This is a story about an invisible line and an invisible monument...
The Paris Meridian Line lost out to Greenwich as the Prime or Zero Meridian, the datum for all measurements of longitude. It was established in 1667 and revised/extended several times, most famously by François Arago (1786-1853). To commemorate Arago an 'invisible monument' was created by Dutch artist, Jan Dibbets, in 1994/95. Ostensibly it consists of 135 bronze medallions, each 12cm [4.7"] in diameter, inlaid into the ground along a 9.2km [5.7 mile] stretch of the Paris Meridian Line. I say 'ostensibly' because whilst the 'official' documentation about the monument states that there are 135 medallions, their own Arago Medallion Location List only details 121 items.
In December, 2005 I decided to walk the line of medallions whilst holidaying in Paris. The lack of good information about how to go about this prompted me to attempt to document as much as I could about the details of the route so that others could enjoy it as well. Some may say that documenting it in so much detail makes it too easy, and detracts from the mystery imbued in this unusual monument. However, anyone who has attempted this walk will know just how difficult it is - even with a list of locations, finding the small, dirt-coloured medallions amongst the leaf litter and a multitude of other pavement hardware is no easy task. I was only able to find 65 medallions (or medallion-shaped blank spots) using this list. It was only once I had returned home to NZ that I found this more authoritative list - the former is a not-quite-100%-accurate English translation of the latter. My list, below, is a synthesis of these two 'official' lists (and includes one or two elaborations from me).
In May/June, 2007 I was able to revisit the monument and review the listing below. I was able to locate a good number of additional medallions, although I also recorded a few that had been lost (stolen?) since my 2005 visit. I also came to the conclusion that a number of the missing medallions have been replaced with newer 'An 2000 - La Méridienne Verte' markers (a more recent commemoration of the Paris Meridian that spans the length of France). This conclusion may not be correct (though I'm fairly sure that it is the case), but I have incorporated it into my listing, below.
You should note before attempting this walk that a small, but significant, number of medallions are in places not accessible to the public, e.g. private gardens or courtyards. The most frustrating example of this is the ten medallions inside the grounds of the l'Observatoire de Paris - an area only accessible by prior, written application. It's also worth noting that the 9.2km span is very much 'as the crow flies' - I walked almost 20km to cover the route.
GPS/Map Data
On my 2005 visit I used a GPS to record the positions of all the medallions (and 'medallion-shaped blank spots', i.e. missing/stolen items) that I found. Unfortunately most of the fixes I got were out by tens of metres due to them being taken in amongst buildings - and in this instance tens of metres is just too great to be useful. On my 2007 visit I logged each location directly into Google Earth which has resulted in a much higher level of accuracy. If you're loading these positions into your GPS, just be aware that they are only as accurate as Google Earth is (good, but not perfect).
The data files, and the location list, below, also include estimated positions for the medallions I could not find. My estimated positions are based on the sometimes vague 'official' location list - take these estimates with a grain of salt. It is also possible that the 'medallion-shaped blank spots' that I found are not in fact the correct locations, but rather a mistake on my part. The data files, and the location list, below, also include a number of other items associated with the Paris Meridian Line - the far older Mire du Nord and Mire du Sud markers, plus a couple of 'An 2000 - La Méridienne Verte' markers that don't appear to corrolate with the location of any missing medallion.
The list of Arago medallion locations is available in a number of formats:
| Name | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Google Earth (KML) | Opens the location fixes in Google Earth. Requires you to have Google Earth installed - get Google Earth (Free Version). | download data |
| Google Maps | Displays the location fixes in Google Maps (in a new browser window). | open data |
| GPX (GPs eXchange) | A common format used by many GPS programs that can be converted into a format specific to your GPS unit. | download data |
| Printer Friendly | Displays the location listing, below, in a simple table. The images in the listing are hidden to conserve paper. | open data |
List Of Arago Medallion Locations
Can you help? This listing contains a number of estimated locations for medallions I couldn't find (including several in locations that are not open to the public). If you can send me a photo and Google Earth placemark for any of them, I'll add them to the listing and credit you. Also, I'm a little dubious about my photos for medallions 3, 4 and 25 to 30 (I think I got out of sync with which photo went with which location) - if you can check these (and supply any photo corrections), I'll credit you in the listing.
