Lutetian limestone
Lutetian limestone | |
---|---|
Paris Catacombs tunnel through many miles of Lutetian limestone. | |
Type | Sedimentary |
Unit of | ????? Formation |
Sub-units | ????? |
Underlies | ????? |
Overlies | ????? |
Thickness | ??? m |
Lithology | |
Primary | Limestone |
Location | |
Region | Île-de-France |
Type section | |
Named for | Lutetia (Roman name for Paris) |
Lutetian limestone (in
History
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, Lutetian limestone was extracted by tunneling through hill-sides south of Paris. The stone comprises many of the grandest Paris buildings from the 17th century onwards, including parts of the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, Les Invalides and the Arc de Triomphe
Haussmann's grand renovation of Paris (1853–1870), which provided a sweeping and uniform style and an elusive coloring — ranging from bright white to butter-yellow to a dull nicotine-yellow/grey — for the city, relied upon buildings faced with Lutetian limestone.
In the 20th century, open-cast quarries were developed which uncovered thinner layers of harder limestone closer to the surface north of Paris. A now fashionable variety of Lutetian limestone from about 25 miles north of Paris is known as “Oise stone” or "Saint-Maximin limestone" and has become popular internationally for upscale building projects. In 2007, the
References
- ^ Lichfield, John (2007), “The Stones of Paris”, The Independent, (22 Sept issue).
- ^ Lichfield, Op. cit..
See also