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59-569: A bridge linking the Île de la Cité with the southern bank of the Seine has existed on this spot since early history. In the Roman predecessor to Paris , Lutetia Parisiorum , a bridge was built to utilize the convenient ford of the Seine, today's Île de la Cité. Often a victim of floods , the structure has been repeatedly rebuilt. The first known flood destroying this bridge was in 885 AD. The bridge subsequently

118-409: A basin to store rainwater, which would then be slowly released into the sewer system, preventing overflow. Plans also call for several public swimming areas to be made available by 2025, ending a ban instituted in 1923 due to the polluted water. These efforts have produced mixed results, as E. coli levels have often been found to be far higher than what is safe to swim in, though this could depend on

177-614: A large part due to the charisma and influence of Bernard of Clairvaux . The Abbey of Fontenay , a UNESCO World Heritage Site , is today the best-preserved Cistercian abbey in Burgundy. The Abbey of Vézelay, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is still a starting point for pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela . Cluny was almost totally destroyed during the French Revolution. During the Hundred Years' War , King John II of France gave

236-407: A population over 100,000 are in the Seine watershed: Le Havre at the estuary, Rouen in the Seine valley and Reims at the northern limit—with an annual urban growth rate of 0.2 percent. The population density is 201 per square kilometer. Tributaries of the Seine are, from source to mouth: Due to concentrated levels of industry, agriculture and urban populations of Paris and its surroundings,

295-510: A tax of 9,500 livres on the Jews living in Paris. The bridge rebuilt under the reign of Charles VI consisted of three arches and lasted from 1398 until 1408, when it was swept away by the river and had to be re-established beginning in 1409. However, funds were difficult to attain, and the bridge was not finished until 1416. Upon completion, houses were constructed atop the bridge, many erected later by

354-575: Is associated with Latin; the Latin word seems to derive from the same root as Latin sequor (I follow) and English sequence , namely Proto-Indo-European *seik - , signifying 'to flow' or 'to pour forth'. On 28 or 29 March 845, an army of Vikings led by a chieftain named Reginherus, which is possibly another name for Ragnar Lothbrok , sailed up the River Seine with siege towers and sacked Paris . On 25 November 885, another Viking expedition led by Rollo

413-520: Is divided into the Côte-d'Or , where the most expensive and prized Burgundies are found, and Beaujolais , Chablis , the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâcon . The reputation and quality of the top wines, together with the fact that they are often produced in small quantities, has led to high demand and high prices, with some Burgundies ranking among the most expensive wines in the world. With regard to cuisine,

472-641: Is essentially oceanic (Cfb in Köppen classification ), with a continental influence (sometimes called a "half-continental climate"). The regional council of Burgundy was the legislative assembly of the region, until its merger to form the regional council of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté . Burgundy is one of France's main wine-producing areas. It is well known for both its red and white wines, mostly made from Pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes, respectively, although other grape varieties can be found, including Gamay , Aligote , Pinot blanc , and Sauvignon blanc . The region

531-570: Is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine , 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre (and Honfleur on the left bank). It is navigable by ocean-going vessels as far as Rouen , 120 kilometres (75 mi) from

590-545: Is only 24 metres (79 ft) above sea level 446 kilometres (277 mi) from its mouth, making it slow flowing and thus easily navigable. The Seine Maritime, 123 kilometres (76 mi) from the English Channel at Le Havre to Rouen, is the only portion of the Seine used by ocean-going craft. The tidal section of the Seine Maritime is followed by a canalized section ( Basse Seine ) with four large multiple locks until

649-628: Is the mouth of the Marne . Upstream from Paris seven locks ensure navigation to Saint Mammès , where the Loing mouth is situated. Through an eighth lock the river Yonne is reached at Montereau-Fault-Yonne. From the mouth of the Yonne, larger ships can continue upstream to Nogent-sur-Seine (48 km [30 mi], 7 locks). From there on, the river is navigable only by small craft to Marcilly-sur-Seine (19 km [12 mi], 4 locks). At Marcilly-sur-Seine

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708-722: The Duchy , the County , and the kingdoms of Upper Burgundy and Lower Burgundy . During the Middle Ages , Burgundy was home to some of the most important Western churches and monasteries , including those of Cluny , Cîteaux , and Vézelay . Cluny, founded in 910, exerted a strong influence in Europe for centuries. The first Cistercian abbey was founded in 1098 in Cîteaux. Over the next century, hundreds of Cistercian abbeys were founded throughout Europe, in