The following location list should aid any prospective Arago Medallion hunter. A photograph of each location I found has been included in the list to help identify the location. The locations I didn't find, for which I've provided an estimated location, are illustrated with a '?' placeholder. Each location has been identified with a sequence number and prefix. The prefixes are: 'A' - found medallions; 'X' - missing medallions; 'E' - estimated locations; and 'M' - 'An 2000 - La Méridienne Verte' markers. Several items in the list have two photos - one from December 2005 and one from May/June 2007 - typically the former shows the medallion that was there in 2005, but is now missing.
North Of The Seine
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At no.18 Avenue de la Porte Montmartre at the main entrance of the public library. Lat.: 48° 53' 58.264" N (estimated) |
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At the corner of Rue René Binet and Avenue de la Porte Montmartre. Lat.: 48° 53' 56.601" N (estimated) |
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At no.45-47 Avenue Junot (north side). Lat.: 48° 53' 21.555" N |
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At no.15 Rue S. Dereure (south side). Lat.: 48° 53' 18.947" N |
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At no.10 Avenue Junot (north side). Lat.: 48° 53' 16.928" N |
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At no.3 Avenue Junot (south side). Lat.: 48° 53' 16.400" N |
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Beside the Mire du Nord (note that this medallion was mistakenly placed slightly to the west of the meridian line). Photo credit: http://www.kunstgeografie.nl/ar.10.w.jpg Lat.: 48° 53' 14.970" N, Lon.: 2° 20' 10.830" E |
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Mire du Nord. Photo credit: http://www.kahunna.net/graphics/q&a/q&a03a03.jpg Lat.: 48° 53' 14.970" N, Lon.: 2° 20' 10.830" E |
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At no.79 Rue Lepic (north side). Lat.: 48° 53' 14.478" N (estimated) |
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At no.21 Boulevard de Clichy, side pavement (côté trottoir). Lat.: 48° 52' 58.043" N (estimated) |
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At no.21 Boulevard de Clichy, on the main road (sur le terre plein central). Lat.: 48° 52' 57.492" N (estimated) |
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At no.5 Rue Duperré (south side). Lat.: 48° 52' 55.465" N |
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At no.69-71 Rue Pigalle. Outside door '69'. Lat.: 48° 52' 53.930" N |
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At no.69-71 Rue Pigalle. On the street edge. Lat.: 48° 52' 53.618" N |
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In the inner yard of the National Education Ministry, 34 Rue de Chateaudun. Lat.: 48° 52' 35.424" N (estimated) |
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In the inner yard of the National Education Ministry, 34 Rue de Chateaudun. Lat.: 48° 52' 35.231" N (estimated) |
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Outside no.34 Rue de Chateaudun (north side). On the streetside corner of the bus shelter. Lat.: 48° 52' 34.175" N |
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At no.16-18 Boulevard Haussmann (north side). Lat.: 48° 52' 21.206" N |
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At no.9-11 Boulevard Haussmann (south side). Outside door '9'. Lat.: 48° 52' 20.444" N |
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Outside the brasserie ('La Taverne', no.24 Boulevard des Italiens) at the corner of Rue Taitbout and Boulevard des Italiens. At the rear corner of the brasserie, on Rue Taitbout. Lat.: 48° 52' 17.985" N |
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Outside the brasserie ('La Taverne', no.24 Boulevard des Italiens) at the corner of Rue Taitbout and Boulevard des Italiens. On Boulevard des Italiens (north side). Lat.: 48° 52' 17.264" N |
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At no.16 Rue du 4 Septembre (north side). Lat.: 48° 52' 10.629" N (estimated) |
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At no.15 Rue Saint Augustin (south side). Lat.: 48° 52' 7.857" N |
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At no.24 Rue de Richelieu. Lat.: 48° 51' 54.473" N |
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At no.9 Rue de Montpensier. Lat.: 48° 51' 51.792" N |
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In the Palais-Royal. Under the collonaded exit to Rue de Montpensier, outside 'Conseil Constitutionnel', in line with rows 8/9 of the main courtyard sculpture. Lat.: 48° 51' 49.585" N |
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In the Palais-Royal. Under the collonade, outside the café, in line with rows 4/5 of the main courtyard sculpture. Lat.: 48° 51' 49.148" N |
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In the Palais-Royal. Under the collonade, in line with the first row of the main courtyard sculpture. Lat.: 48° 51' 48.683" N |
