Conceptualization of Development:

The first hint of development did not appear on the Ile Notre-Dame until 1555 when a shipyard was constructed. And in 1588 the island received permission to be agriculturally cultivated. Up until the 17th century, temporary wooden bridges spanned the Seine connecting the island to the riverbanks and to the Ile de la Cité.

As the city of Paris grew more and more populated, the traffic across the Pont Neuf, one of the only permanent stone bridges, became extremely burdensome. The city was in need of another centrally located bridge to alleviate the congestion across the Seine.

It was a man by the name of Christophe Marie who, in 1608, proposed a project to the king Henri IV. He wished to build a wooden bridge from the right (northern) bank to the Ile Notre-Dame, and after gaining the king's approval, he constructed the bridge between the years 1609 and 1611. The year of its completion, Marie received the title of "general contractor of bridges in need of construction in the kingdom" and chose to ally himself to an individual by the name of Lugles Poulletier.

After the assassination of Henri IV, the project to develop the island might have been lost, but in cooperation with Poulletier, Marie succeeded in gaining the approval of Louis XIII who, in 1614, signed a contract stipulating the reconnection of the two islands (Ile Notre-Dame and Ile aux Vaches, separated since 1359), the construction of bridges supported by the island that would link the right bank to the left, and the stone reinforcement of the quays - all at the personal expense of Marie. If completed within ten years, Marie would receive complete control over all the land on the island excepting the roads and would benefit financially from every parcel sold.

The application of the project, however, faced many difficulties right from the beginning. Despite the fact that Marie and Poulletier joined forces with François le Regrattier, the financial burden was immense. And on top of this, the legal owners, the Notre-Dame chapter of the church, ferociously opposed the development on the island and threatened to destroy what had already been illegally constructed.

In spite of these problems, though, the construction on the island progressed little by little. In 1614 the young Louis XIII placed the first stone of the permanent bridge the Pont Marie which would be completed by the year 1630. The fortification of the quays began in conjunction with the construction of the Pont Marie but would not be finished until 1643.

The first church on the island was built in 1623, but the church in place today did not undergo construction until 1664 under the direction of François le Vau, younger brother to the famed architect Louis le Vau, responsible for a large portion of the buildings on the island and who had become the architect of the king Louis XIV in 1655.

Louis le Vau was known for his loyalty to the classical architectural style which was defined by straight lines, right angles, symmetry, geometric rigor, and a simplicity of surfaces which opposed the values of the Baroque style. His most famous projects outside the island include the Palais de Versailles, the Palais du Louvre and the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. On the island, le Vau designed his own home as well as the most notable hôtels particuliers (noble townhouses) including the Hôtel Lambert and Lauzun.