Parisians want to recover a legendary, now underground river

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From the southern city limit that’s now the Parc Kellermann in the 13th arrondissement, the Bièvre fed mills and tanneries before its confluence with the Seine in the 5th arrondissement. But by the early 20th century, the Bièvre had become so odiferous and polluted that it was buried underground, its water diverted into the sewers. Many passionate Parisians have harbored a long-standing dream of resurrecting a river that, to them, has taken on mythic status.

In recent years, sections of the river have been reopened in upstream suburbs, and the Paris mayor’s office recently launched a feasibility study to look at uncovering stretches in the city.

“There’s new momentum for this project as we face the climate crisis, increasing heat waves, and the threat to biodiversity,” explains Dan Lert, the deputy mayor overseeing the Paris ecological transition, climate plan, water, and energy. “We can’t continue the way we used to with urban development … Residents expect that we adapt our city to environmental challenges.”

 

Over the years I’ve collected Bièvre lore—some legends as muddied as the currents of the river. There’s the tale of Gentilia the nymph, transformed into the river by the goddess Diana to escape a Trojan soldier in hot pursuit. Then there’s the dragon said to have terrified the land before Bishop Marcel banished the beast to the Bièvre in the fourth century. A different creature was said to have lived on the île aux Singes; two branches of the river sheltered “Monkey Island.” 

Even the origins of the river’s name are cloudy. Some historians argue that “Bièvre” is derived from “beber,” the Celtic word for beaver. However, there has never been any scientific evidence of beavers inhabiting the area (woe to the 13th arrondissement for incorporating the animal into its coat of arms).

Source - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/in-paris-conservation-effort-is-recovering-lost-river

[Guest]

Thanks Anne Hidalgo