Barrière d’Enfer

The two pavilions known as barrière d’Enfer were constructed between 1784 and 1787. The French architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux designed these buildings as part of a series of similar toll houses, which marked the entrances to Paris during that period.

Claude-Nicolas Ledoux and Paris’s Toll Houses

Claude-Nicolas Ledoux was a prominent architect in 18th-century France, recognized for his innovative designs. He was commissioned to create several toll houses, also called "barrières," which served as checkpoints for collecting taxes on goods entering the city. The barrière d’Enfer pavilions are just two examples of his broader work shaping the city’s boundaries.