Vincennes

vin-senz', a suburb of Paris. It forms an angle of the city fortifications. It lies eastward from the old Bastille on the side of the city opposite Versailles. From the twelfth century onward, Vincennes was a place of royal residence, a center of statecraft and fashion. In 1740 the chateau was converted into a porcelain factory. Later the factory was removed to Sevres. In 1832 the chateau, with its lofty, massive walls, square keep, and deep moat, was converted into one of the defensive fortifications of Paris. The keep is a massive stone tower of five stories. The walls are ten feet thick. It was long used as a state prison. The king of Navarre, Conde, Mirabeau, and the Duc d'Enghien were held here. The latter was shot by order of Napoleon and was buried in the moat.

His remains were later removed to the chapel. The chief attraction of Vincennes is a beautiful park of 2,250 acres. It is planted with trees and embellished with pathways, drives, sheets of water, islands, bridges, grottoes, etc. A part of the park is set aside as a drill ground for the garrison. The vicinity is historic and full of interest, but the village itself is prosaic. Vincennes people find employment in Paris or are engaged in manufacturing and in petty shopkeeping. See Versailles