“De pierres dures et résistantes.” Paving Streets with Stones in Paris (12th–15th Century), Resolutions, Symbolisms and Practices

In Paris as elsewhere, the paving of streets in the Middle Ages met a number of needs. It was intended to facilitate the movement of vehicles and help with the cleaning of the streets, which, when added to the technical constraints involved, means it is heavily invested with symbolic meaning. Beyond this symbolism, an examination of paving expenses incurred by the Provost of the Merchants of Paris in the fifteenth century shows that paving depends heavily on the availability of funds to finance it.