767-585: The House of Valois-Burgundy came into possession of numerous French and imperial fiefs stretching from the western Alps to the North Sea, in some ways reminiscent of the Middle Frankish realm of Lotharingia . The Burgundian State, in its own right, was one of the largest ducal territories that existed at the time of the emergence of early Modern Europe . It was regarded as one of the major western European powers of

826-487: The Middle Ages towards early modern Europe . Upon the 9th-century partitions of the Kingdom of Burgundy , the lands and remnants partitioned to the Kingdom of France were reduced to a ducal rank by King Robert II of France in 1004. The House of Burgundy , a cadet branch of the House of Capet , ruled over a territory that roughly conformed to the borders and territories of the modern administrative region of Burgundy. Upon

885-613: The Rhine during the late Roman period. The name Burgundy has historically denoted numerous political entities. It first emerged in the 9th century as one of the successors of the ancient Kingdom of the Burgundians , which after its conquest in 532 had formed a constituent part of the Frankish Empire . Since the inception of the French departmental system in 1790, Burgundy has referred to

944-565: The Île de la Cité , one of the two natural islands on the Seine within the city limits, to the Rive Gauche ( French : Left Bank. ) It is near the Saint-Michel station on the Paris Metro . Seine The Seine ( / s eɪ n , s ɛ n / sayn, sen , French: [sɛn] ) is a 777-kilometre-long (483 mi) river in northern France . Its drainage basin

1003-514: The 14th and 15th centuries. The Dukes of Burgundy were among the wealthiest and the most powerful princes in Europe and were sometimes called "Grand Dukes of the West". Through its possessions the Burgundian State was a major European centre of trade and commerce. The extinction of the dynasty led to the absorption of the duchy itself into the French crown lands by King Louis XI , while the bulk of

1062-489: The 1960s marked an upturn in agricultural pollution due to land use changes that had previously scaled with population growth. Heavy industries near Paris and along the Oise River discharged virtually untreated wastewaters from the turn of the 19th century, causing concentrations of toxins in the river that were ignored until the late 1980s. Major French laws to address water quality were passed in 1898, 1964, 1996, and 2006. At

1121-443: The 19th century Canal de la Haute-Seine used to allow vessels to continue all the way to Troyes . This canal has been abandoned since 1957. The Seine's average depth in Paris today is approximately 9.5 meters (31 feet). Until locks were installed to raise the level in the 1800s, the river was much shallower within the city, and consisted of a small channel of continuous flow bordered by sandy banks (depicted in many illustrations of

1180-409: The 19th century, which combines street runoff and sewage. The resulting oxygen deficit is principally caused by allochthonous bacteria larger than one micrometre in size. The specific activity of these sewage bacteria is typically three to four times greater than that of the autochthonous (background) bacterial population. Heavy metal concentrations in the Seine are relatively high. The pH level of

1239-606: The Battle of Normandy. Some of the Algerian victims of the Paris massacre of 1961 drowned in the Seine after being thrown by French policemen from the Pont Saint-Michel and other locations in Paris. At the 1900 Summer Olympics , the river hosted the rowing , swimming , and water polo events. Twenty-four years later , it hosted the rowing events again at Bassin d'Argenteuil, along

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1298-636: The Bold was killed in battle, and the Duchy itself was annexed by France and became a province. However, the northern part of the empire was taken by the Austrian Habsburgs . With the French Revolution in the end of the 18th century, the administrative units of the provinces disappeared, but were reconstituted as regions during the Fifth Republic in the 1970s. The modern-day administrative region comprises most of

1357-674: The Burgundian possessions in the Low Countries passed to Duke Charles the Bold 's daughter, Mary , and her Habsburg descendants. Thus the partition of the Burgundian heritage marked the beginning of the centuries-long French–Habsburg rivalry and played a pivotal role in European politics long after Burgundy had lost its role as an independent political identity. It is named for the Burgundians , an East Germanic people who moved westwards beyond

1416-465: The French government sought to reduce bacterial levels in the river to those safe for swimming. During the Olympics, daily tests of the water quality were taken to determine if it was safe for swimming; this caused the triathlon to be delayed by a day, before being allowed to proceed on July 31. A few of the triathletes who swam in the river became sick afterwards, though it was not clear if the Seine water

