (Wheat Exchange) was constructed on the site in 1763-1766, incorporating the Medici Column—the sole remnant of the former hotel—into its exterior façade. This circular building later evolved into the Bourse de Commerce (which now houses the Pinault art collection) through major reconstructions starting in 1887.
- Today, the Medici column stands as a reminder of the site's long history as an integral part of the changing face of the les Halle’s district.
- See plaque 15 for further information regarding the Bourse de Commerce.