Caserne de la Cité

The Caserne de la Cité features a heavy, stone facade wrapped around the corner of the Quai de l'Horloge, marked by the severe, repetitive window lines typical of mid nineteenth century military barracks. Baron Haussmann ordered its construction to house the Garde de Paris, placing a permanent military garrison in the heart of the city following the civil unrest of eighteen forty-eight. Officers lived in these rooms while monitoring the narrow streets, ready to deploy reinforcements instantly to suppress any uprising across the capital.