1475-552: The Italian architect Fra ( friar ) Giovanni Giocondo , who also worked on the Pont Notre-Dame , while in the service of the king of France between 1496 and 1499. Again, the overflowing river caused the bridge to collapse in 1649, 1651, 1658, and 1659. The 1659 reincarnation contained an inscription detailing the high cost the bridge's frequent destructions had caused the city. In 1718, two boats loaded with hay attempted to pass beneath

1534-510: The Petit Pont, burning it down. It was replaced by another in 1719, with no houses on it. Designed by the architect Alexandre Michal, and built by Ernest Gariel, the present Petit Pont was begun in 1852 to provide more adequate clearance between the water and the bridge. Thus, the three arches were reduced to one. This new bridge was opened to traffic in 1853. The Petit Pont is centrally located in Paris' 4th and 5th arrondissements , connecting

1593-417: The Petit Pont. At that time, the structure was a solid stone structure, but the stone arches rested on large wooden piles . On an April night, a woman who had lost her child to drowning in the Seine that morning went out in a boat in search of the body. To light the area, she used a wooden taper, burning at one end. Her boat collided with a barge laden with hay, the hay caught on fire, and the boat floated into

1652-550: The Roman period. During the 4th century, the Burgundians , a Germanic people who may have originated on the Baltic island of Bornholm , settled in the western Alps. They founded the Kingdom of the Burgundians , which was conquered in the 6th century by another Germanic tribe, the Franks . Under Frankish dominion, the Kingdom of Burgundy continued for several centuries. Later, the region

1711-486: The Seine as well as its tributaries Yonne, Marne, and Aube. These help in maintaining a constant level for the river through the city, but cannot prevent significant increases in river level during periods of extreme runoff. The dams are Lac d’Orient , Lac des Settons , Lake Der-Chantecoq , and Auzon-Temple and Amance, respectively. A very severe period of high water in January 1910 resulted in extensive flooding throughout

1770-405: The Seine at Pont Neuf has been measured to be 8.46. Despite this, the water quality has improved significantly over what several historians at various times in the past called an "open sewer". In 2018, a €1.4 billion ($ 1.55 billion) cleanup programme called the "Swimming Plan" was launched with the aim of making the river safe to use for the 2024 Summer Olympics . The project included constructing

1829-517: The Seine beside the Tuileries Garden . Having a length of sixty-six feet and an eight-foot beam Fulton's steamboat attained speeds of three to four miles per hour against the Seine's current. Reaching the Seine was one of the original objectives of Operation Overlord , during the Second World War , in 1944. The Allies' intention was to reach the Seine by 90 days after D-Day . That objective

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1888-426: The Seine north of Paris. More than a century later, during the 2024 Summer Olympics , the Seine hosted a boat parade with boats for each national delegation during the opening ceremony . The river was also the site of the men's and women's event for marathon swimming , as well as the swimming portion of the triathlon . Although swimming in the Seine had been banned since 1923, a €1.4 billion cleanup effort by

1947-532: The Seine-Normandy watershed experiences the highest human impacts of any hydrographic basin in France. Compared to most other large European rivers, the ability of the Seine to dilute urban sewage and farmland runoff is very low. Low oxygen levels, high concentrations of ammonia, nitrites and faecal bacteria, extending from Paris to the estuary, have been issues for over a century. The advent of nitrogenous fertilizers in

2006-430: The Seine. By the early 2020s, the number of fish species near Paris had rebounded to 32. Periodically the sewage systems of Paris experience a failure known as sanitary sewer overflow , often in periods of high rainfall. Under these conditions, untreated residential and industrial sewage is discharged into the Seine to prevent backflow . This is due in large part to Paris' "single system" drainage scheme dating from

2065-415: The beginning of the 20th century, most domestic sewage was used as fertilizer for nearby croplands. As populations grew, the agricultural capacity to absorb those wastewaters was exceeded. Large-scale construction of waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) began in 1940 to meet demand; however, by 1970, about 60% of urban sewage was allowed to flow into the river untreated. The resulting oxygen depletion reduced

2124-410: The city of Paris. The Seine again rose to threatening levels in 1924, 1955, 1982, 1999–2000, June 2016, and January 2018. After a first-level flood alert in 2003, about 100,000 works of art were moved out of Paris, the largest relocation of art since World War II . Much of the art in Paris is kept in underground storage rooms that would have been flooded. A 2002 report by the French government stated