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In the Palais-Royal. In the middle of the entrance tunnel to the main courtyard. Lat.: 48° 51' 48.195" N |
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In the Palais-Royal. Under the collonade, between the entrance to the main courtyard and the entrance to 'Noxa'. Lat.: 48° 51' 47.866" N |
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In the Palais-Royal. Under the collonade, outside 'Le Nemours Café Bar'. Lat.: 48° 51' 47.439" N |
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Outside the Palais-Royal. In front of the 'La Meridienne Verte 2000' marker. Lat.: 48° 51' 46.684" N |
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At the corner of Place Colette and Conseil d'État, Rue Saint Honoré. Lat.: 48° 51' 46.627" N |
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In the Place du Palais Royal, beside Rue de Rivoli. Lat.: 48° 51' 43.941" N |
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On the Rue de Rivoli, just inside the Richelieu Wing passage entrance. Lat.: 48° 51' 43.654" N |
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In the Louvre (Richelieu Wing), 18th - 19th c. French Sculpture area, in the passage between the 5th - 18th c. and the 18th - 19th c. areas (see detail). Lat.: 48° 51' 42.597" N |
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In the Louvre (Richelieu Wing), 18th - 19th c. French Sculpture area, on 'mezanine-level' walkway on the south side of Cour Puget (see detail). Lat.: 48° 51' 41.993" N |
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In the Louvre (Richelieu Wing), 18th - 19th c. French Sculpture area, between the escalators, at the top (see detail). Lat.: 48° 51' 41.616" N |
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At the Louvre (Napoleon Court), east of the pyramid. Lat.: 48° 51' 40.364" N |
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At the Louvre (Napoleon Court), east of the pyramid. Lat.: 48° 51' 39.670" N |
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At the Louvre (Napoleon Court), east of the pyramid. Lat.: 48° 51' 39.066" N |
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At the Louvre (Napoleon Court), east of the pyramid. Lat.: 48° 51' 37.884" N |
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At the Louvre (Napoleon Court), east of the pyramid. Lat.: 48° 51' 37.162" N |
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In the Louvre (Denon Wing), Etruscan and Roman Antiquities area, on the main ground floor stairs (see detail). Lat.: 48° 51' 36.609" N |
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In the Louvre (Denon Wing), Etruscan and Roman Antiquities area, just inside the door to Room 31 (closed to the public at this time) (see detail). Lat.: 48° 51' 36.080" N |
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In the Louvre (Denon Wing), Etruscan and Roman Antiquities area, Room 31 or 21 (closed to the public at this time) (see detail). Lat.: 48° 51' 34.994" N (estimated) |
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An additional 'An 2000 - La Méridienne Verte' Paris Meridian marker. Lat.: 48° 51' 34.165" N, Lon.: 2° 20' 11.413" E |
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On the Quai du Louvre, close to the entrance to the pavillon Daru, in front of the 'La Meridienne Verte 2000' marker. Lat.: 48° 51' 34.080" N |
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On the Port du Louvre, on the walkway beside the Seine. Lat.: 48° 51' 33.150" N |
South Of The Seine
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On the Port des Saints-Pères waterfront. Lat.: 48° 51' 28.697" N (estimated) |
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On the Quai de Conti (north side). Lat.: 48° 51' 28.497" N |
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On the Quai de Conti (south side). Lat.: 48° 51' 27.973" N |
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In the mouth of the tunnel between Rue de Seine and Place de l’Institut. Lat.: 48° 51' 27.335" N |
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At no.3 Rue de Seine. Lat.: 48° 51' 27.070" N |
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At no.3 Rue de Seine. Lat.: 48° 51' 26.780" N (estimated) |
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At no.3 Rue de Seine. Lat.: 48° 51' 26.480" N (estimated) |
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At no.12 Rue de Seine. Lat.: 48° 51' 23.874" N (estimated) |
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At the corner of Rue de Seine and Rue des Beaux-Arts. Lat.: 48° 51' 22.463" N |
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At no.152 Boulevard Saint-Germain (north side), behind the phone booth. Lat.: 48° 51' 11.143" N |
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At no.125-127 Boulevard Saint-Germain (south side), in the middle of the pavement. Lat.: 48° 51' 10.396" N |
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At no.28 Rue de Vaugirard (south side), near the Sénat entrance. Lat.: 48° 50' 57.272" N |
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In the Jardin de Luxembourg, on asphalted or cemented spaces. Lat.: 48° 50' 52.289" N |
