Jardin de l'Observatoire de Paris

The Jardin de l'Observatoire de Paris is defined by a long, straight line marked across its grounds, representing the historic Paris meridian. This path traces the longitude once used as the prime meridian for French cartography for over two centuries. The garden sits along the boulevard Arago and provides a green approach to the Paris Observatory, the oldest active astronomical institution in the world. Founded in sixteen sixty-seven by Louis the Fourteenth, the observatory building itself was designed by Claude Perrault to align precisely with the cardinal points and serve as a center for navigation and scientific research.