2183-485: The city. A notable bridge, which is also the last along the course of the river, is the Pont de Normandie , the ninth longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, which links Le Havre and Honfleur . The Seine rises in the commune of Source-Seine , about 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Dijon . The source has been owned by the city of Paris since 1864. A number of closely associated small ditches or depressions provide

2242-614: The duchy to his youngest son, Philip the Bold . The duchy soon became a major rival to the crown. The court in Dijon outshone the French court both economically and culturally. Phillip the Bold's grandson Philip the Good acquired Namur , Hainaut , Brabant , and Holland in modern Belgium and the Netherlands . In 1477, at the battle of Nancy during the Burgundian Wars , the last duke Charles

2301-460: The earlier rainstorm during the opening ceremony had driven some untreated rainwater back into the Seine. However, the triathlon proceeded the following day, after testing found the water quality to be sufficient for swimming. The name Seine comes from Gaullish Sēquana , from the Celtic Gallo-Roman goddess of the river, as offerings for her were found at the source. Sometimes it

2360-611: The extinction of the Burgundian male line the duchy reverted to the King of France and the House of Valois . Following the marriage of Philip of Valois and Margaret III of Flanders , the Duchy of Burgundy was absorbed into the Burgundian State alongside parts of the Low Countries which would become collectively known as the Burgundian Netherlands . Upon further acquisitions of the County of Burgundy , Holland , and Luxembourg ,

2419-487: The former duchy. In 2016, Burgundy and the historical region of Franche-Comté merged for administrative purposes into the new region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté . The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy , from the modern Netherlands to the border of Auvergne . Today, Burgundy is made up of the old provinces: The climate of this region

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2478-591: The geographic area comprising the four departments of Côte-d'Or , Saône-et-Loire , Yonne , and Nièvre . The first recorded inhabitants of the area that was to become Burgundy were various tribes of Gallic Celts , the most prominent of which were the semi-republican Aedui , who were eventually incorporated into the Roman Empire following the Gaulish defeat in the Battle of Alesia . Gallo-Roman culture flourished during

2537-601: The mouth of the Oise at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (170 km [110 mi]). Smaller locks at Bougival and at Suresnes lift the vessels to the level of the river in Paris, where the junction with the Canal Saint-Martin is located. The distance from the mouth of the Oise is 72 km (45 mi). The Haute Seine , from Paris to Montereau-Fault-Yonne , is 98 km (61 mi) long and has 8 locks. At Charenton-le-Pont

2596-482: The number of fish species to three. Measures taken in the early 2000s due to the Water Framework Directive led to significant reductions of organic carbon, phosphorus and ammonium, which in turn decreased the occurrence and severity of phytoplankton blooms. Continued WWTP construction and new treatment methods improved environmental conditions. In 2009, it was announced that Atlantic salmon had returned to

2655-518: The original soundtrack for the movie ' A Monster in Paris ' The Seine features prominently in ABBA 's 1980 song, Our Last Summer , written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus . Burgundy (region) Burgundy ( / ˈ b ɜːr ɡ ən d i / BUR -gən-dee ; French: Bourgogne [buʁɡɔɲ] ; Burgundian : Bregogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province

2714-479: The period). Today the depth is tightly controlled and the entire width of the river between the built-up banks on either side is normally filled with water. The average flow of the river is very low, only a few cubic metres per second, but much higher flows are possible during periods of heavy runoff. Dredging in the 1960s mostly eliminated tidal bores on the lower river, known in French as "le mascaret." Four large storage reservoirs have been built since 1950 on

2773-794: The region is famous for Dijon mustard , Charolais beef , Bresse chicken , the Burgundian dishes coq au vin and beef bourguignon , and époisses cheese. Tourist sites of Burgundy include the Rock of Solutré , the Hospices de Beaune , the Ducal Palace in Dijon, and many Renaissance and mediaeval châteaus, castles, churches and abbeys. Earlier, the southeastern part of Burgundy was heavily industrial, with coal mines near Montceau-les-Mines and iron foundries and crystal works in Le Creusot . These industries declined in

