Field of Mars
The Champ de Mars—France’s “Field of Mars”—is named for the Roman Campus Martius, a space dedicated to the god Mars. Here in Paris, the name points to a practical reality: before it became a park, these lawns were used as drilling and marching grounds for the French military. The space took its modern shape in the run-up to the École Militaire. In 1765, construction began on the École Militaire, designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, and military drill grounds were first planned to the south of the school. Choosing an esplanade to the north led to major landscape works: the ground was levelled, surrounded by a large ditch, lined with a long avenue of elms, and finally enclosed by fine grille-work fencing. Today, the park lies between the Eiffel Tower to the northwest and the École Militaire to the southeast, with nearby Métro stops including École Militaire and Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel. …
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