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An additional 'An 2000 - La Méridienne Verte' Paris Meridian marker. Lat.: 48° 50' 51.582" N, Lon.: 2° 20' 11.413" E |
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In the Jardin de Luxembourg, on asphalted or cemented spaces. Lat.: 48° 50' 50.462" N |
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In the Jardin de Luxembourg, on asphalted or cemented spaces. Lat.: 48° 50' 47.462" N |
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In the Jardin de Luxembourg, on asphalted or cemented spaces. Lat.: 48° 50' 46.810" N |
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In the Jardin de Luxembourg, on asphalted or cemented spaces. Lat.: 48° 50' 46.695" N |
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In the Jardin de Luxembourg, on asphalted or cemented spaces. Lat.: 48° 50' 46.566" N |
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In the Jardin de Luxembourg, on asphalted or cemented spaces. Lat.: 48° 50' 44.123" N |
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In the Jardin de Luxembourg, on asphalted or cemented spaces. Lat.: 48° 50' 41.432" N |
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In the Jardin de Luxembourg, on asphalted or cemented spaces. Lat.: 48° 50' 40.693" N |
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In the Jardin de Luxembourg, just inside the south-west entrance. Lat.: 48° 50' 39.864" N |
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On Rue Auguste Comte, at the entrance to the Jardin de Luxembourg. Lat.: 48° 50' 39.579" N |
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On Avenue de l'Observatoire, on the pavement beside the Jardin R. Cavelier-de-la-Salle. Lat.: 48° 50' 37.705" N (estimated) |
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On Avenue de l'Observatoire, on the pavement beside the Jardin R. Cavelier-de-la-Salle, at the western entrance. Lat.: 48° 50' 36.299" N |
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At the corner of Avenue de l'Observatoire and Rue Michelet. Lat.: 48° 50' 32.883" N |
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In the Jardin Marco Polo. Lat.: 48° 50' 31.770" N (estimated) |
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In the Jardin Marco Polo (near the ping-pong table). Lat.: 48° 50' 30.790" N (estimated) |
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In the Jardin Marco Polo. Lat.: 48° 50' 29.810" N (estimated) |
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At the corner of Avenue de l'Observatoire and Rue d'Assas. Lat.: 48° 50' 27.417" N |
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In the Place Camille Jullian. On the curb (north side). Lat.: 48° 50' 27.224" N |
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In the Place Camille Jullian. Lat.: 48° 50' 26.717" N |
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At the corner of Avenue Denfert Rochereau and Avenue de l'Observatoire (Observatory side). At the foot of the crossing. Lat.: 48° 50' 18.038" N |
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On the Avenue de l'Observatoire. Adjacent to the end of the triangular building, on the grass, 1.5m [5'] in from the edge of the street (west side). Lat.: 48° 50' 17.001" N |
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On the Avenue de l'Observatoire. 6m [20'] outside the gates to l'Observatoire de Paris. Lat.: 48° 50' 13.536" N |
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In the North side courtyard of l'Observatoire de Paris, just inside the gates. Lat.: 48° 50' 13.079" N |
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In the North side courtyard of l'Observatoire de Paris. Lat.: 48° 50' 12.610" N (estimated) |
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Inside l'Observatoire de Paris. Lat.: 48° 50' 11.850" N (estimated) |
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On the north and south side terrace and upstairs garden within the protected limits of the Observatory. Lat.: 48° 50' 10.810" N (estimated) |
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On the north and south side terrace and upstairs garden within the protected limits of the Observatory. Lat.: 48° 50' 10.730" N (estimated) |
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On the north and south side terrace and upstairs garden within the protected limits of the Observatory. Lat.: 48° 50' 10.650" N (estimated) |
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On the north and south side terrace and upstairs garden within the protected limits of the Observatory. Lat.: 48° 50' 10.570" N (estimated) |
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On the north and south side terrace and upstairs garden within the protected limits of the Observatory. Lat.: 48° 50' 10.490" N (estimated) |
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On the north and south side terrace and upstairs garden within the protected limits of the Observatory. Lat.: 48° 50' 10.412" N (estimated) |
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Within the protected limits of the Observatory, just over the fence from the public gardens on the south side of the Observatory. Lat.: 48° 50' 7.843" N |