2832-474: The river passes through the Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine Normande , a French regional nature park . The Seine is dredged and ocean-going vessels can dock at Rouen , 120 kilometres (75 mi) from the sea. Commercial craft (barges and push-tows) can use the river beginning at Marcilly-sur-Seine , 516 kilometres (321 mi) to its mouth. At Paris, there are 37 bridges. The river

2891-435: The river was rising. The Deputy Mayor of Paris Colombe Brossel warned that the heavy rain was caused by climate change . He added that "We have to understand that climatic change is not a word, it's a reality." The basin area, including a part of Belgium, is 78,910 square kilometres (30,470 sq mi), 2 percent of which is forest and 78 percent cultivated land. In addition to Paris, three other cities with

2950-533: The sea. Over 60 percent of its length, as far as Burgundy , is negotiable by large barges and most tour boats, and nearly its whole length is available for recreational boating; excursion boats offer sightseeing tours of the river banks in the capital city, Paris. There are 37 bridges in Paris across the Seine (the most famous of which are the Pont Alexandre III and the Pont Neuf ) and dozens more outside

3009-457: The season. At the same time, the fish population in the river has surged, from just two species to over 30. To demonstrate the river's improved cleanliness, Mayor Anne Hidalgo and President Emmanuel Macron both pledged to take a swim in the waters, and Hidalgo did so on July 17, 2024. During the Summer Olympics, the date of the triathlon was postponed due to water quality issues, as

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3068-454: The source waters, with an artificial grotto laid out to highlight and contain a deemed main source. The grotto includes a statue of a nymph, a dog, and a dragon. On the same site are the buried remains of a Gallo-Roman temple . Small statues of the dea Sequana "Seine goddess" and other ex-votos found at the same place are now exhibited in the Dijon archaeological museum. The Seine can artificially be divided into five parts: Below Rouen,

3127-417: The worst-case Seine flood scenario would cost 10 billion euros and cut telephone service for a million Parisians, leaving 200,000 without electricity and 100,000 without gas. In January 2018 the Seine again flooded, reaching a flood level of 5.84 metres (19 ft 2 in) on 29 January. An official warning was issued on 24 January that heavy rainfall was likely to cause the river to flood. By 27 January,

3186-411: Was carried away by successive floods at least thirteen times between 885 and 1658, and at least eleven times before it was built in stone. In 1175, following yet another flood, the bishop of Paris Maurice de Sully gave his support for a new reconstruction, this time in stone. Further, after a flood destroyed the structure again in 1393, the construction of another stone bridge on the site was funded by

3245-512: Was divided between the Duchy of Burgundy (to the west) and the Free County of Burgundy (to the east). The Duchy of Burgundy is the better known of the two, later becoming the French province of Burgundy, while the County of Burgundy became the French province of Franche-Comté . Burgundy's modern existence is rooted in the dissolution of the Frankish Empire . In the 880s, there were four Burgundies:

3304-557: Was met. An anticipated assault crossing of the river never materialized as German resistance in France crumbled by early September 1944. However, the First Canadian Army did encounter resistance immediately west of the Seine and fighting occurred in the Forêt de la Londe as Allied troops attempted to cut off the escape across the river of parts of the German 7th Army in the closing phases of

3363-412: Was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The capital, Dijon , was wealthy and powerful, being a major European centre of art and science, and of Western Monasticism . In early Modern Europe, Burgundy was a focal point of courtly culture that set the fashion for European royal houses and their court. The Duchy of Burgundy was a key in the transformation of

3422-624: Was sent up the River Seine to attack Paris again . In March 1314, King Philip IV of France had Jacques de Molay , last Grand Master of the Knights Templar , burned on a scaffold on an island in the River Seine in front of Notre Dame de Paris . After the burning of Joan of Arc in 1431, her ashes were thrown into the Seine from the medieval stone Mathilde Bridge at Rouen , though unsupported counter-claims persist. On 9 August 1803 Robert Fulton , American painter and marine engineer, made his first successful test of his steamboat in

3481-579: Was the cause. In 1991 (and 2024), UNESCO added the banks of the Seine in Paris—the Rive Gauche and Rive Droite —to its list of World Heritage Sites in Europe . During the 19th and the 20th centuries in particular the Seine inspired many artists, including: A song "La Seine" by Flavien Monod and Guy Lafarge was written in 1948. Josephine Baker also recorded a song called "La Seine" An additional song entitled "La Seine", by Vanessa Paradis featuring Matthieu Chedid , formed part of

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