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On the Boulevard Arago (outside the rear Observatory gates). Lat.: 48° 50' 5.080" N |
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On the Boulevard Arago (street side of the old Arago monument). Lat.: 48° 50' 4.228" N |
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On the Place de l'Ile de Sein (on south face of the old Arago monument). Lat.: 48° 50' 4.043" N |
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On the Place de l'Ile de Sein. Lat.: 48° 50' 3.610" N |
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On the Place de l'Ile de Sein. Lat.: 48° 50' 3.238" N |
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On the Place de l'Ile de Sein. Lat.: 48° 50' 2.869" N |
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At no.81 Rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques. Lat.: 48° 50' 1.365" N |
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On the Place Saint Jacques. Lat.: 48° 50' 0.999" N (estimated) |
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In Parc Montsouris (on the alleys). Near the northern entrance to the park. Lat.: 48° 49' 26.389" N |
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In Parc Montsouris (on the alleys). Near the northern entrance to the park. Lat.: 48° 49' 25.940" N |
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In Parc Montsouris (on the alleys). Lat.: 48° 49' 20.665" N |
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In Parc Montsouris (on the alleys). Lat.: 48° 49' 20.531" N |
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In Parc Montsouris (on the alleys). Lat.: 48° 49' 20.018" N |
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In Parc Montsouris (on the alleys). Lat.: 48° 49' 18.834" N |
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In Parc Montsouris (on the alleys). Just north of the police station. Lat.: 48° 49' 17.940" N |
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In Parc Montsouris (on the alleys). Outside police station entrance (south side). Lat.: 48° 49' 17.437" N |
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In Parc Montsouris (on the alleys). Lat.: 48° 49' 16.299" N |
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Mire du Sud Lat.: 48° 49' 15.416" N, Lon.: 2° 20' 12.496" E |
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On Boulevard Jourdan. Lat.: 48° 49' 15.397" N |
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On Boulevard Jourdan. Lat.: 48° 49' 14.185" N |
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Within the grounds of the Cité universitaire (on a line between the Canadian and Cambodian Pavilions). Lat.: 48° 49' 12.410" N |
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Within the grounds of the Cité universitaire (on a line between the Canadian and Cambodian Pavilions). Lat.: 48° 49' 12.155" N |
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Within the grounds of the Cité universitaire (on a line between the Canadian and Cambodian Pavilions). Lat.: 48° 49' 11.759" N |
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Within the grounds of the Cité universitaire (on a line between the Canadian and Cambodian Pavilions). Lat.: 48° 49' 10.117" N |
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Within the grounds of the Cité universitaire (on a line between the Canadian and Cambodian Pavilions). Lat.: 48° 49' 8.499" N |
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Within the grounds of the Cité universitaire (on a line between the Canadian and Cambodian Pavilions). Lat.: 48° 49' 7.723" N (estimated) |
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Within the grounds of the Cité universitaire (on a line between the Canadian and Cambodian Pavilions). Lat.: 48° 49' 4.773" N |
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Within the grounds of the Cité universitaire (on a line between the Canadian and Cambodian Pavilions). Lat.: 48° 49' 4.314" N (estimated) |
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Within the grounds of the Cité universitaire (on a line between the Canadian and Cambodian Pavilions). Lat.: 48° 49' 3.411" N |
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Within the grounds of the Cité universitaire (behind the Cambodian Pavilion). Lat.: 48° 49' 1.349" N (estimated) |
Louvre Detail
For More Information...
Philip Freriks has written the definitive guide to the monument, 'De meridiaan van Parijs', (available in Dutch and Polish, only).
This web page is referred to in the following guidebook to Paris: 'You Go Girl Paris: A Women's Guide to Paris' by Polly Boline and Barb Chesley.
- Documentation On The Arago Medallions
- Hommage à Arago de Jan Dibbets [in French]
- The Invisible Monument
- Paris Meridian Medallions
- Looking Around for Arago's Markers
- Disks and Dials
- Paris Meridian
- l'Observatoire de Paris [in French]
- Project Jan Dibbets: De nulmeridiaan als 'Hommage à Arago' [in Dutch]
- Arago, Dibbets en de Meridiaan van Parijs [in Dutch]
- "Le long du Méridien de Paris" by Benoit Rives [in French]
